Part of being a responsible wine blogger is trying new things. And in light of that, we challenged our friends K and L to find three wines at the LCBO for under 25$. A challenge indeed! The end total came to 27$, but we here at Red, White and Rosé are nothing if not forgiving, so we let it slide! This experiment was meant to reflect how some people buy their wines, conscious of only price. And it was truly an experiment indeed.
Our conclusion overall was unsurprising. Some were ok, some were awful, but most were generally drinkable. It was not an unpleasant experience and taught us a lot about buying cheap wine. Namely, that even if you don't know a wine, try and be familiar with its grape, because some grapes you won't like at any price. If you don't like an expensive version of a grape, you probably will hate its cheap version even more! For example, I have come to realise Pinot Grigio is often not my grape of choice, so I would steer clear of a cheap one. But Rieslings and gewurtzs and I are bros, so I probably would be safe buying a cheap one. Knowing what grapes you like will also be more helpful when asking LCBO staff for foreign advice, as they can tell you which ones are similar in other countries (the good staff anyways, but that is another story...).
Tonight's wine was Citra Vini's Trebbiano D'Abruzzo. It was a ridiculous steal at $7.25. It alleges to be a typical white wine from the Artona (or Ortona, sources seem divided) region, according to the back of the bottle. The word "typical" brought to mind the manic-depressant robot from Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, hence the selection. It's allegedly good to drink on its own or as an aperitif, which is how we're trying it tonight. Notice we present these as claims, not facts!
K: I take no responsibility for this wine. It's alcohol-y. I would not drink it again, no matter how cheap. I would drink this at a free event, but if served at a wedding I'd rethink that expensive present. At least I'd take the beautiful, bow back. It probably cost more.
L: Seems like wine. (M: A glowing endorsement!) It doesn't have any legs at all, lots of mineral which you get with paler wines. Honey on the aftertaste when you breath out. This would be good with ice, the Italian liqueur Aperol, and a bit of soda.
Memories....I first tried this cocktail at the Belvedere in Vienna. Yep. Definitely made with prosecco then, so this isn't exactly the same. It was summer, hot as hell, and as I sipped my refreshing drink I painted watercolours of the elderly couple at the table next to me. (M: Can you get more picturesque than that?!)
A: I assume Citrva vini means little body and little colour. It is very mineral-y, often when you get a tingly sensation on your tongue (when it's not a sparkling wine) then it's mineral-y. It tastes very alcohol-y. Eating it with a sweet, a butter tart in this case, brings out the citrus in it and lessen the alcohol taste. If I was at a party and it was offered to me, I would not say no, but really it's worth the extra $2 to get a better wine. If you're having a family party and buying lots of alcohols to provide it would be fine, but it didn't have much going for me.
M: It's Easter wine! Aka the wine your Grandma serves at a family event, it's not necessary carefully chosen but there's a lot of tradition, or something in it. It's not something I would buy to sip but I wouldn't insult an elder over it.
On L's advice, we did make a cocktail with Apersol, and while the modifications improved it, perhaps "improved" is a generous word.
K: Mixing it doesn't quite cover the bitterness, but gives the wine more flavour. In the summer this would be nice.
A: It looks like red! It tastes like peanuts. It has that dry finish of peanuts with their skin still on.
M: Smells like red. It starts out sweetish, not quite fruity, not quite cream soda but really good. A slow finish with rhubarb at the end. It is for the fancy, not for the everyday and certainly not for an evening of indulgence.
So there it is, our first foray into the 3 for under 25 challenge. Stay tuned as we explore a slight more expensive (but not necessarily better) wine!
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