Party Wines

One of the best things about parties with my wine-drinking friends is sampling the wine they bust out to share. I'm such a wine wussie because I hate blowing good money on bad wine. I tend to drink what I know and love at the expense of being predictable, boring and missing out on other good stuff. I don't usually trust the recommendations of wine shop staff because I can't accurately describe to them what I like and want. It's not their fault. They're perfectly qualified. It's my fault that I can't better verbalize beyond "something that won't trigger a gag reflex." I don't give them much to go on.

Occasionally, the wine fare at parties is quite poor and I find myself suspecting that my friends also sort their wines by "Not Likely to Share Because It's So Very Good" and "Put It Out Because Someone Got it For Me as a Gift and It's Bloody Awful." I had one of the bloody awfuls this summer that I swear smelled just like body odor, and tasted very nearly the same. Seriously, absolutely. I'm not a wine snob by any stretch, but I at least want to drink a wine that revs me up with a fragrant bouquet first. A good smelling wine is like the  crest of the hill on a rollercoaster---EEEEEEE, you're nearly there! But, to have the crest smell like a junior high boy who hasn't showered in a week, well, it can set the whole party off poorly. There are limits, people. Yes, I occasionally chuck the crappy wine out at a party, but there are limits. Body odor bouquet is that limit.

But, thankfully, not all summer parties have soured in such a way, as evidenced by my friend A.T's perfect wine she served a few weeks ago. Knowing little about wine except whether I like it or whether it sucks, I had never heard of a Monastrell. A.T. presented one made by Honoro Vera, and I'm certainly game for anything red, so I poured a cautious glass of it. After the first sip, I snatched up the bottle to make sure I got a hefty dose of it before the other party guests arrived! It was wonderful!! It's a varietal wine made of Spanish black-skinned grapes. When I researched this grape, I found that it also goes by the name, "Mourvedra," which I have actually heard of before, but not drank. It was smooth going down, with no snips and grimaces along the way. I'm not normally fond of peppery wines, but this was so subtle and balanced that I liked it quite well. It was lovely all on its own, and perfect with the grilled fare that A.T. was serving. It clashed with nothing! It was gone in an instant, and I was texting her the next day begging for the name of it again. Adding pleasure to pleasure: it sells for around $10!

https://thewinefeed.com/shop/honoro-vera-monastrell/#.UiU0oxzP9fM