Yikes - My First 'Stinker" of a Vinho Verde White

I have spent the summer exploring and enjoying a lot of Albarino based white wines. I've had wonderful examples from Spain and Portugal.

Tonight I opened a Adega Coop Ponte Barca white wine. I had their Rose' earlier this year and liked it a lot.

Tonight I opened a $9.49 bottle of their white that was a stinker - literally and figuratively. I opened the wine and took a sniff and it had that "cat pee" characteristic that some use in a favorable way with Sauvignon Blanc. I never liked that description. And, I don't know what cat pee is supposed to smell like though I think it must be close to what was coming from this bottle.

The wine also seemed a bit cloudy and I worried perhaps the bottle was bad. It had a flat, unpleasant palate - maybe even a bit bitter. I couldn't keep drinking it and perhaps it was just a bad bottle. But, I love Albarino and have written about a lot of great ones.

I bought this in Indiana, if you see the label I'd recommend you keep looking!

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com