Bacchus
Occasionally a delightful sub-five dollar bottle of wine will hit my lips. I’m usually disappointed, but not surprised. But on the rare occasion I strike gold, I’m in love. And when the bottle costs two dollars?! So while you bums are traipsing through the Trader Joe’s wine aisle picking up cases of Charles Shaw at two bucks a pop, I’ll be lugging home cases of two dollar vino from Fresh & Easy. And you know what? Mine will rock the socks right off Chuck! That’s right. Joe’s not the only game in town for delicious wine on the cheap. The source of this deliciousness I speak of? I sometimes hesitate to reveal my secrets as I worry the competition may someday infringe upon my ability to continue enjoying a certain bottle, but alas here goes nothing.
Enter Saludas Vino de la Tierra de Castilla. Say that ten times fast. First we’ll figure out what the label means, then move onto the part where we drink. In passing, I’ll say “Saludas!” and you’ll say “What?” and I’ll tell you that I’m just sending my regards in Spanish. Simple. Moving on. “Vino de la Tierra” literally translates to wine from the land — in this case, the land of Castilla. What this really indicates is that we are drinking Spanish “country wine” not suited to the designation of Denominacón de Origen. This is much the same thing as a French wine labeled Vin de Pays or an Italian labeled Indicazione Geografica Tipica. Don’t make the mistake of writing these wines off or you’re missing out on some great budget bottles.
Ahhh, time to taste. Saludas bottles a rosé, white and red. I’ve tried the white on several different occasions, the commonality being the festive mood that followed the first swig each time. This is fun wine. Forget oak, complexity, aging, all that. The Saludas white is all about being young and fun. Bury your schnozz in the glass for a sniff and prepare to be delighted by green apples and lemon lime. Now open up your throat and let the wine wash over your palette and if you are anything like me you’ll be noting the notes from the nose traveling on down along with some more citrus and maybe even some straw and grass — seemingly appropriate for a country wine. I get some acidity on the tail end and feel my tongue puckering a bit, but overall the experience is all good at two dollars a bottle (or twenty for a case!). My suggestion: Head to the beach with a few bottles and enjoy some cheese and crusty baguette under the sun!
