Do you ever have those nights when you just want something simple? When anything other than opening a package of meat and putting it directly on the grill sounds too complicated and annoying. A few nights ago, we had this exact experience, debating whether ordering Chinese food wasn’t a bad option; but instead, we opted for a simple dinner of chili lime marinated grilled chicken with a tossed salad and a white monovarietal Portuguese wine made with Verdehlo. Simple. Good for watching the full moon. And ended up being one of the best no brainer meals we’ve had in awhile. Funny that!

The white grape varietal, Verdehlo, is primarily known for its elaboration in Madeira wines, but is rarely talked about as a table wine varietal. I, actually associated it with the Spanish Verdejo when we first looked at the bottle, quickly learning that I wasn’t even the ballpark. It does, however, go by two other names in the Douro, Gouvieo and Vidonia, and as Madeira outside of the Iberian Peninsula. It is said to have been cultivated in Portugal since the 1400’s, but with the outbreak of Phylloxera in the 1900’s, what was once a prominent grape in Portugal was destroyed and had to be later revived by the Madeira authorities in early 1970s. Nowadays, you can find these small, acidic, oval berries with a hard golden skin in the Douro Valley, Terra do Sado region and Western France where they make dry, fruity white table wines. New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia are also experimenting with this varietal in both blends and as a monovarietal wine.

The Domingos Soares Franco Coleccao Privada 2006 Verdehlo from Jose Maria da Fonseca was fabulous and really surprising. Although, we’ve both had our fair share …

2005 Pazo Casanova Ribeiro - Spain, Galicia, Ribeiro (6/11/2006)85% Trexidura, 15% Albarino, Godello, and LoureiraLight gold in color with a nose that is faint showing light citrus, and cream. In the mouth the wine is soft and creamy with steely flavors of pineapple, minerals, and harrelson apples. Very nice and overall a well balanced light acidity.