Convento da Vila Red Blend, 2018 (Portugal)

“Jam Bomb Dot Com”

Price at Purchase: $7.99

Location: Gus’s Market and BevMo

I know we all aren’t traveling anytime soon, so it’s time for a fun international wine. Since the entire bottle is written in Portuguese, I knew it must be authentic (Because facts). Our combined 9 years of Latin did not prep us at all in attempting to translate it, so we couldn’t have cheated on the tasting notes even if we tried.

This is technically a blend, since one single grape varietal doesn’t make up 75% of the bottle --fun fact of the day! The majority of this particular blend is a combination of two grapes that are used most often in port wine, which gives it a gorgeous red color that will for sure stain your white rug forever. But it also has two lighter varietals for the remaining 30% to keep it in check and create a wonderful, well-balanced glass. A match made in perfect wine heaven.

The scent could only be described as a “jam bomb.” There’s a deep mix of cherry, blueberry, plum, and any other fruit growing in Mr. McGregor’s garden. However, it doesn’t taste as intense as I had mentally prepared for—it’s refreshingly light, and definitely smells stronger than it tastes. It’s like if a Pinot Noir discovered its long-lost Portuguese cousin on Ancestry.com. And it gets my full stamp of approval--plus you'll look super international chic if you bring it over to someone's house.

Pair this with a soft cheese. I recommend Le Chatelain Camembert, since this rich cheese really complement the lighter tones of the wine. Side note: even though it smells fruity, DO NOT have this with green grapes. I made that mistake and gave my poor taste buds a shock. But just like the CDC saying not to touch your face, I know you’ll now want to try it. But trust me. Just don’t.