This bottle was recommended to me as “If you like Vinho Verde, you’ll like this.” By which the recommender meant a light crisp white with a little natural effervescence and low alcohol. That style of wine isn’t exactly the stuff of contemplation, but it can be just right sometimes. Let’s check this one out…

Producer: Cavas del Ampurdan (of The Perelada Group)

Grapes: Macabeo 50-60%, Parellada 20-25%, Xarel-lo 20-25%. These are the grapes of the Spanish sparkling wine Cava.

Vintage: Non-vintage (NV)

Appellation: Not clear. Nothing on the bottle indicates where this fits in the Spanish appellation system — no DO, no VdlT (Vino de la Tierra), not even VdM (Vino de Mesa). The bottle mentions Girona, which is northeast of the Catalunya region. Given the grapes it makes sense that it would be produced near the major Cava region.

Vineyards: Unknown

Aging: Unknown, but clearly no oak. Since it’s NV, some of it has been laying around the cellar for a little while.

Alcohol: 11.5%

Price: I paid $10 at Spec’s in Austin.

My tasting notes: Very pale color. Muted nose, just a little citrus. Good crisp lemon-lime flavor, maybe a bit of granny smith apple. The fizziness is very palate-cleansing. A bit metallic. Not very complex, but nice & refreshing.

Assessment/score: Not sure if I’d buy it again. Even at $10 it’s not a value compared to $7 Casal Garcia Vinho Verde. Why pay more for such a simple quaffer. If you like that style (as I do) and you’re looking for something new, this is worth trying, though. I don’t think I can really give this a grade. It’s like grading a nice glass of lemonade or a La Croix.

Free association: This wine seems like the sort you’d get in a little tumbler at a simple restaurant in a coastal town like this. (This photo is of Vernazza in the Cinque Terra region of Italy, not Spain. But I’ve been to this spot so that’s what comes to mind.)

Fun fact: In Spanish, this sort of effervescent wine is called “vino de aguja” which translates as “needle wine”.

TV commercial: Found this on YouTube. Any Spanish-speaking readers want to give us the general idea of what he’s saying? Share in the comments.