Céu Do Norte
Country: Portugal
Portugal is celebrated for its wine. A class of fortified wines (Port) bears its namesake, and red wine is this nation’s trademark.
That said, Portugal is also home to several white grape varieties, including Chardonnay and this wine, Céu do Norte ( or “Northern Sky” in Portuguese), is a classic example of a white from the region. Céu do Norte is made with a traditional method known as “Field Blend”, where a winemaker plants, picks and ferments various grapes simultaneously, to get different characteristics of the varying grapes, for instance, a winemaker may try to get an acidity of a particular grape, followed by the tannin structure of another. This method has been used for centuries to make distinctive wines that are representative of the vineyard.
Céu do Norte has aromas of citrus fruits, particularly lemon and lemon zest, as well as stone fruits like peach. I also detected an aroma of white flowers. The lemon and peach aromas transfer to the palate, along with flavors of tropical fruit. It has a vibrant acidity which makes it food friendly, and Costco’s suggestion of serving it with creamy dishes like Fettucine Alfredo is a good one. They also recommended it with seafood, though the floral aroma kinda got in the way a little bit for me to consider pairing it with seafood – I would prefer it to be a little more neutral to enjoy it with seafood. That said, enjoying it solo is another story. Céu do Norte is definitely a good porch pounder for me, to be enjoyed in an evening under a Northern sky…or for that matter, a Southern, Eastern or Western one.
Ed's Wineglass Adventures 