Aiolas

Red BlendTJ TuesdayTrader Joes
Written By Catherine Courtney

Aiolas

GRAPES: Not Specified

VINTAGE: 2018

REGION: Dao, Portugal

ALCOHOL PERCENTAGE: 13%

PRICE: $5.99

I don’t know about you all, but I live for fall. There’s something so fantastic about a crisp fall morning. As soon as the temperature drops, I trade in my fall essentials for the cozier options in my closet including, fleeces, sweatshirts, and sweaters. If you aren’t familiar with Nashville, we get exactly 11.6 days like this every year, so I am enjoying it while I can.

I’ve already made my first pot of chili for the season, so I felt it was necessary to taste a new bottle of red wine from Trader Joe’s. This week’s bottle is one that I’m sure you all have spotted on the shelves at your local Trader Joe’s as it’s been around for quite some time. In fact, I bought this bottle when we were under quarantine/house arrest and forgot I had it. In the spirit of fall-cleaning, I thought it was the perfect time to open this bottle and have a glass.

Let’s see how Aiolas tastes, shall we?

TASTING NOTES:

  • Natural cork

  • Bright, ruby red color

  • Medium body; dry finish

  • Medium-heavy tannins

  • Notes of red fruit, specifically cherry and strawberry

  • Earthy finish with hints of spice throughout

Verdict:

Subconsciously, there’s a reason that I waited months to open this bottle. I was not terribly impressed. It lacked real depth and finished very dry, which is something that I don’t usually like. As the wine opened up, it became a bit more enjoyable, but at the $5.99 price point, I’d say pass on this bottle as there are many others at Trader Joe’s that are much better.

Until Next Time!


Catherine Courtney

Welcome to Blonde Voyage Nashville!

I am so excited to finally see this dream become a reality.  Between the destination restaurants, the copious amount of food photos and insanely crazy travel stories, I have decided to share my journey. 

My name is Catherine Courtney and I am a Nashville native with a penchant for culinary creativity and epic travel adventures. I'll admit... I also have a slight obsession with handbags.

Two years ago, my life changed completely.  Everything that I knew to be was completely turned upside down.  I quickly realized that time is our greatest commodity and it's not to be taken for granted. I couldn't wait for the perfect time, who knew when that would be.  I needed to take the leap and explore the world on my own.  There were so many places I wanted to go, but where would I start. 

France was always one of those places that I had romanticized.  Wandering the streets of Paris and seeing the Eiffel tower were at the top of my list. Without hesitation, I booked a two week trip to the French Rivera and Paris.  It was a journey of a lifetime.  Not only were amazing friendships cultivated, but it was on that trip that i discovered that food and travel are the embers that that keep my soul on fire. 

It wasn't until I arrived back in Nashville with my passport that I realized I had been bit. Wanderlust had completely taken over.  I already started thinking about where I wanted to go next.  It was then that I decided that it was more important to have camera full of photos and a tattered journal full of stories than anything else. My heart was overflowing.

One of my favorite quotes that resonates is from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland:

"Actually, the best gift you could have given her was a lifetime of adventures...."

Join me as I explore near and far away places, filling my passport full of stamps and satiating my appetite with some of the most amazing cuisine the world has to offer. 

Thanks for reading! 

       

 

 

http://blondevoyagenashville.com
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