Recommendation: 
Winery/Producer: Caves Messias; Mealhada, Portugal.
Grape Variety: Blend: Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz and Touriga.
Geographic Region, Appellation: Douro Valley, Portugal
Vintage: 2008
Price: $8.10 (with 10% case discount)
Purchased From: The Caviste, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Pared With: Ham, oven fried potatoes and coleslaw.
Tasting:
He said: Very dark purple-red color. Strong smoke, damp earth and dark fruit aromas. Chewy, dry fruit taste that stays through the medium-long finish. WOW, this is a meaty, full body, delicious red wine!!! Probably a little much for the ham dinner, but good with it and OUTSTANDING sipping after the meal. REALLY good with dark chocolate. At $8.10 this is clearly in the category of a Quality Wine at a Bargain Price.
She said: When you are faced with eating up the leftovers from thanksgiving dinners the menu is not always conductive to a good wine tasting experience. The ham and coleslaw was left over from Thanksgiving dinner, the oven fries were new. Ham in the South is something special (as Southerners all know) so I am not sure that our pairing guide, What to Drink with What you Eat is relevant. We chose a Portuguese wine, purchased at our favorite wine shop, The Caviste, brought solely on the basis of its low price. Turned out to be a delicious wine especially if you kept it separate from the coleslaw (hay, think about it, what wine goes well with coleslaw?). The aroma was strong, persistent and full of dark fruits that combined with a lusty earthy flavor and spilled over into a full bodied luscious taste that lasted into a long finish. The wine was OK with the ham. Better with the potatoes, but excelled on its own after the meal. At $8.10 I recommend it as a bargain wine. Fabulous!
Comments:
Alcohol: 14%
Bar code: 5601292123054