Whilst in Portugal I wanted to drink Portuguese wines, and whilst the Portuguese wines I drink at home tend to be full and fabulous reds, it was hot in Lisbon, the seafood was divine, and I wanted white wine.
Vinho Verde was everywhere and we had some ridiculously cheap yet fully fantastic glasses of “straight off the truck” wine, when we sat down in a restaurant with tanks of live lobster and crab, and tables of fish so fresh I feared it might flip flop itself off the ice and try to shimmy outside, we tried something a little further up the wine list.
The Deu La Deu was by no means expensive, coming in at about E15, which would equate to a very affordable wine to drink at home, easily at supermarket prices.
Served cold it was a slightly greenish yellow, nothing garish, just rather grape-juice like in colour. It had an itty bitty bit of pettilance, but it wasn’t bouncing out of the glass. It smelled fresh and fruity, more peaches and just-peeled oranges than grape.
Dry and medium to light bodied it was very drinkable, served alongside a heavenly dish of Arroz de Marisco which had enough salt in it to keep me drinking, I’d have happily finished the lot, but had wisely ordered a bottle of water to drink alongside it.
I’d love to try it again, but like a holiday romance, I’m sure it’s best left to a summer memory, a glass here at home would surely disappoint.