92 today

This is just ridiculous. Too hot. And too many bugs too soon. Yech! One last summery wine and that's it for a while.

Portugal and Spain make up the Iberian Peninsula. Geography is done now. Yesterday, it was Portugal and Vinho Verde. Today Spain and Rueda. Tomorrow, red wine I promise.

Due northwest of Madrid, oops, I lied about one geography lesson, is the region of Rueda. It sort of looks like parts of New England with rolling hills of gravel, geology that time. In Rueda there is a white grape grown that makes one of my favorite wines for summer dinners, or apps. The grape, Verdejo, is also grown in Portugal with the same name, different spelling and in parts of Italy, with a completely different name. The wine produced from Verdejo, at least the ones I like, are light and crisp in the style of an Alpine Pinot Grigio, and have a wonderful lemon blossom flavor. To my palate, lemon is one of the universal seasonings, it goes with just about anything and the lemony sensation in Verdejo is a summer classic waiting to be discovered. Waiting for the 2009's to arrive, I have a little of the 2008 Las Brisas at $9.99 a bottle left. The wine can be served straight from a cold condensationally challenged ice bucket.

We will be getting others in the store depending on the tasting of the 2009s. I am optimistic about their quality.