The Enthusiast - July 2025
Hello to summer. Hello to hot afternoons at the beach. Hello to ice cubes and summer dresses. Hello to flip flops, tennis whites and fat bumblebees. Most of all, hello to crisp, cool rosé, refreshing white wine and bbq-friendly red wine.
As always, wine descriptions below, and if you run out, you can order more from The Cellar.
Don’t forget, you can look up past boxes in The Archive.
Casa da Atela, Arinto
[grape/vintage] Arinto / 2021
[region] Tejo
A crisp autumn day in the flat plains of the Tejo estuary. A few golden leaves blow across the courtyard of an old quinta. The sun is shining down and wams the air enough for a simple lunch of sheep’s cheese and green apples on the veranda, shaded by a few old vines creeping along the terrace, and all washed down with this deliciously fresh and full arinto.
Goes really well as an aperitif, or almost anything between April and October, a grilled white fish, a cataplana or even roast quail.
Check it out in The Cellar.
Rapariga da Quinta, Rosé
[grape/vintage] Aragonez, Touriga Nacional, Syrah, Trajadura / 2021
[region] Alentejo
If Goldilocks was to stumble upon this bottle in the Bear’s cave she would have voted it “just right”. Not too fruity, not too tart. Not too sweet, not too dry. Then she probably would have guzzled so much of this delicious, very very drinkable rosé that she would have lain down on any damn bed she found, whether it was “just right” or not. We’re with the Bears. This surpsingly complex and vivacious Rosé is far too good value to have some random little girl drink it all!
Pairs well with the full range of tapas and snacks from pimentos padrón to chorizo, a green salad with radishes and red onion, or a two hour sit down with a cataplana or oven-baked sea bass.
Check it out in The Cellar.
Musgo, Touriga Nacional
[grape/vintage] Touriga Nacional / 2021
[region] Dão
This wine is like listening to a jazz trio inside a red berry smoothie: cool and sweet and smooth and layered. The bassist lays down an earthy groove of spicy, woody notes; the sax player fills the air with vibrant cherry and plum and raspberry; and the drummer keeps time with a delicate brush stroke of tannins.
Pairs well with a T-bone steak off the grill, juicy lamb chops, or venison medallions with mashed sweet potato and red currant coulis.
Check it out in The Cellar.
