Here on Verdant Eats, you haven't seen a wine review before, so you might not know how much I like love simply adore wine. Recently, the extremely kind folks at Quady Winery, based in Madera, California, offered to let me sample some of their wines (which, by the way, are 100% vegan in their ingredients and their processing). How on earth was a mere mortal such as myself expected to resist their delicious, grapey advances? I said yes.


This is the first of Quady's offerings I tried, and I was sold from the first sip. What follows below is my completely subjective review of my first experience with this port-style wine, Starboard Batch 88.

Starboard - Batch 88 from Quady Winery

Batch 88 is a port-style wine with as much personality as its makers possess. Why is it called Starboard? The promo materials explain:

"Because it is not port. Genuine port comes from a place in Portugal, the Douro River Valley. Starboard, the nautical term for right, (as opposed to port - left) is unique to our place."

Origin: Madera, California, USA

Date enjoyed: 3/19/10

Price: $20-24 (750ML)

Alc: 20% by vol

Paired with: Dark Chocolate (71%)

Initial reaction: Angels have intervened and mixed dark chocolate in liquid form with phenomenal red wine flavors, and then someone came along and turned up the volume. This port-style wine is a dessert by itself. Paired with a dark chocolate -- such as Organic Very Dark Chocolate Bar (71%) or Organic Panama Extra Dark from Equal Exchange -- it's so good, it's almost too much. Almost.

Further: This wine is not for sissies or for lightweights. At 20% alcohol by volume, you'd better check yourself before you wreck yourself. Just one small glass of this port-style wine is a satisfying end to a beautiful meal -- or will absolutely save your rear end if dinner was a flop. It's rich without being overwhelming, sweet without being syrupy, and intense without being heavy. Pairing this sipper with a few bites of chocolate enhances its smooth, silkiness and highlights the delicious hints of raisin hiding in the complex flavor.

Might also work well with: Fresh, sweet fruit such as strawberries or possibly some melon.

More: Quady Winery uses a neutral grape spirit of 190 proof instead of 140 proof fortifying brandy, and 60 gallon barrels instead of 140 gallon pipes used in Portugal. In Batch 88, several different vintages (with an average age of 5 years) are blended to create its "Vintage Character."

Buy again?: As soon as possible!

For more information on this and other wines from Quady Winery or to get your mitts on a bottle of Batch 88, visit their website.