Tasting Note:
Eyes: clear, med- blood orange?, legs
Nose: clean?, low intensity, youthful?, nothing – faint scents of nuts gently macerated in rubbing alcohol if you really tried
Mouth: medium-sweet, alcohol, slightly nutty, cough syrup, med body, Halls, low acid, med length, med+ flavour intensity
All in all: No.
This was repulsive and we tasted it for educational purposes. The classmate to my left thought it was hilarious that I was writing a tasting note because it was that horrid, and I really thought it wouldn’t be.
The wine was a strange colour between pink and pale brown. The nose seemed to have faint ghostly aromas of the slightly nutty and alcoholic aftermath that were probably low-quality grapes destined for high-yielding “sherry” production. The palate was equally as questionable with a medium-sweet sugar level, non-existent acid, and slightly more intense flavours. But from the nut water on the nose, we move on to this cocktail of stale nuts and cough syrup topped off with a couple of Halls lozenges.
It’s easy to hate something like this, it really is. But it’s an example of a product that’s cheap and easier to access for those who get drunk for the sake of it: the entire class inevitably and almost necessarily had a short political discussion, and then in slow astonishment, I realized that such a cheap and shitty product automatically destined as garbage in the wine world holds quasi-importance in other aspects. It’s weird. It tastes like sad.
If I have my facts correctly – starting earlier this year (January 1, 2014), Canada (and perhaps other regions?) is no longer allowed to use the word “Sherry” (or “Port”, I think, for that matter) to sell products made in that style but aren’t from the protected EU regions. So the word they’re using to describe these products now is “apera” (which I think we apparently borrowed from the Australians). Hence the name.
You probably shouldn’t buy this.
Producer: Brights
Designation: “74”; Apera
Region: Canada
Sub-Region: N/A
Variety: N/A
ABV: 20%
Vintage: NV
Tasted: March 5, 2014
Price: $6
glad you mentioned the implications of it’s cheapness, would be naive not to. weird product, i can’t see how someone could sell this without acknowledging that it only exists for people to get drunk for cheap, im pretty sure its the cheapest drink in terms of amount of alcohol per dollar. some people say its meant for cooking but that doesn’t make sense, you wouldnt use such a heavily sweetened wine for cooking. first time i ever had it was when a homeless guy, fresh out of jail, gave me and my friends some in exchange for a dart. it’s been a decent crutch when money’s been tough. pairs well with pizza on a park bench when you get home at 11pm after your job washing dishes.