Alcyone

Chris is a port drinker, and after dinner at The Mill at 2T, the chef suggested he try a dessert wine called Vinedo de los Vientos “Alcyone," from Uruguay. 

I was intrigued as well - the name Alcyone comes from a Greco-Roman myth. The story goes like this: Alcyone is a daughter of Aeolus, king of the winds. She is married to Ceyx, who, feeling a bit tied down, decides to take a sea voyage against his wife's warnings. Ceyx dies at sea and, in a dream, appears to Alcyone to inform her of his fate. Grief-stricken and unwilling to live without her husband, she hurls herself into the sea. The gods take pity on the couple and turn them into kingfishers (notice the birds on the label). These birds nest on the beach only during the seven days in winter when her father keeps the winds in check, the days known as the "Halycon Days."

Back to the wine. Unlike many dessert wines, this red was not cloyingly sweet. Rather, it was rich and velvety, with tones of chocolate, vanilla, fig and cherry. It had a long finish and was not overly tannic. All in all, it was a perfect to an excellent dinner, and paired well with the brioche donuts and gelato trio we had for dessert. It's definitely a wine we'll add to our cellar.