Within the Venn diagram of: 1) Easy-drinking, super-delicious reds, 2) Certified biodynamic winemaking and 3) Proper affordability, there are very few wines that stand in the overlap. Offering a delightful come-hither juiciness, today's brand new offering from the Gulp/Hablo project is our new favorite.

This lighthearted wine is strictly about deliciousness, drinkability and fun. No funk, no esoterica. That’s right, this liter of Demeter-certified, organic-certified, vegan red is the ultimate chillable, gulpable red wine. Weightless, crushable, fruit-focused, priced right and with zero hard edges, we love it!

We’ll tell you much more below, and please be sure to read even further for details on a gorgeous white from the Galicia region of Spain that will have Burgundy lovers smiling big. As always, simply hit the Big Green Button to get in on this Vin Chicago fun!

2024 Bodegas Parra Jimenez
"Gulp Hablo - Fresco" Chillable Red
Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
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We’ve been big fans of the Gulp Hablo project from Parra Jiménez and Juan Antonio Ponce for years, bringing the wines to you in white, red, orange, and today a delicate pale red edition that loves a little time in the fridge or cooler.

It is an absolute blast in the glass, and we can't think of another red that deserves four fun-loving friends and a porron the way this one does! Better pack two bottles, cause you’ve never seen the contents of a one-liter bottle disappear as fast as these do. At $14.99, however, your pocketbook sheds no tears.

Harnessing 50% Garnacha and 15% Syrah along with a smattering of white grapes - Verdejo, Airén and Macabeo - the Gulp Hablo Fresco is an homage to days gone by when red and white grapes were commonly blended into enlivening house wines.

Vivacious and pure, the resulting light-bodied red is a perfection of the “chillable red” mission. At a pleasant 12% ABV, it’s an engaging yet uncomplicated pleasure with no hard edges, no ego and no barrier to entry. We think it’s the kind of wine that can unite seasoned oenophiles and novices alike.

Whether it’s on the beach, at a backyard barbecue or picnicking at Ravinia this gulpably delicious ‘reddish’ blend brings joyous notes of fresh red cherry juice, strawberries, hibiscus and kiwi pomegranate along with subtle tones of white peppercorn and crushed white rock. As it has a convenient screwcap, you don’t even need a corkscrew. Bring on the jamón y manchego!

Vin Chicago Price: 14.99 (1.0 liter)

Galicia’s OTHER White Grape!
The Typicity of Treixadura...

2020 Dominio do Bibei "Lalume" Ribeiro Blanco
Galicia, Spain
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With its large, flared, paper-wrapped bottles in big wooden crate, this exceptionally deep-yet-weightless white from Dominio do Bibei has the look, feel, taste and texture of a wine with a much more grandiose price.

While Many U.S. wine lovers now appreciate Galician whites, they are almost exclusively drinking the Albariño of Rias Baixas. Today, we have something different!

Treixadura is a grape not yet on the tip of the tongue of even the most seasoned tasters, and it is the king of the Atlantic-influenced climate of Ribeiro. From 10 hectares of vines, this Dominio do Bibei "Lalume"offers an enviable combination of texture and tension that ranks high on the wish list of every White Burgundy lover. And, honestly, who isn’t a White Burgundy lover?

With radiant notes of honeyed orchard fruit, palate-staining stony minerality, and candied papaya, apricot, lemon crème, dried tarragon, fennel blossom and goldenrod flavors, this is a marvel of mouthfeel, combining textural richness with a perfectly aligned tension. A wine lover’s white wine, it holds your attention through its considerable finish and has the breadth to stand up to weightier mains at the dinner table.

"The 2020 Lalume blends Treixadura, Godello, Albariño, Torrontés and Caíño Blanco from Leiro Val de Avia Ribeiro. Golden yellow, it offers stone fruit notes, ripe apple, floral hints and fennel. Rich and concentrated, it delivers depth of flavor and length, reflecting the richness of Ribeiro Treixadura. Best served well-chilled. Drinking Window: 2025 - 2035."          - 93 Points, Vinous - Joaquín Hidalgo (3/2025)

"The white 2020 Lalume is from Ribeiro and mixes grapes from the three valleys on sandy granite soils. It's a blend of mostly Treixadura, with some Albariño and a little bit of Caíño Blanco and Godello. It has typicity of the place, with notes of moss and river stones and a palate with depth, intensity and purity of flavors. Drink Date: 2023 - 2029."          - 93 Points, Wine Advocate (11/26/2023) 

For many years we wrote that Italian whites might be the best kept secret in all of wine. Now, it may just be that the native Iberian grapes have taken the crown. Putting down a double 93-Point performance, this is an awesome wine in its own right, and it is a HUGE value compared to the to the whites of the Côte de Beaune.

Looking online we find just two listings, at $30 and $32. This world caliber white is worth every penny of either of those amounts. At our beats-them-both price, there is no excuse to not give it a try!

Vin Chicago Price: 26.99