A Taste of Portuguese Wines
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A Taste of Portugal
Julie and I recently attended a delicious tasting of Portuguese wines in San
Francisco. The event was hosted in part by the Portuguese Trade and
Tourism Office, which helped us develop our WinePassport: Portugal. So
we were fortunate to get a personalized tour of some of the wines.
While we had tasted several Portuguese wines during the
editing of our newest WinePassport, getting to taste dozens in one room
was a heady experience—not because we got tipsy, but because so many of
the wines are excellent, and are great values. I wanted to stay longer
and taste more, but I tasted about 15 wines and after that I stop being
able to taste very well. It seems that Portuguese
wines are just starting to really break into the American market...so
take advantage of the low prices and start exploring…
Here are some of our favorites from the tasting:
Portuguese Wineries and Winemakers - some of our favorites from the recent tasting:
Aveleda
They make several Vinho Verdes...wonderful summer whites. We
tasted their Alvarinho 2006, DOC Vinho Verde, which is available at
Beverages & More, Sam’s Clubs and other places for less than $9! It
has incredible, rich fruit.
I also enjoyed their Vinho Verde, made with Trajadura, Loureiro,
Azal and Alvarinho (yes – for you grape junkies…these are all different
varietals). This wine retails for about $6!!! It has a crisp apple
nose, a touch of effervescence.
In case you’re wondering…Vinho Verde is a region in the northwest
corner of the country, famous for its slightly effervescent, light,
low-alcohol white wines. There are some red vinho verdes as well, but
the region is famous for its whites.
PV – Produção e Comercio de Produtos Vinícolas
This winemaker doesn’t have an importer yet, but look out for them. I tasted their VT’04, DOC Douro.
The grapes are Touriga Nacional, as well as Touriga Nacional Old Vines,
This was a revelation. The tannins were perfectly balanced with a taste
of bittersweet chocolate and cooked fruit. A rich, delicious red, this wine is made
from some vines that are 100-years old, from La Quinta, while the rest
are from the Douro. We spoke to one of the winemakers, and he said
their family has been making port for generations.
This still wine is called VT, because the barriques (large barrels)
that they use are stamped with VT (vinho tinto – red wine), to alert
them that those barriques contain wine, not port.
Casa Santos Lima – Companhia Das Vinhas
I tasted their Touriga Nacional 2004, Regional Estremadura. This wine
had quite a bit of Eucalyptus aroma and lots of tannin. While Julie
liked this a lot, I preferred the VT described above.
J. Portugal Ramos Vinhos
First, I have to admit that Julie and I were charmed by the winemaker—a
gentleman who would have been comfortable in a classic James Bond movie.
But, I focused on tasting the wines as well, and was delighted. We
tasted:
Vila Santa 2005, Regional Alentejo.
Starring grapes: Aragonês, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet, and Cabernet
Sauvignon. The aroma has a lot of wood, and it tasted smooth and
delicious, with a slight bitterness at the end.
Quinta da Viçosa 2003, Regional Alentejo. Starring grapes: Touriga Nacional and Merlot. Velvety and lovely. A long finish.
Marquês de Borba, Reserva 2003, DOC Alentejo. Starring grapes:
Trincadeira, Aragonês, Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Sauvignon. This was
incredible. Like drinking a light port. In other words, it’s a rich,
delicious wine that would taste wonderful with game (Julie suggested
that, and although I don’t eat much meat, I sort of wanted it with this
wine). It’s smooth, jammy, not overdone, and felt JUST RIGHT. This
would be about $40 US if you could buy it here. Right now it’s
available in the UK, and he is looking for distributors here.
Herdade do Esporão
The winemaker for these delicious wines is originally from Australia,
but has lived in Portugal for over 25 years. His wines are available in
areas in the U.S. and are under $15 so try them!
Esporão Verdelho 2006, Regional Alentejo
Starring grape: Verdelho.
This grape originally comes from the island of Madeira. The wine was
deelish. Its aroma is like a Sauvignon Blanc, and though it tastes
similar to a Sauvignon Blanc as well, it is smoother, with honey
overtones. The winemaker said this grape is not used often in mainland
Portugal, but Australia has the largest plantings of this grape in the
world. I loved it.
Vinha da Defensa 2006, DOC Alentejo
Starring grapes: Antão Vaz, Roupeiro, Arinto.
Aromas of honey and loads of orange blossoms. I could be happy all day
just smelling this wine, without even drinking it. And when I did sip
it, it tasted similar to its wonderful aromas. Joy and summer in a
bottle.
For more information on Portuguse wines, try these resources:
Vini Portugal
Instituto Vinho do Porto
www.vinhoverde.pt
For The Love of Port
SmartsCo’s WinePassport: Portugal
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Contact
Us 415-934-1234
