If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

The Alicante Bouschet is a cross between the Petit Bouschet and the Grenache. It first came into existed in 1865 by the French vine breeder, Henri Bouschet, after his father created the Petit Bouschet, another grape cross between the Aramon and the Teinturier du Cher in 1824.

The grape has red-fleshed, thick, and tough skin, and is found in different areas around the Alentejo region. It usually produces crops around “12 tons per acre,” but should be controlled because of its tendency to over crop. Also, the area in which the grape is grown should be taken into consideration since the acidity shifts from too high in cooler regions and too low in warmer regions. It does, however, go well with “rustic red wines” found in the Alentejo region, a rather redeeming characteristic.

Some of our wines with Alicante Bouschet:

Vidigal Black Label

Bonifacio Alicante Bouschet

Terra do Zambujeiro

Azamor

Altas Quintas Crescendo

Considered the “finest of red Portuguese varieties,” the Touriga Nacional grape is located in the Dão and Douro regions. It is also grown in the Bairrada region under a different name, Preto Mortagua, where it is sometimes mixed with softer grapes such as Merlot. In the Douro, it grows “vigorously” in the hot, dry climate, but produces little fruit.

The grapes themselves are small and intensely black, creating “powerful, tannic wines that retain their fruit with age”. The aroma of “cassis, violets, rock roses, resin, and flower blossoms” gives the wine its own unique taste. Because of the tannin, black, and tough characteristics of it when young, the grape is best used for vintage Ports. The Touriga Nacional also produces red Douro and red Dão table wines. The grape’s complex characteristics clearly show what makes it one of “Portugal’s very best grapes”.

Some prominent wines from our collection with touriga nacional:

Aveleda Charamba

Azamor

Terra do Zambujeiro

Another popular grape from the Vinho Verde region is the Trajadura grape, originally located in the Monção subregion.

This large, white grape is found in medium to full-bodied clusters containing 9 to 10 percent alcohol. Although often used to give Vinhos Verdes more body, it is used more frequently as a mono-varietal wine.

If not picked early enough, the grape loses its acidity quickly, but giving “alcohol and weight” to other acidic Vinho Verde wines. This “disease-resistant variety” has an aroma reminiscent of apricot/tropical fruit, a refreshing drink for a hot day.

Prominent wines from our portfolio with Trajadura are:

Aveleda Casal Garcia

Vidigal Vinho Verde

The Loureiro grape is one of the most commonly grown grapes in the Vinho Verde region, along with the Trajadura grape, which is found to the south of Monção in the subregions of Lima, Braga, Penafiel, and Basto. Best produced along the coast in cooler regions (such as in Braga), the Loureiro grape is found in white, medium to full bodied clusters.

This small grape produces “fresh, floral, aromatic wines” from the terpenes in its skin, creating an aroma of a “bay leaf and spices”. Originally produced to blend with other grapes, the Loureiro is now being produced on its own to make a mono-varietal wine. A well-made Loureiro Vinho Verde will have a high acidity and low alcohol content, usually around 9 to 10 percent, a common trait for wines produced in the provinces south of Monção.

Prominent wines from our collection with the Loureiro grape:

Aveleda Fonte Vinho Verde

Aveleda Follies Alvarinho – Loureiro

Aveleda’s 92-point Wine & Spirits classic Vinho Verde “Quinta da Aveleda” is recommended as a light, refreshing, food-friendly summer wine!

Watch the video now…

Located in the provinces of Monção and Melgaço, the Alvarinho grape stands out as one of the most sought after Vinho Verde varietal.

Grown in the northern region of the Vinho Verde, the Alvarinho grape is found in medium to full-bodied clusters, producing a wine with an 11 to 12 alcohol percentage, two to three percentage points higher than most other Vinho Verde sub-regions.

Its thick skin and low-yield has more body than most Vinho Verdes, producing an intense, fruity aroma, an “apply” taste, and little sparkle. A bottle of this wine can be expensive when considering the “rarity” and low production levels of the grape.

To taste the wine at its best, you will have to wait 18 months after the harvest. As one of the best of the “Green Wines,” the Alvarinho has spread in fame and should be considred a first choice among wines from the Vinho Verde region.

Check out Aveleda Alvarinho, which won 92 Points from Wine & Spirits.

[email_post]

Harvest time in the farm of the Knights Templars (Quinta do Cavalinho) near Tomar.

The high quality grapes were picked by hand and carefully chosen and processed into the fermantation tanks.

Here is a small video that shows a bit of the harvest in the farm of the Knights Templars.

Global warming is a threat that must be dealt with. Beyond the countless impacts it has on human lives worldwide, global warming could also be a disaster in the making for wine production. It is not quite clear yet how higher temperatures will affect vineyards globally.

What can you do to help in this battle?

A web site that is getting people from all over the world to be part of the biggest “human clock” to protest the Global Warming is showing video clips, photos or text from people who care (each one a 1 second clip) to show the biggest online protest ever.

In 16 days and some hours the United Nations will meet in Copenhagen to decide on the replacement of the Kyoto protocol, a defining agreement that will determine the future of our planet in the face of the climate crisis.

The web site of the protest

We at Fast change did our ticks. Here is mine

and here is Fabio’s

Why don’t you add your “tck” too? or if you want you can donate for this good cause.

Out of the 5,726 wine entrants that competed at the 2009 Mundusvini International Wine competition, Vidigal Wines was one of the few to place for three of their entered wines.

The 2005 Vidigal Dão, the 2005 Brutalis, and the 2007 Vidigal Reserva each won a silver medal. All of Vidigal Wines’ 6 entries scored above an average of eighty out of one hundred, a great feat for the company. The categories each wine was meticulously judged in comprised of Aroma, Taste, and Overall Impression.

Announcing Ribatejo’s name change around the same time as the former Estremadura’s name change (see last blog entry!), Jaime Silva, the Minister for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, approved the name with the aim of improving wine sales in the region . José Gaspar Pinto, the president of CVRT (Regional Wine Commission of Tejo), stated that the region “has a lack of image and reputation abroad” and the name change would lead to recognition in consumers since Tejo refers to the well known river of the same name in the region . Other regions, Pinto says, like the Douro, Sado, Loire, and etc. seem to have names that refer to rivers which people will use to recognize the wines more easily.

The former Ribatejo, now the new Tejo region, is located in central Portugal and includes an area of around 19,989 ha. Of the 19,989 hectares, 11,993 ha. are used for white wines and 7,996 ha. are used for red wines. The Tejo River influences the weather and soil around the region, producing a mild, Mediterranean climate and a varying terrain depending where in the region you are in relation to the river . Some grapes grown in this region include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, among others . Among the six sub-regions in Tejo, Tomar is home to the winery Herdade dos Templários, whose 2006 DOC wine won the gold AWC Vienna award . Santarém, another sub-region in Tejo, houses Quinta da Ribeirinha.

If you visit the Tejo region, you won’t be disappointed by the beautiful climate, the history, and of course the amazing wines! Knowing me, I’ll be stopping by the stud farms in the region on my travels, saying hello to my old Lusitano buddies ! Life is good in the Tejo.

Ate breve (see you soon!)
Ze the Horse