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

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…

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

Earlier this year, Portugal renamed the “Estremadura” wine region after its capital, officially naming it the Lisbon wine region, or the região de Lisboa.

The Lisbon region is home to our wineries Vidigal Wines and Caves Bonifácio

In April, the Ministry of Agriculture published a decree stating that wines from the former region of Estremadura will be given the Geographical Indication “Lisbon” . The Regional Wine Commission (CVR) proposed the name change in order to boost the region’s economy, hoping to increase foreign wine sales. The 30,000-hectare region produces an estimated 18 million bottles per year, of which about half are exported.

Not only do the CVR want to increase the ‘image and quality of the wines’, but they also want to increase the ‘percentage of certified wines’. Studies have concluded that changing the name to Lisbon would give the wines more notoriety and would give consumers a better reference as to where the wines are located. They also hoped that by renaming the region, there would be less confusion between the wine regions of Portugal’s Estremadura and Spain’s Extremadura .

The region has been making great strides towards world-class wine production and we are proud to say that many of our Lisbon wines, such as Vidigal Reserva and Senhor do Alto have garnered numerous international awards in recent years.

Quinta da Aveleda Vinho Verde (only $8.99) continues to garner awards and recognition for its crisp, fresh taste and amazing quality. Watch the video and find out why!

As a top Vinho Verde, it goes perfectly with seafood or past and pairs particularly well with shellfish and oysters. It is a light and slightly effervescent wine that can be served with a light dinner just as well as with lunch. Serve chilled.

Okay, so how do you pronounce this grape’s name? In Portuguese, the “ho” is pronounced “yo”, so repeat after me…  Al-va-rin-yo… Giddyup!

A distant cousin of the Riesling grape, Alvarinho  is one of the main grapes used in the making of the world-famous Vinho Verde and is grown mainly in the Minho region in northern Portugal. It is also known as Albarino in the Spanish province of Galicia north of Portugal. What to expect from Alvarinho wines? Typically light, crisp, not too sweet, often with hints of lemon or citrus.

Check out this Wine & Spirits 92 Point Vinho Verde with Alvarinho, by Aveleda.

Vidigal Reserva dos Amigos is recommended in the South Coast Today column “Grape Expectations” as an excellent 4th of July wine! Read more…