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

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

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

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]

Olá amigos!

Coming straight from the horse’s mouth, Portugal has a lot to offer the world in its winemaking industry. For starters, Portugal is one of the top wine producing countries in the world – there are over one million acres of vines in over eight different wine regions that generate some of Portugal’s top wines, including the famous Port and Madeira wines.

Port is made in the Douro valley in northern Portugal, which is the third oldest defined and protected wine region in the world . Around 30,000 growers in the Douro are involved in the process of growing grapes to sell for the production of Port. What makes Port so special is the addition of Aguardente (a neutral grape spirit) which is used to take away the fermentation of the wine, but used to keep the grape’s natural sugars to increase the alcohol content.

Madeira, on the other hand, has a special aging process called estufagem that sets it aside from other wines. This process heats the wine up to around 120°F during maturation to age it, giving it a brown, caramel color and a mellower taste. The aging process can last from 3 months to 20 years, depending how you age the Madeira. Another interesting fact is that Madeira wine can last up to 150 years, making it one of the longest lasting wines if it is properly sealed.

If only horses had that kind of a lifespan…

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.

So you are looking at the front label of this Portuguese wine, and realize that you have no idea what most of it means…you are not the only one! Do not despair – let us help you decipher it!

Here are some common Portuguese terms you will find on Portuguese table wine labels, their definitions and pronunciations (the accent is in bold).

Contact us if the perplexing term on your label is not listed here, and we’ll gladly add it!

Colheita Seleccionada
Translation: Selected harvest.
Pronounciation: Col-ye-ta  Se-le-xio-na-da.
Definition: Means that the wine is certified as originating from one of Portugal’s controlled regions or appellations, and its alcohol content is at least 1 percent higher than the legal minimum required for wines from that region/appellation and year of harvest.

Escolha
Translation: Choice harvest.
Pronounciation: Esh-col-ya.
Definition: Means that the wine is certified as originating from one of Portugal’s controlled regions or appellations and is sold in a glass bottle. It also indicates the wine has some distinguishing characteristics of palate and aroma, but it is rather ambiguous when it comes to pinpointing . When the year of harvest is specified, the wine can be designated as Grande Escolha.

Garrafeira
Translation: Wine shop.
Pronounciation: Ga-ra-fey-ra.
Definition: A wine originating from one of Portugal’s controlled regions or appellations, that is aged a minimum amount of time. For red wines the  minimum ageing is 30 months, in which at least 12 months are in glass bottle, and, for white and rosé, with a minimum ageing of 12 months, in which at least 6 months are in glass bottle.

Reserva
Translation: Reserve wine.
Pronounciation: Ri-zer-va.
Definition: Means that the wine is certified as originating from one of Portugal’s controlled regions or appellations, and its alcohol content is at least 0.5 percent higher than the legal minimum required for wines from that region/appellation and year of harvest

Vinho Branco
Translation: White wine.
Pronounciation: Vin-yo  Bran-cu

Vinho da Mesa
Translation: Table wine.
Pronounciation: Vin-yo da Mey-sa

Vinho Tinto
Translation: Red wine.
Pronounciation: Vin-yo  Tin-to.

The Portuguese Vinho Verde, literally translated into Green wine, is not actually green! Actually it can be red, white or rosé (being a horse and partially color-blind, I have to take the experts’ word.)

Casal Garcia is one of the best-selling Vinho Verdes in the world

The name refers to the fact that it’s consumed when the wine is young, usually within 1 year. Vinho Verdes are typically light and fresh and usually feature fruity and floral aromas as well as a lemon or straw color. With low alcohol content of 9% to 11% and natural acidity, Vinho Verde also features slight carbonation that’s enough to tickle your throat but not enough to be considered a sparkling wine.

Vinho Verdes should be served well-chilled, around 50ºF, and are typically paired well with light salads, shrimp, scallops, clams, and light fish.

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

Bonifacio Aragonez

Caves Bonifácio’s Aragonez Receives Distinguished Prémio Prestigio Award at Concurso Nacional!

Bonifácio Aragonez Regional Estremadura Red Wine 2007 received a 96.5 score and the Prestige Award at Portugal’s top wine competition Concurso Nacional de Vinhos Engarrafados 2009.

Only 6 other wines out of the 500 which entered the competition received the award, the highest mark of distinction bestowed in the competition, which was held May 12-15 in Santarém, Portugal.

In addition, other wines from the Caves Bonifácio got the following respected medals:

• Silver Medal – Encosta da Tapada Estremadura Red Wine 2007
• Silver Medal – Caves Bonifácio Cabernet Sauvignon Estremadura Red Wine 2007
• Silver Medal – Caves Bonifácio Alicante Bouschet + Aragonez Estremadura Red Wine 2007.

The Blind-Tasting Jury comprises of 200 wine professionals, including oenologists, restaurant professionals, journalists and sommeliers of national and international renown. Wines with 78 to 88 points receive the Silver Medal, and those with 89 to 100 points the Gold Medal. A Final Jury awarded the Prestige Award to 7 wines chosen from the Gold Medal winners with more than 95 points.

“We are a smaller family-owned winery, so for us these awards are quite significant,” says António Pereira, the winery’s director. “It goes to show our strong passion for producing superior wines.”

Bonifácio’s top wines are produced using the EU’s Biological Production guidelines, the equivalent of Organic in the U.S.  The vines are grown in shallow and low fertility soils in order to diminish the production, thus improving the quality of the grape. They are not watered to prevent the decreasing of tannins. No herbicides or chemical fertilizers are used. No enzymes or agents are used in the aging process.