Posts Tagged ‘adegga’
TWA Personality of the Year 2012
I’m very honored to have been nominated and awarded as the TWA Personality of the Year 2012.
It’s a great feeling to see my work recognized by my peers in the wine industry. Nominations and voting for the TWA Awards happen on the TWA Facebook group which includes over 650 bloggers, #winelover’s, winemakers, wine critics and wine writers from the Portuguese wine industry.
Being voted as the person who in 2012 most contributed for the promotion for Portuguese wine is a big honor with even bigger responsibilities. Thank you to everyone who has been supporting me throughout the years.
I hope this award has a deeper meaning for the Portuguese wine industry and is a clear sign that we’re are all ready for the much-needed change to the way we communicate wine and look at wine consumers. A change that will allow Portuguese wine to be even more recognized and respected around the world for its superior quality and exciting wines.
The Wizard Apprentice (TWA) is a Portuguese blog and community that organizes the TWA Awards. These awards nominate and vote on a series of different wine industry categories in Portugal including Best Online Communication (#winelover), Wine Event of the Year (Adegga Wine Market 2012), Best Producer Website (Niepoort) and Wine Personality of the Year. Thank you Hugo Mendes for organizing this second edition of the TWA Awards and for making it possible to showcase the work that is being done in Portugal and for Portuguese wine.
A very special thank you to the great team that helps put together Adegga Wine Markets year after year (including those not on the photo – you know who you are).
Now to celebrate by opening and enjoying a good bottle of Port Wine!
The 10 Best Moments of 2012
2012 was a year full of great moments. I visited many countries, cities and places. Discovered new wines and wineries. Tasted some of the best wines I’ve ever tasted. Met some exciting new people and learned about their stories. Made new friends. It was an incredibly exciting year! These are the 10 best moments.
1. Joining the Port Wine Brotherhood was easily The Best Moment of 2012.
An almost surreal experience that culminated with me wearing a bow tie and receiving a Tombaladeira (a traditional Port Wine tasting cup from the XVII century) in a ceremony with over 300 guests. It’s an incredible honor to be knighted and get recognition for my dedication and service to Port Wine. What a great moment.
That same weekend I enjoyed a full day visit to Quinta do Azevedo (Sogrape‘s Vinho Verde property) which included a relaxed lunch and conversation with Luís Sottomayor (Barca Velha winemaker, Director of Enology for Casa Ferreirinha and Sogrape’s Port Wines) and Joana Pais (Sogrape’s Head of PR). Great people. Great lunch. Great moment.
Still had time to participate in the traditional Rabelo Boat Regatta. The regatta is an exciting boat race where old Rabelo boats (that used to transport Port Wine from the Douro to Gaia) sail upriver trying to be the first to reach the finishing line. What an excitement! My Rabelo boat (from Ferreira) was 2nd! The whole mood is very festive and the regatta ended with a dinner at the Sandeman’s Port Cellars in Gaia.
As you might imagine it took me a few days to cool down from all this excitement!
The other 9 best moments of 2012
Joining the Port Wine Brotherhood was great but I had other special moments, each of which with its own story. It was a tough choice but here are my favorite moments of 2012:
- Launch of the new Barca Velha 2004. A great launch event for a great new wine. The wild boar cooked in Barca Velha sediment was also a delicious next day meal.
- Judging wines from across the globe at the 2012 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. Great learning experience in Guimarães. A great opportunity to meet new people from the wine world.
- Visiting Quinta do Noval and tasting the exceptional 1994 Vintage Nacional. An out-of-this-world Port wine experience shared with good friend Luiz Alberto.
- An epic tasting at Graham’s. The occasion was the launch of the new 10, 20, 30 and 40 Years Old Tawny Ports. The tasting included a magnum of the magnificent Graham’s 1966 Vintage, the ultra-exclusive 1952 and 1969 Single Harvest Tawny Ports and the very old 1882 (!!).
- Organizing & hosting the first ever Summer Wine Market where 650 people tasted some of the best Portuguese white and red wines on the market and paired them with some delicious sushi.
- Sharing a tasting session on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily with a very special group of wine lovers who were participating in a Wine Bloggers trip to discover Etna Wines. The sun was setting and the moment was perfect.
- Visiting the top of Mount Etna and feeling literally on top of the world. Unforgettable.
- Organizing the first ever #wineloverweek together with Luiz Alberto (a very good friend, travel partner and fellow #winelover). It was a week full of exciting activities visiting wineries, tasting wines and attending #winelover Hangouts around Portugal (Lisboa, Porto, Vinho Verde, Alentejo and Douro). A great opportunity to show some of the best of what Portugal has to offer.
- Organizing & hosting the Adegga Wine Market 2012, the 4th edition of an award-wining 800-people wine event which includes some of the best wines and producers from Portugal and a very special Premium Room with some rare and old Port Wines. A huge success.
During the last 12 months I had other great experiences that made of 2012 a great year. I visited many other beautiful places, tasted some great wines and met exciting new people. Here’s a short photographic list of the other 15 great moments of 2012. Looking forward to a great 2013!
The 20 Most Recommended White Wines from Portugal
Adegga, the community-powered online wine guide (that I run) has just published an exciting list of the 20 Most Recommended Portuguese White Wines on Adegga Portugal (a local version of Adegga available in Portuguese).
The list is full of delicious Portuguese white wines all under 10 euros and it includes some of the best values on the market. Like the most recommended portuguese wine on the list, the unavoidable Soalheiro 2011, a premium Vinho Verde that is also a personal favorite.
Here’s the list of the 20 most recommended white wines: (a * indicates a personal favorite):
| Nome | Região | Preço | ||
| 1 | Soalheiro 2011 * | Vinho Verde | 5-10€ | + Info |
| 2 | Quinta do Ameal – Loureiro 2011 * | Vinho Verde | 5-10€ | + Info |
| 3 | Prova Régia Premium 2011 * | Bucelas | Up to 5€ | + Info |
| 4 | Beyra Quartz 2011 | Beiras | Up to 5€ | + Info |
| 5 | Tons de Duorum 2011 * | Alentejo | Up to 5€ | + Info |
| 6 | Vadio 2010 | Bairrada | 5-10€ | + Info |
| 7 | Beyra 2011 | Beiras | Up to 5€ | + Info |
| 8 | Esporão Reserva Branco 2011 | Alentejo | 5-10€ | + Info |
| 9 | Explicit 2011 | Alentejo | 5-10€ | + Info |
| 10 | Julia Kemper 2011 * | Dão | 5-10€ | + Info |
| 11 | Muros Antigos Loureiro 2011 * | Vinho Verde | 5-10€ | + Info |
| 12 | Quinta da Murta Clássico 2009 | Bucelas | 5-10€ | + Info |
| 13 | Virgo Branco 2011 | Alentejo | 5-10€ | + Info |
| 14 | Quinta de SanJoanne 2011 | Vinho Verde | Up to 5€ | + Info |
| 15 | Casa da Passarela Colheita 2011 | Dão | Up to 5€ | + Info |
| 16 | Quinta dos Currais Síria 2010 | Beiras | Up to 5€ | + Info |
| 17 | Quinta da Murta 2011 | Bucelas | Up to 5€ | + Info |
| 18 | Pouco Comum Alvarinho 2011 | Minho | Up to 5€ | + Info |
| 19 | Campolargo Arinto 2010 * | Bairrada | 5-10€ | + Info |
| 20 | Morgado de Santa Catherina Reserva 2009 | Bucelas | 5-10€ | + Info |
The complete list of recommended Portuguese whites is also available and can be used as a starting point to explore Portugal’s white wine quality and diversity.
Value for money
In recent years Portugal has created a reputation for value in wine. Many great quality wines are being sold at great value for money prices. Together with an interesting and diverse range of grape varieties this is helping Portugal slowly but steadily win a place in the hearts of wine lovers around the world.
This list proves that. 3 of the top 5 wines on the list are available to buy for less than 5€. For pricing and availability in your country wine shops follow the +info link on each wine and select your country on the Where to Buy box.
If you have any questions regarding the wines, the wineries or anything else, please let me know in the comments below or via email. I’ll be glad to help.
