Posts Tagged ‘Portugal’
Olly Smith’s 50 Great Portuguese Wines 2013
Olly Smith’s list of 50 Great Portuguese Wines 2013 has been released and is full of great value wines from Portugal.
The 50 Great Portuguese Wines is a Wines of Portugal initiative that happens every year in the UK and the US. For this year’s UK event, Olly Smith, a well known TV and wine personality, was selected to choose his list of 50 Great Portuguese Wines. Olly has decided to focus on finding the best value wines between £7 – £30.
Olly Smith was already the 9th expert to be selected for this initiative which has become an annual highlight for Portuguese wine and has helped raise awareness for the exciting diversity of what is being done in Portugal.
I’m a supporter of this initiative as I find that it works very well as a point of entry in the fantastic world of Portuguese wine for many wine lovers. Olly is a specially interesting selection for his ability to be consumer-focused and for his lively no-string-attached attitude towards wine.
Lots of good value options to choose from the 19 white wines, 27 red wines and 4 fortified wines. Here’s Olly Smith’s List of 50 Great Portuguese Wines 2013:
| White Wines | Region | ||
| 1. | Vales de Ambrães – Avesso 2012 | Vinho Verde | Where to buy |
| 2. | Casa da Senra 2012 | Vinho Verde | Where to buy |
| 3. | Soalheiro 2012 | Vinho Verde | Where to buy |
| 4. | Alvarinho Solar de Serrade 2012 | Vinho Verde | Where to buy |
| 5. | FP 2012 | Bairrada | Where to buy |
| 6. | Quinta da Raza Arinto 2012 | Vinho Verde | Where to buy |
| 7. | Montes Ermos Reserva 2011 | Douro | Where to buy |
| 8. | Beyra Quartz 2011 | Beira Interior | Where to buy |
| 9. | Redoma 2011 | Douro | Where to buy |
| 10. | Quinta de la Rosa 2011 | Douro | Where to buy |
| 11. | Pato Frio Antão Vaz 2011 | Alentejo | Where to buy |
| 12. | Vinhas do Lasso 2010 | Lisboa | Where to buy |
| 13. | Dona Ermelinda 2011 | Península de Setubal | Where to buy |
| 14. | Valle Pradinhos 2011 | Tras-os-Montes | Where to buy |
| 15. | Muros de Melgaço 2011 | Vinho Verdes | Where to buy |
| 16. | Quinta de Saes Encruzado 2011 | Dão | Where to buy |
| 17. | Quinta dos Roques Encruzado 2011 | Dão | Where to buy |
| 18. | Esporão Reserva 2011 | Alentejo | Where to buy |
| 19. | Arenae 2010 | Lisboa | Where to buy |
| Red Wines | |||
| 20. | Marquês de Borba 2011 | Alentejo | Where to buy |
| 21. | Almeida Garrett 2010 | Beira Interior | Where to buy |
| 22. | Sexy 2011 | Alentejo | Where to buy |
| 23. | Zéfyro 2009 | Alentejo | Where to buy |
| 24. | Altano Quinta do Ataíde Reserva 2009 | Douro | Where to buy |
| 25. | PAPE 2010 | Dão | Where to buy |
| 26. | Claudia’s 2009 | Douro | Where to buy |
| 27. | Manoella Douro 2010 | Douro | Where to buy |
| 28. | Quinta Nova – Colheita 2010 | Douro | Where to buy |
| 29. | F’OZ 2011 | Alentejo | Where to buy |
| 30. | Palpite 2010 | Alentejo | Where to buy |
| 31. | Poeira 2010 | Douro | Where to buy |
| 32. | Vertente 2009 | Douro | Where to buy |
| 33. | Trincadeira Vinhas Velhas 2009 | Tejo | Where to buy |
| 34. | Tinto da Ânfora 2010 | Alentejo | Where to buy |
| 35. | Duas Pedras 2011 | Alentejo | Where to buy |
| 36. | Crasto Superior 2010 | Douro | Where to buy |
| 37. | Quinta de Foz de Arouce 2009 | Beiras | Where to buy |
| 38. | Quinta dos Quatro Ventos 2009 | Douro | Where to buy |
| 39. | Aliança Bairrada Reserva 2011 | Bairrada | Where to buy |
| 40. | Quinta dos Roques 2010 | Dão | Where to buy |
| 41. | Esporão Reserva 2010 | Alentejo | Where to buy |
| 42. | Cedro do Noval 2009 | Douro | Where to buy |
| 43. | Julia Kemper Touriga Nacional 2009 | Dão | Where to buy |
| 44. | CH by Chocapalha 2009 | Lisboa | Where to buy |
| 45. | Quinta de la Rosa Reserve 2010 | Douro | Where to buy |
| 46. | Quinta do Sagrado Reserva 2007 | Douro | Where to buy |
| Fortified (Port Madeira and Moscatel) | |||
| 47 | Verdelho 15 Years Old | Madeira | Where to buy |
| 48 | Moscatel de Favaios Colheita 1980 | Douro | Where to buy |
| 49 | Família Horacio Simões Bastardo 2009 | Península Setúbal | Where to buy |
| 50 | Dow’s Quinta do Bomfim Vintage Port | Douro | Where to buy |
More information about each wine and a list of places where to buy them (around the world) is available by clicking on each wine.
Finally, watch Olly selecting and explaining what he thinks about Portuguese Wine during his 50 Great Portuguese Wines tasting and selection:
The Best Portuguese Wines of 2012 by Revista dos Vinhos
In an event that is known as the Oscars of Wine in Portugal, Revista dos Vinhos (one of Portugal’s most read wine magazines) has announced their 2012 List of Best Portuguese Wines.
This is a solid list of great Portuguese wines including some out-of-this-world bottles (like the Barca Velha 2004). The 30 wines on the list got an Award of Excellence for having achieved the very best ratings in all of the wine tastings organized by the wine magazine during 2012.
As you’ll see from the indicative retail prices this is a list that includes some of the most expensive Portuguese wines on the market. In general there’s plenty of good wines at lower price points in the market (as you can see by most of my Wines of the Week or the Top 10 Portuguese Wines by Essência do Vinho) but this is mostly a list of high-end wines, even if some – for the quality – can still be considered good values at their price.
As always I’ve marked my favorite wines (and this time also the good values) on the list. I haven’t yet tasted all of them so I’ll do an update on the list as soon as I taste them.
Award of Excellence
Reds
- Barca Velha 2004 (Red, Douro, 300 €) - favorite
- Quinta do Vale Meão 2010 (Red, Douro, 50 €) - favorite
- Poeira 2010 (Red, Douro, 30 €) - favorite - good value
- Quinta da Touriga-Chã 2009 (Red, Douro, 35 €) - favorite
- Ultreia 2008 (Red, Douro, 60 €)
- Quinta do Noval 2009 (Red, Douro, 30 €) - favorite
- Quinta da Leda 2009 (Red, Douro, 30 €) - favorite - good value
- Legado 2008 (Red, Douro)
- Quinta da Manoella Vinhas Velhas 2010 (Red, Douro, 60 €)
- Quinta do Vallado Reserva 2010 (Red, Douro, 20 €)
- Quinta da Pellada Dão 2008 (Red, Dão, 15 €) - favorite - good value
- Quinta dos Carvalhais Único 2009 (Red, Dão, 60 €) - favorite
- Principal Grande Reserva 2008 (Red, Barraida, 35 €)
- Kompassus Private Collection 2009 (Red, Barraida, 30 €)
- Quinta do Ribeirinho Pé Franco 2009 (Red, Barraida, 150 €)
- CH by Chocapalha 2009 (Tinto, Lisboa, 25 €)
- Cinquenta A.S. 2009 (Red, Setúbal, 35 €)
- Esporão Private Selection Garrafeira 2009 (Red, Alentejo, 35 €) - favorite
- Torre do Esporão Garrafeira 2007 (Red, Alentejo, 100 €)
- Pêra-Manca 2008 (Red, Alentejo, 190 €)
- Grande Rocim 2009 (Red, Alentejo, 40 €)
Whites
- Anselmo Mendes Curtimenta Alvarinho 2011 (White, Vinho Verde, 20 €)
- Quinta das Bágeiras Pai Abel 2009 (White, Barraida, 17 €)
Port Wines
- Warre’s Vintage 2009 (Fortified, Douro, 50 €) - favorite
- Taylor’s Vintage 2009 (Fortified, Douro, 64 €) - favorite
- Graham’s 30 anos (Fortified, Douro, 70 €) - favorite - good value
- Graham’s Colheita 1969 (Fortified, Douro, 235 €) - favorite
Madeira & Others
- José Maria da Fonseca Moscatel Roxo 20 Anos (Fortified, Setúbal, 75 €)
- Blandy’s Madeira 20 anos Terrantez (Fortified, Madeira, 45 €)
- Bastardinho de Azeitão Vinho Licoroso 30 anos (Fortified, Azeitão, 60 €)
The magazine also selected the top wines by region including a list of Port Wines. You can see the full list of selected wines (in Portuguese) on the magazine’s website.
Top 10 Portuguese Wines by Essência do Vinho
Photo by Ilkka Sirén
The 10th edition of Essência do Vinho, Portugal’s biggest wine event (though not the best :)), is happening this weekend in the beautiful city of Porto. This year’s program is filled with exciting tastings and special events. In what has become one of the most awaited wine ceremonies in Portugal, Essência do Vinho has once again selected its Top 10 Portuguese Wines.
A list of 51 wines (38 reds e 14 whites) was pre-selected by Essência during the year. Then, a panel of international wine influencers (journalists, critics, bloggers) coming from such countries as Germany, Brazil, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Portugal and Sweden selected 2 white wines and 8 red wines for the final list.
Top 10 Portuguese Wines by Essência do Vinho
- Soalheiro Alvarinho Primeiras Vinhas 2011 (White, Vinho Verde, 15 €) – favorite
Grape varieties: Alvarinho - Guru 2011 (White, Douro, 25 €) – favorite
Viosinho, Rabigato, Codega do Larinho, Gouveio
- Tributo 2010 (Red, Tejo, 22 €)
Syrah, Grenache, Viognier - Curriculum Vitae 2010 (Red, Douro, 57 €) – favorite
A blend of +25 grape varieties from 80-plus year old vines including Rufete, Tinta Amarela, Donzelinho Tinto, Tinta Francisca, Sousão, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional
- Pintas 2010 (Red, Douro, 60 €) – favorite
A blend of +20 grape varieties from 78 year old vines
- Terrenus Vinhas Velhas Reserva 2009 (Red, Alentejo, 40 €)
Aragonês, Trincadeira, Grand Noir, Alicante Bouchet and others (9 different Portuguese varieties) from 90 year old vines
- Casa de Santa Vitória Grande Reserva 2008 (Red, Alentejo, 12 €)
Touriga Nacional, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah - Passadouro Touriga Nacional 2010 (Red, Douro, 18 €)
Touriga Nacional - Grande Rocim Reserva 2009 (Red, Alentejo, 50 €)
Alicante Bouschet - Hexagon 2008 (Red, Setúbal, 36 €)
Touriga Nacional, Syrah, Trincadeira, Tinto Cão, Touriga Franca, Tannat
I’ve marked my favorite wines from the list though I haven’t yet tasted all of the wines. I’ll do an update on the list as soon as I taste them.
The prices for the Top 10 Portuguese Wines start at an inexpensive 11 € (for the Passadouro) while both the top red and the top white are below 20 €. Some good value options in this list. The other good news is that many of these wines are available outside of Portugal. Enjoy!
Wine of the Week! Meandro 2009
Every couple of weeks I head to the Artis Wine Bar in Lisbon for a night of popular Portuguese food and one or two good bottles of wine. These are now popular nights amongst my friends who have become fans of the delicious wines available on the bar’s extensive wine list and the great food pairings.
One of the bar’s best and most popular foods options is the house-recipe Bitoque, a portuguese-style fried steak and egg with homestyle cube fries and a special tasty sauce. This is a brilliant pairing for a bottle of Meandro 2009, a Douro red whose flavors and structure will completely marry the steak, egg and fries fatness.
Meandro is the very attractive first wine of the Quinta do Vale Meão and the younger brother of the one of the best wines from the Douro (also named Quinta do Vale Meão). Made by winemaker Francisco “Xito” Olazabal the Meandro is a wine with pronounced fruit aromas, meaty and chocolaty flavors, all well balanced by a good soft chewy structure and clean fresh finish. A really great pleasure to drink!
The Meandro 2009 is a delicious blend of Touriga Nacional (35%), Touriga Franca (30%), Tinta Roriz (25%), Tinta Barroca (5%) and Sousão (5%). Some of the same varieties also used in Port Wine. The Meandro is a wine that will age for a few years (I just had a Meandro 2000 a few weeks ago and it was still very good) but thankfully it is also very ready to be enjoyed right now.
Meandro is clearly one of my favorite wines and one the best values in Portuguese wine. For around 10 € this is a must buy Douro red.
The 2010 is already on the market and it is as delicious as the 2009. For those of you reading this from outside Portugal I have good news. You can find Meandro in many wine retailers around the world. Enjoy!
Note: Artis is wine bar with a great wine list. Unfortunately it allows people to smoke inside. Most of the times it’s not a problem and people avoid smoking inside. However on some Fridays and Saturdays it can become way too much smoke for a #winelover.
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Meandro 2009 Red | Douro | Touriga Nacional (35%), Touriga Franca (30%), Tinta Roriz (25%), Tinta Barroca (5%) and Sousão (5%) Where to buy |
Wine of the Week! Quinta das Marias Encruzado 2011
I’m a big fan of wines made with Encruzado, a grape variety mainly planted in the Dão wine region in Portugal. They are generally very food-friendly and well balanced making great pairings with some of the most delicious foods like sushi or fresh grilled fish. On top of that they also tend to be great value for money.
The Quinta das Marias Encruzado 2011 is a good example of all this. For around 10 euros you get an extremely well balanced, quite bright and fresh, slightly crispy and rich finish wine. A recipe for pairing success.
I ordered this bottle at Sea Me, a nice seafood downtown Lisbon restaurant, to enjoy with some fish & vegetable tempura starter followed by a fresh grilled Turbot. A delicious world-class pairing with a touch of Portuguese elegance.
Owner Peter Viktor Eckert and winemaker António Narciso have done a great job here and I’m definitely looking forward to talk about the other good wines from Quinta das Marias.
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Quinta das Marias Encruzado 2011 White | Dão | Encruzado Where to buy |
The Great Algarve
Algarve, the beautiful seaside region in the south of Portugal, has won the prestigious Europe’s Leading Beach Destination 2012 award. It’s definitely not a surprise since the Algarve has been one of my favorite regions in the world for many years. I’m lucky in that I get to travel to the Algarve at least once a month and take advantage of all the great things the region has to offer.
Here are some of my favorite:
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.
Top 50 Portuguese Wines, by Tom Cannavan
Every year a new Wine Writer of the Year is elected at the Portuguese Wine Awards in the UK and every year the same wine writer is invited to create a selection of Top 50 Portuguese Wines. This year’s winner was Tom Cannavan following Sarah Ahmed in 2010 and Jamie Goode in 2009.
The Top 50 Portuguese Wines 2011
Back to School at Cantina da Estrela
I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the Cantina da Estrela restaurant twice before, attending wine related events. This time I came here wanting to have lunch as a normal client and discovered that the experience is well worth the visit.
In one sentence
Go to this restaurant if you love good comfort food, if you’re interested in eating in a calm place that looks like an classic old school and if you don’t mind being served by restaurant students (that actually do a pretty good job!). Nice wine list. Price per person varies (based on on your opinion, really!) but should be between 20 to 25 euros per person (without wine).
The concept
One of the first interesting things about Cantina da Estrela is the fact that you can decide how much the food and the service are worth and (sorf of) pay the bill based on that. In reality you actually have a lower and a upper limit between which you can choose to pay based on your appreciation. Since all of the restaurant employees come from the Escola de Hotelaria e Turismo de Lisboa (Lisbon’s School of Hospitality), this gives you (and them) a way to continuously evaluate their work. It’s a clever (and attention grabbing) idea that I think should be applied in other restaurants.
