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General feed from Infovini - Your portal to Portuguese wineinfovini@infovini.com (Infovini's Team)Strong surge in Alentejo wine exportshttp://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2300Angola led the way in gains on 2010 and importing 82.5 percent more wine from the Alentejo over this period with China (including Macau and Hong Kong) surging 44 percent while exports to Brazil and Canada rose by 14.9 percent and 10.2 percent, respectively.<br />
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“Thankfully for Alentejo wines, our main export markets, with the exception of the United States, are the countries turning in the highest economic growth rates worldwide”, added Caravana.<br />
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The marketing director identified Angola, Brazil, the United States, China and Canada as the largest non-EU markets in descending order of size.<br />
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While Brazil had been expected to grow faster, Caravana said the wine region had still managed to grow in the United States despite the ongoing economic difficulties.<br />
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Indeed, while recording smaller gross market sizes than the big five, the wine representative emphasised the growth in exports to Russia and Norway, with the latter importing five times the amount of Alentejo wines in the first ten months of 2011 than in all of 2010.<br/><b>Fonte: </b> TPN/LusaFri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000http://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2300infovini@infovini.com (Notícia)NotíciasPortuguese wine producers want to capture Macao markethttp://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2261ViniPortugal is the Portugal’s wine trade association. This bet on China follows efforts by “some producers that are well established in Hong Kong and Macao”, that take advantage of the geographical proximity of Guangdong, said Nora. <br />
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Guangdong, however, is part of mainland China and is governed by different import rules from the two former colonies, where there are no taxes. Although the volume of sales is still small “China is now the 15th market for Portuguese wine”, after sales leapt 93% in 2010”, the association said.<br/><b>Fonte: </b> theportugalnews.comFri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000http://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2261infovini@infovini.com (Notícia)NotíciasTagus wine plans 50% increase in China exportshttp://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2247She said Tagus Region's exports to China represented the second most important market after Angola. In 2010 "we exported approximately 600,000 litres to Angola followed by China, our second largest market where we sold 335,000 litres. But we want to increase this by 50% over the next three years. <br />
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Tagus Region is using Portugal’s long standing historical links to its formerly administered enclave of Macau, as a spring board for its sales push into neighbouring Guangdong province and Hong Kong. She said in H1 2011 Tagus region wine exports to China rose 28% year on year. In addition the region is marshalling more local producers to join its export drive to a market that apart from the mainland includes Hong Kong and Macau. <br />
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So far the number of local producers now exporting has risen from 13 to 17 with signs that as many as 20 will join in a planned China trade show event.<br/><b>Fonte: </b> portugaloffer.comMon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000http://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2247infovini@infovini.com (Notícia)NotíciasWine exports to China still small, but boominghttp://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2243Along with the United States and Brazil, the Chinese market will be the third most important target for the Vini Portugal promotion agency in 2012, he added in comments to Lusa News Agency in Beijing.<br />
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“China is by far our fastest growing market”, Nora said. “It wasn’t even among the top 30 two years ago and now its ranked 18th”.<br />
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He said more than 200 professionals had attended Vini Portugal’s wine tasting show in Beijing, surpassing expectations.<br />
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Twenty-eight producers, featuring 300 labels, had participated, he said.<br />
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Angola, France and Britain remain Portugal’s prime wine export markets.<br/><b>Fonte: </b> The Portugal NewsFri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000http://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2243infovini@infovini.com (Notícia)NotíciasSogrape takes control of Stevens Garnier http://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2242“Sogrape and Stevens Garnier have a longstanding and successful partnership in the UK and Sogrape is delighted to make a full acquisition of the company,” said Sogrape president Salvador Guedes. <br />
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“Stevens Garnier has built a strong reputation for delivering exceptional service to the UK wine trade and lists some of the best wine producers from around the world in its portfolio. We are committed to investing in the company’s future,” Guedes added.<br />
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Matt Douglas joins Stevens Garnier as managing director today, from the Argento Wine Company where he was operations director, following six years with Bibendum.<br />
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A New Zealander, Douglas was general manager of the Mount Difficulty winery in Central Otago before moving to the UK.<br />
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Douglas will develop and implement a new strategic plan for Stevens Garnier’s brands in the on- and off-trades in consultation with founding director Jane Cranston, who relinquishes her role of managing director but remains as a director of the company.<br />
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“I’m delighted with the appointment of Matt Douglas to head up the business. His commercial acumen and strong vision for the future is what’s needed to ensure Stevens Garnier retains and grows its reputation as one of the leading suppliers to the UK wine trade,” Cranston said.<br />
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Speaking prior to taking up the position, Douglas said: “Stevens Garnier is about to enjoy a period of strong growth and I’m looking forward to working with the existing team during this challenging and exciting new phase in the company’s development.”<br/><b>Fonte: </b> The Drink BusinessWed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000http://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2242infovini@infovini.com (Notícia)NotíciasPortugal bagged the most Old World international trophies (3 apiece) - Decanter World Wine Awards!http://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2198<p>Thrilling to see Portugal perform so well at Decanter World Wine Awards last night.<br />
With France, Portugal bagged the most Old World international trophies (3 apiece) – quite a distinction and, speaking as Regional Chair for Portugal (table wines), I hope the results inspire lots more entries for us to judge next year!</p>
<p>And the winners were:</p>
<p>Tagus Creek Shiraz Trincadeira 2010 (Alentejo) – International Trophy for a Red blend under £10 – a great coup for one of Portugal’s great modernisers, Joao Portugal Ramos, also Nick Oakley of Oakley Wine Agencies who helped conceive the brand.</p>
<p>Bacalhoa 2004 Moscatel de Setubal – International Trophy for sweet fortifieds under £10.</p>
<p>Henriques & Henriques 15 year old Verdelho Madeira – International Trophy for sweet fortifieds over £10.</p><br/><b>Fonte: </b> The Wine DetectiveThu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100http://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2198infovini@infovini.com (Notícia)NotíciasA passion for Portuguese winehttp://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2151When he returned to Hong Kong from London in 2004, he rejected a career in law to begin Adega Royale, turning a passion for little-known Portuguese wines into a business. Now the 29-year-old imports, distributes and consults on many types of wine, but his passion for the Portuguese vine has not waned. When Wong pours a premium red, he sniffs, beams and then declares, "The nose is just guzzling." <br />
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Not many people know too much about Portuguese wine. How did you discover it?</strong><br />
As a boy. My dad was working there and I went to stay with him in the summer holidays. Because Portugal's culture is so much about drinking and food, that was [the level on which] my dad brought me in, but he didn't want to show me the boring entry-level stuff. We found some really good restaurants that had some really old wines. Not all of them were great wines because some of them had been badly neglected, but those good old wines were what got me going. <br />
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<strong>You've been filming a television show in which you introduce viewers to the pleasures of wine. Where is it set?</strong><br />
We went to Portugal, and we are going to Italy and Australia. It's a lifestyle show but the wine section is on how to choose wine, and drink it. <br />
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<strong>What do you love about Portugal's wines?</strong><br />
It's got so many great varieties, it won't bore you. It will always keep you on your toes, especially now they have the equipment to make better wines every year. <br />
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<strong>Who are the names to watch? </strong><br />
Two really big labels, one being Luis Pato. I love this guy because his were the first wines that I learned to drink. He uses a very special grape called baga. It's a type of grape that you either love or don't. A close comparison would be [Italy's] nebbiolo. It's rather a tannic wine when it's young and then it becomes very elegant and soft. That's one of the ones I really like. The other one that I brought over was Bussaco. The wine comes from the last estate of the last king of Portugal. They were building it and he abdicated before Portugal became a republic in 1910. You are not only drinking history, you are drinking something from a royal piece of land. They actually still have old wines - whites and reds - dating back to about 1945. <br />
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<strong>Where can you get it?</strong><br />
Only two places in the world - MGM Macau and The Palace do Bussaco, which is now a hotel. Not even the Portuguese know about it because the hotel doesn't publicise it. It's a very exclusive pour, available only at the hotel. Occasionally, you'll see it at Sotheby's or Christie's auctions. <br />
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You created an agency to buy the wine for MGM. How did you convince the hotel to let you sell it?</strong><br />
I was just very sincere. I told them how much I like the wine and asked them. I don't even have a bottle in my own cellar. <br />
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<strong>What's the best part of your job?</strong><br />
My best times are creating private labels. That's what I have most fun doing. I go and blend it. I work on what it will look like - the label, waxing, cork and bottle shape. Basically, we create a wine. <br />
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What Portuguese wine would you recommend in summer?</strong><br />
Vinho Verde is a must, because it's just so refreshing. <br />
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<strong>Pairing dinners are popular here. Can you pair Portuguese wines with Chinese food?</strong><br />
Portuguese wine is quite easy to match with a lot of Chinese food because it has so many flavours which are quite soft. They have the fruits, the tannins and are not that hard to pair with most foods. <br />
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<strong>You like to keep pairings interesting at dinners you have hosted. What has been your most imaginative pairing?</strong><br />
My most extreme was vintage port with Chinese tofu. I served the tofu in cubes on a small Chinese spoon with crackers on the side like a cheese platter.<br/><b>Fonte: </b> South China Morning PostTue, 19 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0100http://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2151infovini@infovini.com (Notícia)NotíciasThe Cork stopper comebackhttp://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2133Cork is Portugal’s second largest earner after tourism and the country’s main exporters, grouped under the Amorim Irmãos-led APCOR – Associação Portuguesa de Cortiça or cork producers association, is taking no chances that this vital industry should fail. Apcor says Portugal exported 2.5 thousand tonnes of champagne corks alone to France, worth 22.4 million euros in 2009 together with 3.4 thousand tonnes of natural cork stoppers worth 87.6 million euros. There was a time in recent past when world wine experts were anticipating the imminent demise of cork as the stopper of preference on wine and champagne bottles, destined they said to be overtaken by man-made materials. <br />
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At the world’s biggest wine fair Vinexpo just held in Bordeaux, France, corks were popping all over the place as if to prove the industry’s vitality. Traditional cork-makers are said to be winning back market share despite the best efforts of the makers of synthetic wine stoppers and screw caps. Snobbery seems to be a significant factor behind cork floating to the top. Research shows consistently that global consumers believe bottles stopped with natural cork are just so much better than the synthetic and aluminium challengers. <br />
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Amorim, a Portuguese company that is the world’s largest producer of natural wine corks, registered record sales of 3.2 billion stoppers last year. Its business in Britain rose by 50 per cent, and António Amorim, the chief executive, predicted that even Australia, which led the move towards man made stoppers, would return to the bark of the cork oak. <br />
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The comeback of the cork is an enormous relief for many environmentalists, who had feared that the rise of the screw cap would lead to the destruction of Portugal’s cork oak forests, which are home to endangered species such as the Iberian lynx, Barbary deer and the imperial Iberian eagle. Mr. Aracil said: “The environmental issue has been very important in the revival. It is a key argument. Cork is renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable. Made from the bark of cork oak trees, it is peeled off in swirls once every 7-10 years and it grows back over and over again. A typical cork oak provides usable bark for up to 200 years.<br /><br/><b>Fonte: </b> portugaloffer.comWed, 06 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0100http://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2133infovini@infovini.com (Notícia)Notícias50 Great Portuguese wineshttp://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2115Each year, a journalist is chosen to select their top 50 Portuguese wines, which are then shown in tastings in London, Manchester and Edinburgh (although this year there is no Manchester leg). Portugal is such an interesting wine country, that the tasting attracts a good crowd.<br />
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This year the selection was made by Tom Cannavan. Tom did a very good job, with lots of really good wines. Selections like this are quite personal, of course – for example, some of the whites weren’t really my thing, and a couple of the Alentejo reds were so-so. Yet I came away, once again, enthused by the diverse and delicious wines that Portugal is making at the moment.<br />
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It seems invidious to pick out favourites from such a strong crowd. But I really enjoyed Julia Kemper’s wonderful Dao white, which has just a twist of nice reduction. I also liked the biodynamic Casa de Mouraz Dao white: Sara Dionisio who makes it with Joao Roseira, whose Infantado Reserva 2008 Douro was one of the top reds on show.<br />
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Other mentions? Quinta de Lemos White Label 2007 Dao was really fresh and floral. Lovely. Poeira and Batuta from 2008 are both v serious wines, of course, as is Vale Meao. And I wouldn’t say no to Pintas 2008, either – nor Noval or Romaneira.<br />
Here’s the full list of Tom’s excellent selections:Julia Kemper Reserva White 2009 Dão <br />
Casa de Mouraz White 2009 Dão <br />
Quintas de Melgaço Castrus White 2009 Vinho Verde <br />
Quinta do Feital Alvarinho Dorado Superior 2008 Vinho Verde <br />
Adega Regional de Colares Arenae Colares Malvasia 2006 Colares <br />
Filipa Pato Nossa White 2009 Beiras <br />
Fita Preta Palpite 2008 Alentejo <br />
Herdade dos Grous Reserva White 2010 Alentejo <br />
Esporao Private Selection White 2009 Alentejo <br />
Quinta dos Carvalhais Colheita Seleccionada White 2006 Dão <br />
Alves de Sousa Reserva Pessoal White 2005 Douro <br />
Quinta Sant’ana Riesling 2009 Lisboa <br />
Valle Pradinhos White 2009 Trás-os-Montes <br />
Henrique Uva Vinhas da Ira Red 2006 Alentejo <br />
Quinta Dona Maria Reserva Red 2006 Alentejo <br />
Fundação Engénio de Almeida Pera Manca Red 2007 Alentejo <br />
Terrenus Reserva Red 2007 Alentejo <br />
Fundação Engénio de Almeida Scala Coelli 2007 Alentejo <br />
Mouchão 2006 Alentejo <br />
Silveira e Outro Solar dos Lobos Grande Escolha Red 2008 Alentejo <br />
Herdade da Malhadinha Nova Marias da Malhadinha Red 2007 Alentejo <br />
Quinta do Francês Red 2008 Algarve <br />
Luís Pato BTT Red 2009 Beiras <br />
Quinta das Bageiras Garrafeira Red 2001 Bairrada <br />
Quinta dos Termos Selecção Red 2007 Beira Interior <br />
Quinta dos Roques Touriga Nacional 2008 Dão <br />
Quinta do Lemos White Label Red 2007 (Dão) <br />
Fontes da Cunha Munda Touriga Nacional Red 2008 (Dão) <br />
Quinta da Falorca Lagar Reserva Red 2004 Dão <br />
Dão Sul Cabriz Reserva Red 2008 Dão <br />
Quinta do Corujão Reserva Red 2007 Dão <br />
Lavradores de Feitoria Meruge Red 2008 Douro <br />
Quinta do Vallado Adelaide 2008 Douro <br />
Poeira 2008 Douro <br />
Niepoort Batuta 2008 Douro <br />
Prats & Symington Chryseia 2008 Douro <br />
Quinta do Portal Touriga Nacional 2009 Douro <br />
Quinta do Noval 2008 Douro <br />
Quinta da Romaneira Reserva Red 2008 Douro <br />
Wine & Soul Pintas Red 2008 Douro <br />
Quinta do Vale Meão 2008 Douro <br />
Dão Sul Quinta de Tecedeiras Reserva Red 2008 Douro <br />
Quinta do Infantado Reserva Red 2008 Douro <br />
Afros Vinhão 2009 Vinho Verde <br />
José Maria da Fonseca Hexagon Red 2007 Península de Setúbal <br />
Vale da Mata Reserva Red 2007 Lisboa <br />
Vale D’Algares Selection Red 2008 Tejo <br />
António Saramago Vinhos, Lda Dúvida Red 2005 Península de Setúbal <br />
Quinta do Ameal Special Harvest 2007 Minho <br />
Horácio dos Reis Simões Moscatel de Setúbal Superior 10 Anos Península de Setúbal<br /><br/><b>Fonte: </b> wineanorak.com - jamie goode's wine blogThu, 09 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0100http://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2115infovini@infovini.com (Notícia)NotíciasA Port for All Timehttp://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2088My parents always offered guests a thimble of sherry before dinner. And one of port after. But since the 1970s, fortified wines (port, sherry, muscat and the like) have been in decline. They are disappearing slowly, although the best examples are still among the world's great wines and important in quality.<br />
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We live in the age of table wine, when still (that is, non-sparkling) white and red wines are the preferred tipple. It's hard to imagine now but during the 1950s, tastes were very different and fortified wines outsold table wines.<br />
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Australians' purchase of Australian fortified wine has slumped by a third in the past 13 years, from 25 million litres to 16 million litres. At the same time, the total wine market has grown enormously and the net result is that fortified wine's market share has halved - from 0.08 per cent to 0.04 per cent.<br />
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But the great fortified wines are an important story - none greater than Portuguese vintage port. It's one of the world's longest-living wines, with a fascinating evolution from a dark-purple, brightly fruity and quite tannic young wine to a wonderfully subtle, finely nuanced mature wine of matchless complexity. It has a lifespan of more than 50 years. Demand for this wine is still healthy. Hence, the man behind Graham's Port, Rupert Symington, visited Australia to sign up a new importer, Deja Vu.<br />
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The name is English but the wine is unequivocally Portuguese - from the wonderfully scenic Upper Douro valley. Many names in the port-wine trade are British because their involvement dates back centuries. The Symingtons' ancestors were among the first Brits to ship port from Oporto 354 years, or 13 generations, ago. They own several port companies, including famous brands Warre's, Dow's, Graham's, Gould Campbell, Smith Woodhouse, Quinta do Vesuvio and Quarles Harris.<br />
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Deja Vu is selling four Graham's ports wholesale in NSW. They are the fruity, youthful Fine Tawny Port (about $40), 2005 Late Bottled Vintage Port (about $55), 10 Year Old Tawny Port (about $70) and 2007 Vintage Port (about $170). Older vintages are available, too, as are the 20, 30 and 40 Year Old tawnies.<br />
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The vintage ports and LBV are easily understood by Australians used to our own equivalents; the tawny (wood-aged) ports perhaps less so. These are quite different to our own, tending to be paler in colour, less brown in hue and more floral in aroma - but, most notably, they are lighter in weight.<br />
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Their mouth-feel is less rich, less dense, less opulent - but no less intense in flavour.<br />
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As my tasting note on the entry-level Graham's 10 Year Old Tawny Port reads: ''Lean, elegant and stylish; not rich, fat and jammy like an Australian tawny port.''<br />
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Both are great wines but we should celebrate their differences.<br />
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The youngest wine, the Fine Tawny Port, is quite fruity and seems a little immature in comparison to a good Australian wine of similar price.<br />
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But the flavours are attractive and different enough to make it a worthwhile choice.<br />
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I wrote: ''Grapy aroma, clean and bright, with red fruits and spices, hints of bitter citrus peel and angelica. Palate is light and dry, savoury and lean, with a lot of early sweetness, which dries off with tannin on the back-palate.''<br />
Of the 10 Year Old: ''Aromas of old leather furniture and polished timber panelling. More mature, savoury and complex than the Fine Tawny and a much more serious wine.''<br />
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The 2005 Late Bottled Vintage is marvellously rich in primary fruit aroma and flavour, with liquorice, spices, red fruits and floral brandy-spirit aromas. It's plump and fruity, with lots of sweetness and soft tannins. The tannins are a subtle nod towards vintage-port style.<br />
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And the 2007 Graham's Vintage Port: ''Very deep purple-red, great colour. Marvellous depth of berry fruit aromas, floral spirit beautifully harmonised with the cherry, raspberry, Turkish delight and blueberry aromas. A very fruit-filled palate with ample sweetness, neatly balanced by tannin and spirit warmth, but the tannins are so supple and fine that they're barely worth remarking on. Delicious now and for decades to come''.<br />
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And that's the story of modern vintage port. Improvements in viticulture and winemaking mean the tannins are softer than in the past, giving wines that drink well young and can trick the taster into thinking they won't age well - but they will.<br />
As Graham's winemaker Jorge Nunes told me: ''Young vintage port is now so well made, it's lovely to drink when released. The grape maturity is more even [than it used to be], robotic treaders are better for extraction and the wines are better balanced than back in 1977, when wines were still being made on farms in rustic conditions.''<br />
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No one has any illusions that port will become fashionable again but it remains an important part of the wine world and the quality is better than ever.<br/><b>Fonte: </b> Huon Hooke - Sydney Morning HeraldThu, 12 May 2011 00:00:00 +0100http://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2088infovini@infovini.com (Notícia)NotíciasPortuguese wines are a favorite dark horsehttp://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2075So where does the wine fit in? It doesn't. Everyone drinks mint juleps. The correlation to wine is the race itself.<br />
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You know that the horse that starts out in front at the beginning is never going to win. So you're watching all the horses in the back to see which one is going to break out at the end and surprise everyone. Now, this is where wine, and Portugal, come in.<br />
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Portugal is an old-world country that has been in the wine race for a long time. It produces a variety of classic wines that are made from some of the same grapes that grow in Spain, its neighbor to the east. However, in all of the centuries it has been making wine, Portugal has never really made it to the head of the pack. Except for Porto, that is.<br />
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Porto is a fortified wine that is so well-known, it has unfortunately eclipsed the rest of the country's horses — I mean wines. The mere mention of Port-ugal and you imagine a country full of Port. Fabulous Port. But it is just a small fraction of the total wine production. (By the same token, if you're in Portugal and you say you're from New York, then you live in Manhattan. Few people realize there is a huge state outside of the more famous city!)<br />
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The truth is, the rest of Portugal has quietly been making some of the best table wines in Europe for centuries, always a few paces behind the stronger French, Italian and Spanish thoroughbreds. But they have always been one of my favorite dark horses, and I am happy to report that they have begun their graceful move forward as they enter the backstretch.<br />
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The country of Portugal is hugely influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. The many wine-growing regions each have their own defined character. The soil, the climate and the grapes change as you follow the track from north to south.<br />
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With summer (hopefully) approaching, a Portuguese wine you must try is Vinho Verde. From the Minho province in the north, these wines are crisp, clean and ultimately refreshing. Meaning "green wine," these are meant to be drunk young, the day you buy them. The main grape is alvarinho. Some will have a touch of spritz, a little tickle on the tongue. Look for the totally affordable white wines from Fonseca Twin Vines ($7), Casal Garcia ($7), Arca Nova ($8) and Quinta da Aveleda ($8). Simple and easy picks, but odds are you'll be quite impressed.<br />
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Moving south, the region of the Douro (also called Duriense) produces outstanding red wines. These can be described best as "Porto unfortified." The grapes are touriga nacional, touriga franca, tinta roriz, tinta cão and tinta barroca. You will be amazed at the great values, across the board. Doural Tinto ($7), Aveleda Charamba ($8), Stravaganza ($10), Quinto do Portal ($10) and Lavradores de Feitoria ($11) all deliver nicely balanced fruit with old-world acidity. These are your best bets with foods off the grill.<br />
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The Dão region further south is often called the "Burgundy" of Portugal, producing wines that remind of elegant Pinot noirs. Look for new grapes like jaen and alfrocheiro in the reds. Grão Vasco Dão ($6) and Porta dos Cavaleiros Dão ($8) are serious steals and have become my house wines. They win by a nose! Yes, they are earthy and have a touch of barnyard aroma, but that is what makes them hands-down winners with rustic foods like hummus, mushroom pizza, greens and beans and washed-rind cheeses.<br />
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The Bairrada region, west of Dão, is named for the unique clay soil there, which is called barro. This region is often referred to as the "Bordeaux" of Portugal, producing powerful reds from a fascinating grape called the baga, along with the beefy touriga nacional grape. Frei João Bairrada ($8), Aveleda Follies ($9) and Campolarga Bairrada ($11) are co-favorites. Don't let the older vintage dates fool you. They pick up great complexity with age, and are nowhere near being put out to pasture. Very nice for sipping around a campfire late at night with your best friends.<br />
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We are barely out of the gate here, so we'll continue with Portugal in the next column. In the meantime, I'll be watching the Derby and rooting for... who else? Stay Thirsty!<br/><b>Fonte: </b> Democrat & Chronicle.comTue, 26 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0100http://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2075infovini@infovini.com (Notícia)NotíciasPortuguese Wines Offer Tremendous Quality and Valuehttp://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2061Kim Zamel, owner of the Wine Shack, has become an ardent advocate for Portuguese wines.<br />
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Not Port, the sweet after-dinner fortified wine made from an assortment of native grapes or those simple rosés popular in the 1970’s, but the lively, dry white and complex red table wines that Portuguese producers started making in recent decades,<br />
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Zamel, who opened the Wine Shack late last year, offers five Portuguese bargains, at around$10 or so, and she may add more, she said, explaining that the wines offer incredible value for the quality. She and her staff started to taste the wines, added a few, and “it just started to go from there.”<br />
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Alison Nobre, co-owner of Fado, Huntington’s seven-month-old Portuguese restaurant, is equally enthusiastic. “They’re unbelievable values,” she said. She initially populated her wine list with bottles that would sell for less than $20, but kept going. “People are just so receptive.”<br />
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Largely unknown on this side of the Atlantic -- only 3 percent of Portugal’s wine production is exported to the U.S. -- are indeed delicious values. There are many great wines under $10 and a few priced at $100 or more. All, however, are bargains compared with wines of comparable quality from other wine producing regions around the world.<br />
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In the last few decades quality has improved to the point where wines from Portugal are finding favor among wine aficionados and value-oriented consumers alike.<br />
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They reds, especially some of the robust offerings, mostly made with unfamiliar grapes, make terrific companions to roasts and grilled meats. They range from about $10 a bottle and up. But even the dearest of bottles won’t set you back as much as a fabulous red Bordeaux.<br />
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Portuguese whites, often sold as Vinho Verdi or under such varietal names as Alvarinho or Loureiro, are Portugal’s most popular whites and are perfect for sipping on the patio on a summer afternoon. They are not overly serious wines. Best served icy cold, they tend to be aromatic and fruity with lively acids and sometimes have a bit of a spritz. In other words, they’re crisp and refreshing. Most sell for less than $15 a bottle and some for as little as $4. They’re also wonderful paired with seafood — not surprising since so many of them are made from grapes grown along Portugal’s Atlantic coast.<br />
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Portuguese wines have remained largely a secret, because they are mostly made with indigenous grapes, often with hard to pronounce names that do not resonate in our minds. Touriga nacional is the national grape of Portugal. Other grapes include Alicante bouschet, aragonez (a/k/a tinta-roriz, a/k/a tempranillo), baga, castelao, touriga franca, just to name a few. Now, some regions are starting to grow and blend in cabernet sauvignon and syrah. Portuguese producers together make 340 different field blends, or blends, wines produced from different grape varieties inter planted in the same vineyard.<br />
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Portugal, Europe’s western-most country and about the size of Indiana at 575 miles long and about 140 miles wide, has nine main grape growing regions with diverse soil types and climates and distinctive styles. The regions are Vinho Verde, Bairrida, Extremadura/Lisboa and Setúbal along the cool Atlantic coast; Dao, Douro and Beira in the warm interior north; and, Tejo, Alentejo and Algarve in the warm southern plains.<br />
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Portuguese wine names won’t seem so strange once you discover them. <br />
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Some already have. Wine Spectator magazine counted two Portuguese wines among its 2010 Top 100 list. CARM Douro Reserva 2007 ($27) with a score of 94 points ranked No. 9 and Quinta do Vallado Douro Reserva 2008 ($53), was listed at No. 22 with 96 points.<br />
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The Vallado, which is 100 percent touriga nacional, is a big, tannic wine with notes of plums and spices will benefit from several more years more in the bottle before it’s best enjoyed. The CARM is an intense, fruity red blend.<br />
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Other names to look for include Quinto do Crasto, Churchill Estates, Niepoort , Porca de Murca and Evel<br />
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Zamel’s offerings include a pair of crisp, fruity vinho verdes, Twin Vines ($8.99) and Quinta da Aveleda Grinalda Vinho Verde ($12.99), among the whites. Her reds include Periquita 2010, an entry-level flavorful wine ($10.99); the soft, fresh-tasting Loios 2009($11.99), and the fruity Domini 2008, ($13.99).<br />
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At a trade/press tasting earlier this week in New York City, sponsored by Vini Portugal, a trade group, I enjoyed the highly popular crisp, peachy Casal Garcia Vino Verdhe 2010 ($8) and a creamy Morgado Santa Catherina 2008 with a touch of oak and pear notes ($22) among the whites; CAAR Ciconia 2009, a rich, touriga nacional red with notes of cherries and currents ($9), the powerful Fita Preta Preta red, a blend of 50 percent Touriga Nacional, 35 percent Alicante Bouschet and 15 percent Cabernet Sauvignon ($50).<br />
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For a broader sampling, I recommend an excursion to Fado, which offers 10 wines by the glass as well as 20 Portuguese red wines and 20 whites by the bottle. Among the most popular reds is an easy drinking red from the Douro, called Veedha (life in Portuguese), and the Ciconia. They sell for $25 and $23, respectively. Fado’s most expensive wine, at $65 a bottle, is a hard-to-find red, Esporado AB Alicante Bouschet 2007.<br />
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Fado also offers 20 different ports, the fortified dessert wine that most people associate with Portugal, and three Madeiras, another fortified, sweet wine.<br />
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The Wine Shack will be offering various kosher wines for sampling now through Passover (April 19).<br />
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Today, from 4:30 p.m-7:30p.m., Huntington’s Superstar Beverage will be offering samples of Innes & Gunn barrel-aged Scottish ales.<br />
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Bottles & Cases sampling schedule this weekend includes X-Rated Fusion Liqueur, today, 1-4 p.m.; Maker’s Mark Maker’s 46 Bourbon, Courvoisier VS Cognac, Fair Vodka, Goji Berry Liqueur today 4-7 p.m.; Russian Standard Vodka and El Mayor Anejo Tequila, Saturday, 1-4 p.m., Jameson Irish Whiskey, Three Olives Chocolate and Root Beer Vodkas, Saturday, 4-7 p.m., and Gosling's Black Seal Rum and Gosling's Rum Swizzle, Sunday, 1-4 p.m.<br/><b>Fonte: </b> Alan J. Wax | NorthPort Patch Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0100http://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2061infovini@infovini.com (Notícia)NotíciasWines of Portugal are going to Germanyhttp://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2049ProWein will be held at Dusseldorf, Germany and it’s expected to receive about 180 Portuguese winemakers from Friday to next Tuesday. About 35,000 professional visitors and 3,000 exhibitors from around the world will attend the wine fair.<br />
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ProWein is exclusively for wine professionals and attracts one large number of winemakers, importers and other professionals on a worldwide scale.<br />
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Portuguese wine entities prepared several seminars at ProWein sponsored by ViniPortugal, Alentejo Wine Commission, Douro and Port Wine Institute and Lisbon Wine Commission.<br />
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Viniportugal also promotes the event “Chill in Pink”, that joins music and rose wine cocktails, starting at 5pm next Friday and Saturday. At Sommelier Party “Chillout Weissrot”, for guests only, will be held a Portuguese wine tasting. <br/><b>Fonte: </b> Wines of PortugalFri, 25 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000http://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2049infovini@infovini.com (Notícia)NotíciasWine Society crowned National Retailer of the Yearhttp://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2047The Stevenage-based retailer, which held its first Portuguese tasting in London in December, was singled out for having significantly increased its Portuguese range over the past year.<br />
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Corks of Cotham and The Bottle Apostle were the winner and runner up of the Independent Retailer of the Year award, and Eyre Bros (winners) and Ransome¡¯s Dock (runners up) were both recognised in the Restaurant of the Year category for their efforts towards promoting Portuguese wines over the last 12 months.<br />
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Julia Harding MW scooped the Journalist of the Year award, and has been tasked to find her 50 Great Portuguese Wines for the 2012 ceremony. <br />
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Hamish Anderson from the Tate was also recognised for his contribution to writing about Portuguese wines in the on-trade.<br />
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These awards are Portugal's Oscars, said Tania Oliveira, ViniPortugal's UK manager.<br />
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Being able to hold them in the glamorous setting of the Portuguese Ambassador's Residence made them even more special for us.<br />
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We congratulate all our winners on the fantastic support they've shown the wines of Portugal over the last year, and look forward to an exciting year for Portugal in 2011," Oliveira added.<br />
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ViniPortugal is the interprofessional body that promotes Portuguese wines throughout the world. It represents the growers of Portugal from all regions.<br/><b>Fonte: </b> Portugal GlobalTue, 22 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000http://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2047infovini@infovini.com (Notícia)NotíciasPortuguese wine exports to UK double in valuehttp://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2031The news comes ahead of the Portuguese annual tasting on March 2, with the official figures showing increases up to the end of November 2010 at 99.1% by value and 22.5% by volume.<br />
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Tania Oliveira, ViniPortugal's UK manager, said: "We have seen new retailers really embracing Portuguese wines this year. Companies such as Naked Wines have really adopted Portugal in the last 12 months, and have great plans for 2011. Laithwaites and The Wine Society, amongst others, are doing a tremendous job".<br />
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"You will see both Asda and Sainsburys increasing their offering of Portuguese wines over the next few months, and the independent sector is as loyal and enthusiastic as ever about the diversity and interest Portuguese wines have to offer their customers."<br /><br/><b>Fonte: </b> Portugal GlobalTue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000http://www.infovini.com/pagina.php?codPagina=22&codNoticia=2031infovini@infovini.com (Notícia)Notícias