THEME: Wines of Portugal
BRING: 1) TWITs should bring $20/pp cash (or Venmo, Paypal, etc) to cover the cost of the wine. AND 2) Each person attending should bring 1 wrapped gift under $15 for the Blanc Elephant Gift Exchange. The gift does not need to be wine related. We had some hilarious ones last year.
Portugal is a European country and part of the Iberian Peninsula. Portuguese wine is the result of traditions introduced to the region by ancient civilizations, such as the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, and mostly the Romans. Portugal started to export its wines to Rome during the Roman Empire. Modern exports developed with trade to England after the Methuen Treaty in 1703. From this commerce a wide variety of wines started to be grown in Portugal.
While there are 250 varietals in Portugal and many wine regions, we will focus on a sampling of these. Tonight we will taste wines from Vinho Verde, Alentejo, and Porto e Douro.
The appellation system of the Douro region was created nearly two hundred years before that of France, in order to protect its superior wines from inferior ones. The quality and great variety of wines in Portugal are due to noble castas, microclimates, soils and proper technology.
• QWPSR or VQPRD - Quality Wine Produced in a Specific Region (QWPSR) or VQPRD - Vinho de Qualidade Produzido em Região Demarcada
• These are the most protected wine and indicates a specific vineyard, such as Port Wine, Vinhos Verdes, and Alentejo Wines. These wines are labeled D.O.C. (Denominação de Origem Controlada) which secures a superior quality.
• IPR - Wines that have more regulations placed upon them but are not in a DOC region fall under the category of Indicação de Proveniência Regulamentada (IPR, Indication of Regulated Provenance)
• Regional Wine - Vinho Regional Carries with it a specific region within Portugal.
• Table Wines - Vinho de Mesa carries with it only the producer and the designation that it's from Portugal.
Tasting Notes
Welcome wine: NV Broadbent Vinho Verde $10.99 @ Brookhaven Wines
WINEMAKERS: Bartholomew Broadbent in collaboration with partners in Portugal. The way to make a proper Vinho Verde is to suppress the malolactic fermentation and inject carbon dioxide at bottling to give the wine its characteristic spritz. We use pneumatic presses for gentle pressing to extract the free run juice and fermentation is around 16°C, which gives a slow fermentation that protects the character of the Loureiro grape. We use a special yeast QA21 which was developed in our vineyards and is now used all over the world. It gives a special character to our wines, which are produced at Quinta de Azevedo. Bursting with tongue-tingling, spritzy, lemon zest & white peaches
GRAPES: 50% Loureiro, 40% Trajadura, & 10% Pedernã
ALCOHOL: 9%
REGION: Vinho Verde - This region is mainly in the Minho province and is in the extreme north-west of Portugal. Vinho Verde derived its name from the fact that the grapes used are 'green' meaning slightly under-ripe. Vinho Verde wines are now largely exported, and the most exported Portuguese wines after the Port Wine. The most popular variety in Portugal and abroad are the white wines, but there are also red and more rarely rosé wines.
PAIRINGS: Creamy rice with hunks of cod or monkfish, or shrimp. White Vinho Verde is high in acidity, which makes it ideal for pairing with all forms of seafood, particularly when complimented by a rich sauce or a coating of fried breadcrumbs; pork and potato dishes would also work, etc.
2) 2014 Terra d'Alter Alfrocheiro (Alentejano) $17.99 @ Brookhaven Wines
WINEMAKER: Peter Bright
GRAPES: Alfrocheiro is sometimes called the Pinot Noir of Portugal for its smooth, red cherry flavors and sometimes earthy character. Those attributes are found in this cherry-flavored wine with its bright acidity and fruitiness. The whole effect is spoiled by a green edge that shows tight tannins at the end.
ALCOHOL: 14%
REGION: Alentejo – This region’s wine is produced from grapes planted in vast vineyards extending over rolling plains under the sun which shines on the grapes and ripens them for the production. Some producers of this region still do wine in great potteries as in Roman times
PAIRINGS: accompanies red meats, roast beef and grilled meats
3) 2013 Terra d’Alter Reserva Tinto $21.99 @ Brookhaven Wines
WINEMAKER: Peter Bright
GRAPES: 30% Trincadeira, 30% Tinta Caiada, 20% Aragonez, 15% Alicante Bouschet and 5% Petit Verdot.
ALCOHOL: 15%
REGION: Produced from grapes from the highest region of Alto Alentejo
PAIRINGS: Beef, Venison, etc.
4) 2013 Quinta Das Carvalhas Douro Tinto $14.99 @ Total Wine
WINEMAKER: Real Companhia Velha (the oldest wine company of Portugal)
GRAPES: 60% Touriga Nacional, 20% Touriga Franca, 20% Tinta Roriz (Single Estate Varietals, vines are post-phylloxera and a century old). Decant before drinking
ALCOHOL: 14%
REGION: Douro (left bank of the Douro River, in Pinhao)
PAIRINGS: Cold cuts, cheeses
5) NV Porto Kopke Fine Tawny Port $19.99 @ Brookhaven Wines
WINEMAKER: Pedro Sa, Kopke existed even before there was a Demarcated Region of the Douro. Established in 1638, the oldest Port wine house built an impeccable reputation based on the highest quality. A leader in the production of Port Tawny Colheita wines, including white port, Kopke has a remarkable range of special category Ports, also producing excellent DOC Douro wines.
GRAPES: Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Tinto Cão, Touriga Franca
ALCOHOL: 19.5%
REGION: Douro. Port wine vines need to grow in schist rich soil and require a specific micro-climate. It is produced through a unique vinification method. The red varietals are the most common. The wine is produced in the beautiful landscape of the Douro Valley in Alto Douro region, a region that is classified as World Heritage by UNESCO. The wine is exported from the city of Porto, thus acquiring the name Porto (or "Port" in English-speaking countries). There are several varieties of Port wine: some of the most popular are the Tawny, White, Ruby, and Late Bottled Vintage (L.B.V.).
PAIRINGS: blue cheeses, desserts with caramel, coffee, apricots and dried fruits. caramelized nuts, tiramisu, hazelnut meringue pie and brie cheese.
To pair with the Port (dried fruits, buttermilk blue cheese)
