portuguese wines

Hi Ricardo

the concept of "beating" is a strange one in the wine world... but I understand what you mean. A recent trip to Aveiro (after a long absence from Portugal) revealed to me how much progress has been done.

Well, statistically the chances of Portuguese wines being mentioned on AFW are about the same as the world market share of Portugal, so don't take it as a snub, it's normal. If you read back a bit, there are many regular long threads on Porto and Madeira, and there has been some discussion of other wines.

Why don't you try to introduce us to the young generation of winemakers of your country? Are they holding to tradition or trying to make Parkerized wines, are they respecting their grapes or covering all that sun-drenched maturity with too much wood, like so many Spanish and italian wines these days?

Mike

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

Thanks for your comments Mike

Sorry about that. I didn't mean to be rude, nor to minimize the French wines. It was just a figure of speech to illustrate a feeling I usually have when tasting some foreign wines. I find myself thinking "Well, it's very good, but I also have some good as these back home and they're not even known"

Well, I may try...

I have been more a reader than a writer. The issue is that I feel I'm not a specialist to be writing about wines. And, though my english is quite reasonable, when it comes to ways to adjective and illustrate taste feelings I do feel a bit uncomfortable.

There is also a second issue.

I've always felt that Portuguese wines don't get the fame they deserve. Therefore I've opened a online shop on portuguese regional specialties (wines, pottery, olive oils, ..). It is in

Well, I may try to make some comments without publicity...

regards

ricardo

Well, very little of them are known, e.g. the world's best Pinot Noir not made from Pinot Noir: Dirk van der Niepoort's "Charme".

M.

A Pinot Noir not made from Pinot Noir eh? Does it get called a Noir de Neant? ;-))

Was ist das, Herr Pronay?

Mike

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

^^^^^^^^^^^ Michael?

I do call you Michele and not Signor' Tommasi – don't I?

Charme: It's a wine made in Burgundian traditions, but from Portuguese grapes. And it would be guessed as a copybook pinot noir in any blind tasting.

Jamie Goode's TN of the 2002:

Peter Moser's TN of the experimental 2000:

Another TN from cask of the 2002:

Jancis with a few words on the wine:

HTH,

M.

Yes Michael, forgot smilies, that's all...

Sound interesting. As I have several trips planned to Portugal this year, I will try to dig deper into this porto-meritage. ;-) So what are the grapes, baga must be part of it, waht are the others?

Mike

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

No, it's quite standard Douro: mainly tinta roriz, some touriga franca (formerly known as touriga francesa), but everything from

M.

Sounds worth investigating.

What about on the vinho verde front, any alvarinho worth seeking out, anything comparable to Terras Gauda or Pezas da Portela in Galicia?

Mike

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

I do not know either Terras Gauda or Pezas da Portela, however a good Alvarinho that worth looking for is Soalheiro (2003), from the producer António E. Ferreira. Quite fruity. I believe you'll enjoy it Mike.

Another verde that I usually much appreciate is "Solar das Bouças". It's not a Alvarinho, as you asked for, but a Loureiro. Very gentle. I like it!

have a good taste, ricardo snipped-for-privacy@portugalregional.pt

THanks for the suggestions. Noted.

Mike

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

It is definitely. I now got the press release on the 2000 vintage (in German), I'll mail it to you. In fact there are more grape varieties invovlved, it says "mainly roriz and franca".

M.

Ricardo Ferreira wrote: : Being Portuguese I may sound suspicious. But I believe Portugal has some of : the greatest wines worldwide. Many of them beat the most famous French : ones.

: My comment is, I frequently read this news, but don't ever find any comments : on Portuguese wines. Don't you guys know them?

Barraiga(sp?) 1999 within the last 2 years, both very good wines and unique in the world of wines. I wouldn't feel slighted about your wines, but the focus in this Olympic year 2004 is further east in Greece, where Greek wines have become the Mediterranean wine-du-jour. Bring the Olympics to Lisboa and Portugal will get their due.

: Compliments from sunny Portugal

Thanks for your comments,

I think you mean Luis Pato - Bairrada. It is portuguese. Bairrada is the region.

Well,... We've made the European Football (soccer) Cup, past June. That could count for something

If it makes you feel better, today we have a few clouds in the sky...

Ricardo snipped-for-privacy@portugalregional.pt

Wow! I met Luis Pato, completely by chance, two weeks ago at "A Barca" in Aveiro. I was sitting there eating with a colleague, and heard people talking about wine next to me. Have not tasted it yet, but sounds very interesting, he claims he works mostly with Baga. I promised I would go to visit him soon. His daughter instead vinifies wines separately from him, and seems more oriented towards things like syrah...

Mike

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link