Blend All About Wine José Silva, autor em Blend All About Wine

Castas e Pratos restaurant

December 9, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by José Silva

Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

An already very acclaimed fine dining establishment that has constantly evolved, year after year, providing a very consistent, rigorous, and steady history, whether in culinary services or choices of food.

It started as a smart restoration of part of an old ralway warehouse in Régua, which was close to being demolished.

Besides the creation of a huge high-ceiling room and beautiful timberwork, a lot of glass was added to let the natural light in along with the view of the neighbouring Douro river. On the other side we see a stop for the restless trains.

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The Entrance in www.facebook.com/castasepratos

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Mezzanine in www.facebook.com/castasepratos

A mezzanine hosts the meal room, and in the lower floor, a long, broad room with a table that stretches out almost filling the room, and big majestic lights.

The walls are completely coated in cupboards holding the hundreds of references of wine brands, which compose one of the best wine lists in Douro.

They haldle their wine properly – with a lot of care. We can enjoy a glass of wine as we read a magazine or a paper, although we may go for a meal instead.

A meeting point, perhaps for a chat, and with wine for company.

Outside, an old transport carriage has been adapted and now makes a delightful terrace when the weather is good, bringing out the view of the train station.

Upstairs, the tables are always expertly laid, impeccable; the service is clearly above-average, availing of able and insightful professionals to guide us through a consistent and very well-interpreted cuisine.

Douro deserves such a restaurant. On our last visit, we had a peaceful, high-quality meal, accompanied of several wines served by the glass and chosen by the head waiter.

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Regional bread, olive oil and olive oil with balsamic vinegar were brought to the table.

We began with a Vértice White 2010, which had been decanted; excellent, evolved, very elegant, creamy – a great wine. The years it spent in the bottle have only done it good.

After that came a partridge and penny-bun stew: extremely creamy, well connected, the refined poultry meat bonded well with the intense and dry flavours of the penny-bun mushrooms – excelent. The wine matched it perfectly.

Then followed some codfish with almond crust and prawn brandade. Au point, the brandade; very well connected and providing the softness of the shrimp; the flaked codfish and the detail of the almond crust were very successful.

We drank the Muxagat Xistos Altos White 2012, which was very mineral, elegant, intense, dry, slightly evolved, with beautiful acidity. It really did very well.

In contrast, still with the cod, we tried a red Encosta do Bocho Reserva 2009, which was a lovely surprise. The nose was full of fruit and notes of vanilla, slightly floral, and very complex. Beautiful volume, full-bodied, excellent acidity contrasting with ripe tannins that were well matched with the wood. With intense dark fruit, this is a powerful yet balanced wine. The year 2009 still manages to surprise me.

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For dessert, we were given a volcano of pumpkin with queijo da serra ice cream (a cheese from Serra da Estrela mountain).

A true explosion of flavours, this reinterpretation of the sophisticated version of the classic connection of queijo da serra with pumpkin jam.

It was superbly accompanied by Casa de Santa Eufémia Reserva Branco Velho (white) Port, which is over 30 years old. A crystal-clear ambar, exuberant nose, intense nuts, elegance, tangerine peal, very refreshing. Beautiful volume, intense, vibrant acidity, dry, walnuts and hazelnuts, a lot of freshness, complexity, greedy; an excellent Port wine.

On our second glass, we toasted to this Castas e Pratos, to the wine, and to Douro…

Contacts
Castas & Pratos
Peso da Régua | Portugal
Tel: (+351) 254 323 290
E-mail: info@castasepratos.com
Webmail: www.castasepratos.com

Tasting Port wine in Vienna

December 1, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by José Silva

Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

A few years ago, I travelled up the Douro River on a bus and on a boat to visit a few estates and to taste lovely Port wines with a group of Austrians. Some of them were in a brotherhood. Given the general satisfaction and surrender to the beauty of Douro, there was immediate certainty that we would meet again. This time, I was invited by that brotherhood, St. Urbanus Weinritter Ordenskollegium, to visit Vienna in Austria and bring a number of different Port wines with me to present in a commented tasting during dinner as a celebration of the chapter meeting of the brotherhood. After we arranged a few details, I thought it would be interesting to provide a taste of every kind of Port wine so that I would not only be sending the message of quality of that unique kind of wine but I would also be transmitting how its many variations are filled with variety and versatility. Once everyone was in agreement and willing to taste a number of brands, producers were contacted and bottles were collected and dispatched to Austria in advance with instructions on how to properly store them. The Port wines travelling to the centre of Europe were the following:

– Pink Croft
– Dry White Rozès
– Quinta do Vallado 10-year-old Tawny
– Ramos Pinto Quinta do Bom Retiro 20-year-old Tawny
– Quinta da Devesa 30-year-old Tawny
– Vasques de Carvalho 40-year-old Tawny
– Niepoort Colheita 1999 Tawny
– Dalva 40-year-old Dry White
– Poças Special Reserve Ruby
– Quinta do Noval LBV Unfiltered 2009
– Graham’s Quinta dos Malvedos Vintage 2001
– Quinta da Casa Amarela Vintage 2011

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Vienna is a very beautiful city with monuments that bring you back to times of splendour, and where culture is all around, as the music of Wagner, Bethoven, Mahler, Mozart and many others fills the air.

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I also paid a visit to the Wachau region – still in harvest season at the time – to taste a few great white Austrian wines made from the Geunner-Weltliner and Rieseling grape varieties, and to compare them with the whites we have in Portugal.

On the day of the tasting, we visited the facilities, which had been managed by one of the finest restaurants in Vienna for a long time; it was eventually moved when they transferred the venue to a hotel management school.

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In the very comfortable and high quality facilities, the school’s chefs prepared the meal, and the students performed the service under the guidance of the dining room teacher.

In the meantime, the white and rosé wines were being chilled and the reds were stored in a room at a temperature cool enough for serving.

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My friend, Dr. Manuel Alexandre, a brother who has been based in Vienna for many long years, was a representative for ICEP (Institute for Portuguese External Commerce, now AICEP) for a long time. He brought along a beautiful old official decanter by IVDP (Port and Douro Wines Institute), that we used to decant the Graham’s Vintage 2001, which already revealed quite a bit of sediment.

The interns had been given simple instructions, enough for them to clearly understand what was intended, and the wines were appropriately served. I was very surprised, however, at the lack of Port wine glasses, which was understandable since these professionals were not accustomed to this type of wine.

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The last-minute solution was to use small champagne flutes, which provided a reasonable solution and did not affect the tasting.

The tasting began with the Dry White and the Rosé, side-by-side. The Rosé had a slice of lemon that really livened it up. The other Port were tasted during the meal, between courses and during an explanation of the wines’ characteristics, the importance of serving temperatures, and the many harmonisation possibilities for each style.

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Thus, the Tawnies, the Ruby, the LBV and the Vintage wines flowed around the tables. In this case, the comparison was made between a recent Vintage (2011) and a 14-year-old Vintage (2001) that made a very good connection with the several chocolate and red fruit desserts the brothers savoured.

Finally, to end the tasting, we tried two 40-year-old Ports (White and Tawny), which were used to toast to the brotherhood and to Port wine.

The other surprise of the night was that the one enthroned at the ceremony of the brotherhood … was myself!!

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Here is the story of our experience and also a suggestion to IVDP and to producers to organise a small event in Vienna, a country that is open to new things, that knows Portugal well, but where there is still a lot of work to do for Portuguese wine, especially Port wine.

Auf Wiedersehen!

Mr. Fernando Guedes’s Legado (Legacy)

November 25, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by José Silva

Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

Fernando Guedes started working at Sogrape, founded by his father, Fernando Vanzeller Guedes in 1952, and gradually climbed the hierarchy until, naturally, he took over the management, having hoisted Sogrape to the top wine-producing companies in Portugal. His three sons, Salvador, Manuel, and Fernando, each joined the company in their own times and gradually inherited their father’s responsibilities. Then, fifteen years ago, at the age of 70, Fernando Guedes, a Nationally-renowned figure, decided to retire and pass the company management down to his sons, because as he put it, “…it would be in good hands, perhaps in the best hands!” And since the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Sogrape has never stopped growing.

But Fernando Guedes did not abandon the company; much on the contrary. He stayed active, paying daily visits to the company, and he still visits the many Sogrape vineyards, especially in Douro, one of his great passions. In one of those Douro vineyards, it occurred to him to make a unique, different wine that would set a stand. With a glance at the Sogrape portfolio, this presents a very difficult task. Fernando Guedes, an attentive, astute, keen and very sensitive man, kept insisting with Luís Sottomayor, the Director for Oenology, to make a wine from a centenary vineyard that grows on even older plateaus, whose twisted vines are almost invisible against the rough schist in Quinta do Caêdo, over in Ervedosa do Douro. Being truly passionate about this vineyard, Fernando Guedes used his sharp humour and positive attitude to press Luís Sottomayor until, finaly, in 2007, he defeated the oenologist’s resistance. The latter created a wine from the (few) grapes in that centenary vineyard. The result was surprising and rewarded Fernando Guedes’s stubornness. He proposed to the family to make an exceptional wine, which was to become his legacy for the new generations. This would act as a message, a piece of advice, a pointer in the right direction: to always search for excellence. What better name for this wine than simply… Legado (Legacy)?! Hence, in 2008, the first edition of this superb nectar was produced. It is now time to present the latest Legado, of the 2011 harvest. Carrying a great symbolic message, the presentation took place in the facilities of the old Convento de Monchique, which were the first Sogrape headquarters in Oporto.

Our transportation to this venue was… an old Oporto tram, a delightful and disconcerting idea.

The old facilities of Calçada de Monchique now host an art gallery, the chosen venue for the presentation of this new wine, where chef Pedro Lemos prepared an amazing meal. However, before that, we did a vertical tasting of the three previously released Legado – 2008, 2009 and 2010 – and the 2011 neophyte with the image of Fernando Van Zeller Guedes hovering round the room.

This allowed us to verify how this amazing wine has evolved throughout these four harvests in which the biggest difference is the year of the harvest.

At the tasting table, side by side, grandfather and granddaughter exchanged their love with tender looks, revealing how close they are. The tasting began with the 2008 Legado. Intense yet elegant, with refreshing notes of some minerality, wild plants, smoke, slightly balsamic, with an immense delicious finish… Legado 2009 is a different wine; intense, slightly floral, with balsamic notes, some freshness and delicious acidity, very ripe and integrated tannins, and a long and big finish. On the nose, the 2010 Legado is very elegant, mineral, full of freshness, notes of rock-rose and rosemary, young and restless, excellent acidity, ripe and very elegant tannins, still evolving in the bottle, but already very drinkable.

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Finaly, the Legado 2011, the big news; from an exceptional year, and according to oenologist Luís Sottomayor, the best ever. Slightly vegetal, exotic, involving, notes of smoke, humus, spices. On the mouth, it has incredible freshness and acidity; intense, ripe red fruits, complex but full of finesse, a great wine that will create a lot of buzz.

While enjoying a chilled Mateus Rosé as per company tradition, we were served fried seafood rice with shrimp, wild potatoes, crab with guacamole and alheira croquettes round the room.

At the table, along with the new purchase made in Spain, the white Santiago Ruiz Rías Bajas Branco 2014, we tasted and approved a delicious red mullet, cuttlefish and roast sauce.

The star of the evening, Legado 2011, accompanied the pigeon, topinambur and wild mushrooms with disctinction. Simple, elegant, refined.

In the end, the dessert consisted of spice bread, apples and caramel; it harmonised with the Sandeman Vintage 1968 Port.

That was the year when Sogrape left the Monchique facilities, where it could no longer fit… Another symbolic choice.

Chef Pedro Lemos came to the room to further explain the excellent harmonisations he chose, and glasses were raised several times in honour of the house, the family and the excellence of the wines.

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The children have thus been entrusted with the legacy…

Contacts
Sogrape Vinhos, S.A.
Rua 5 de Outubro, 4527
4430-852 Avintes
Portugal
Tel: +351 227-838 104
Fax: +351 227-835 769
E-Mail: info@sograpevinhos.com
Website: sograpevinhos.com

Adega Matos, An Old-Fashioned Wine Cellar

November 17, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by José Silva

Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

Lamego is a very old city. It’s full of history, and gastronomy is very important. Smoked sausages range from salpicão [thick pork sausage], chouriço and alheira [bread, garlic and mixed-meat sausage]; the excellent presunto [prosciutto], the typical bolas [meat cakes] made with thin-crust dough; be it sardines, codfish, presunto or the most popular: mixed meats. These products are still processed in the same way today, which is a big tradition in the city of Lamego and the surrounding region. Some proper eateries, however, have maintained their excellent food based on the regional recipe book and use many of the products above.

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Behind the Sé de Lamego [cathedral], in a narrow granite-stone street, we can easily find one of those establishments, Adega Matos. It’s a very simple venue with a small window and a long counter at the entrance.

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The room in the ground floor is small yet cosy and welcoming; the walls display a few panels of tiles and in the back we find the very organised and tiny kitchen where the owner bosses pots and pans round. She uses the oven a lot, which is traditional in the North. Up in the first floor, a bigger room hosts a higher number of customers. Tables are laid simply and the service is quite personalised, under the [other] owner’s guidance, as he leads us through the house’s different specialties.

This couple has been managing this kitchen for over 35 years, although it existed for longer and is one of the oldest in the city. The aroma floating around the room with the tables sets us up for the good stuff, which will eventually come to our table.

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The bread and broa [corn bread] arrived straight away along with a few delicious appetisers: codfish buns, well-sliced ham, a delicious and crunchy meat bola, gizzards, eels, fried small river fish and sardines in pickling brine.

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The vegetable soup of the day was, of course, a part of this meal.

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Then we had the choice of a damp and tasty Bacalhau à Brás [pulled cod fried with toothpick chips], a decent piece of cod roasted in the oven or an excellent Polvo à Lagareiro [roast octopus with potatoes].

In the meat section, there was more to choose from: charcoal-roasted alheira, thin pork steak or veal steak also grilled over charcoal.

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For more substantial courses, we can choose from oven-roast lamb or veal, which come with marvellous also roast potatoes and a delicious oven-rice, which is served in an iron pot; irresistible.

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Just as irresistible was the “lazy rice” [watery] with salpicão, a very typical dish in this region, which is prepared with precision in Adega Matos; generous round slices of delicious salpicão, the rice was indeed “lazy” yet gummy, and red beans; wonderful. They have wine from private producers and some wines in the region accompany this type of food very well.

The same happened with the Três Raposas Colheita 2010 Tinto: it was structured, had volume on the mouth, and felt strong; really good.

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As for dessert, we tasted a few sweets such as custard – either with cinnamon or with a broiled top – a very well prepared chocolate mousse and delightful fritters, which were crunchy and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. A quick chat with the owners transported us to times gone by, back to the story of the house, to the traditions behind the cuisine they practice, the quality of the products they use and the paramount need to preserve this immense heritage that is a part of Portuguese popular culture. A walk in the city’s fresh air is compulsory…

Contacts
Rua Trás da Sé, 52
5100 Lamego
Tel: (+351) 254 612 967
Mobile: (+351) 968 894 170
E-mail: restaurante_lamego1@sapo.pt
Website: adegamatos.no.sapo.pt

Quinta da Alameda, an Old Vineyard in Santar

November 13, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by José Silva

Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

Carlos Lucas and Luís Abrantes chose “Antiqvvm”, a restaurant in Porto, to present the first Quinta da Alameda wine, made on their property in Santar. These two entrepreneurs are old friends and, although they have ventures in different industries, they decided some time ago to buy Quinta da Alameda together, a well-known property in Santar, which is in the heart of Dão, with great tradition and a few very old vines. Alongside planting new vines, these old vines were cherished and worked on so that they would produce very good grapes, which in turn would make high-end wines. It seems as though this final goal was achieved on their first year, although in a very small amount, given the age of the vines. Later on, the entrepreneurs will recover some of the architectural heritage in the farm and build a cellar where grapes will be processed and turned into wine and where the wines will be stored for ageing and bottling. One of their goals is to evolve into organic production while also protecting the environment.

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In this presentation, oenologist Carlos Lucas joined the restaurant’s chefs, Vítor Matos and Ricardo Cardoso, and together they engineered the harmonisations they felt were the most appropriate, always including an element of surprise, as we always have received from Vítor Matos’s teams.

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In a beautiful, elegant, refined venue, where Rosa Teixeira ensured everything was perfect; we were welcomed with the Ribeiro Santo Blanc de Noir sparkling wine, which had already been tasted. It was yellow, with some evolution, very elegant, with very fine bubbles and a soft bead. Dry, with aromas of straw, toast, and some nuts, it has volume on the mouth, very balanced acidity, it’s very engaging, and it paid the Antiqvvm snacks excellent company.

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At the table, we moved on to white wine, Ribeiro Santo Encruzado 2014, an amazing grape variety, a citrus-colour wine, crystal-clear. Very elegant and silky, some intense white fruits, slightly dry, refreshing. Complex, intense, but velvety, balanced freshness and acidity, some white-fruit pulp with a silky lasting finish.

It went down with some a marinated salmon, coconut, strawberries, avocado pear, coriander, nasturtium and trout roe; on the side, a surprising scallop tartar with chilli pepper and citrus fruits, a pearl of the Encruzado and glasswort.

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A lot of freshness, intense yet balanced flavours, Vítor Matos’s expertise on our table. Yet, before the star of the evening came out, there was time for a surprise: a wine that was still in the cask, presented in a bottle with a temporary lable, Jaen 2013. Made from a difficult year, it is already a very interesting wine that surprised even its author – something Carlos Lucas made a point of expressing. A soft garnet, very clean, beautiful red-fruit aromas, notes of smoke, silky. Good volume on the mouth, very, but really very elegant, velvety, notes of dark chocolate, excellent acidity, a lasting finish, a great Jaen.

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To keep the grouper with ox tail and Tuscan truffle sauce company, a cuttlefish-ink and giant prawn ravioli, morel [mushroom] emulsion, and squid and fennel tagliatelle.

And now, the star of the evening, Quinta da Alameda Reserva Especial Red 2012. In a very well-designed bottle, a sober and elegant label, it has an intense shade of ruby, very clean. Floral, with notes of red fruits, rockrose, pine tree. Great acidity, refreshing, intense, a lot of fruit, balsamic notes, eucalyptus, silky, very ripe and bold tannins, a very long finish; an extraordinary wine to drink right away or to store for many years. That was, after all, the second surprise of the evening!!

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It did a great job when accompanying the veal loin, which was slightly smoked with trumpets of death [mushrooms] and boletus-mushroom vinegar, old balsamic, a parsnip and spinach cream, pistachio bread and spice sauce.

This very complex dish made a good match for such a fantastic wine.

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We ended the evening with a reserve Tawny Port by Quinta das Tecedeiras, which accompanied a disconcerting dessert: pumpkin with cottage cheese and pudding served in a pot, which Vítor Matos later watered; on the plate, a black carrot tart, toasted almonds, tangerine sorbet, beetroot cream and foam, vegetables with elder syrup. Speechless…

Dão is still a buzzword!

Autumn has arrived at Quinta da Casa Amarela…

November 10, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by José Silva

Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

Gil, the father, Laura, the mother, and Gil, the son – they are Casa Amarela and Casa Amarela is them!

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They have been building on this project, a life devoted to the Douro, to Quinta da Casa Amarela [estate] and to their wines. Wines made with passion, great passion, which they share with clients and friends, with simplicity and without formalities, while maintaining a level of quality that they never give up.

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And rigth they are! They take their wines all around the country as well as to other countries. This work consists of persistence: a lot of hours at the wheel or inside aeroplanes, a lot of commented tastings, but also a lot of satisfied customers. In addition, they have partnerships with colleagues who also produce wines from other regions: the first partnership was made with Paulo Laureano and his Alentejo nectars; then with Paulo rodrigues from Quinta do Regueiro and Alvarinho, from Melgaço; finally, with Sir Cliff Richard and his Algarvian wines. They did all this thanks to the help of oenologist Jean-Hughes Gros, a Frenchman who also fell in love with Douro and decided to stick around and make very good wines. Visiting this farm is always a pleasure; for years we have been treated as family.

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The beautiful house is covered in virgin vines, which are now slowly shifting into Autumn hues, in the new cask room, wood and stone make a perfect match, and in the old vat room, the classical music in the background conveys a touch of magic and intimacy.

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The wines are certainly grateful.

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Outside, the huge tree is already blending with the walls of the monumental and authoritarian-looking house.

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Further up the hill, the vines rest as they await a well-earned winter break. But we were there to taste the wines, knowing that Laura Regueiro would not let us go without a homemade meal like only she can prepare.

Once in the comfort of the living room, we began with the white Casa Amarela Reserva 2014, full of very balanced freshness and acidity, notes of very elegant white-pulp fruits, persistent and connecting very well with cheese gratin on toast and a delicious pepper jam.

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Then, Norte Sul 2013, also with freshness, exotic, youthful, very pleasant, simple yet structured; a pleasant surprise. Then, were enjoyed a few slices of bola de carne [meat cake], very typical of the region; soft and delicious.

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We finished the appetisers with another partnership white, the II Terroir XIV, in which the minerality of the Alvarinho matches the elegance and freshness of the Douro white very well. Intense, very elegant, with excellent volume on the mouth; a gastronomic wine.

Already at the table, we were delighted with a Swiss chard soup with onion crunch, very flavourful and served quite hot.

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In the meantime, the Casa Amarela Reserva Tinto 2013 was opened. It was full of floral aromas, red fruits, intense but very elegant, with notes of smoke, very refreshing, silky, with its tannins already well-matched, and a delicious finish.

Then, a superb oven-roast pork knee; very well seasoned, melting in our mouths, with “punched” potatoes [literally punched roast potatoes] and sautéed cabbage, a few slices of very ripe tomato and plump onion, well seasoned. Delicious!

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For our glasses, the red PL-LR IX; an excellent connection made with reds of two regions that are so far apart and yet so close. Complex aromas, silky, light notes of smoke and some ripe dark fruit. On the mouth, it has excellent volume, it’s meaty, intense, powerful, with very balanced acidity and a lasting finish.

While still savouring the meat course, we enjoyed the Casa Amarela Grande Reserva red 2011, a beautiful tribute to grandpa Elísio. Of an incredible year, this is a distinct wine; very elegant, quaint, full of aromatic complexity, with very good acidity and a full mouth with a long finish. It will still last many years in the bottle… if it makes it!

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Finally, dessert: first, the apple crumble, which is compulsory in this house; then, a slice of medium matured cheese accompanied by white grapes and little toasts.

Firstly, we opened the Porto Tawny 10 Anos, with intense aromas of nuts, notes of honey, quince, excellent acidity, and a lot of freshness.

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To go with the cheese, we had the first Vintage sold by this house, and precisely the 2011! With very ripe dark fruit, notes of chocolate, slightly balsamic, fat, full, powerful, but elegant at the same time; a beautiful representation of the current best modern Ports being produced. A beautiful meal, as always, among good people, and in the company of characterful wines.

The Douro is grateful…

Contacts
Quinta da Casa Amarela
Riobom
5100-421 Lamego
Tel: (+351) 254 666 200
Fax: (+351) 254 665 209
Mobile: (+351) 962 621 661
E-mail: quinta@quinta-casa-amarela.com
Website: www.quinta-casa-amarela.com

Duas Quintas 25th Anniversary

November 3, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by José Silva

Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

A two-day celebration of a very important date for Douro and for Ramos Pinto: 25 years of Duas Quintas wines. (João Pedro de Carvalho also wrote a piece on this subject, you can read it here)

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The occasion included the celebration of another two deserving dates: the end of the harvests at Ramos Pinto and João Nicolau de Almeida receiving the emeritus status as both the director of oenology and the chief executive officer of the company after 40 years of intense and dedicated labour.

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After national and international guests arrived at the Ramos Pinto facilities in [Vila Nova de] Gaia, a very well-organised tasting took place; 23 whites by Duas Quintas were presented, among them classics and reserves. The wines were in great shape, revealing extraordinary evolution in the bottle. The oldest, a 1994, showed an intense, very clear yellow with a soft and velvety nose and delicious notes of evolution. Great complexity, good structure, incredible acidity, refined and very elegant – a beautiful wine. The most recent, a 2014, presented a very light citrus hue, and is an explosion of aromas of fruit on the nose as well as slightly floral and very young. Refreshing, of intense acidity, full of ripe fruit, dry, exotic and food friendly. The 2014 Reserva was also of a citrus-yellow – very elegant. Intense aromas of ripe fruit, light vegetal notes with delicious complexity. Intense, great balance between the fruit and the vegetal notes, exotic, dry and with great acidity, promising great evolution. A modern Reserva.

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Then, we went on an amusing tour round the Ramos Pinto museum, which helped us understand the founder’s philosophy, whose character is still present all about the company. Afterwards, we had an excellent lunch in the company of a few of the wines we had tasted and then we headed towards Douro river for a relaxing walk.

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Once we got to the Bom Retiro estate, we were surprised by the celebration of the harvest, which included some nibbles, wine flowing into glasses, and even a musical group that came up to play on a well set-up stage. The night was looking good! Next, we witnessed another surprise. This time, it was for João Nicolau de Almeida: a platform supported a replica of a bottle of Duas Quintas themed after the 25^th anniversary celebration and the band played popular songs whose verses made tribute to this man, this coworker, comrade and friend who is now retiring. João couldn’t be thankful enough, he was very moved. Every single one of his children and grand-children were there.

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While the party continued outside, we enjoyed a beautiful dinner and then watched the last lagarada as the wine treaders worked on the musts inside two Port wine granit presses.

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On the next day, a light shower came out to meet us; it didn’t discourage anybody from an epic tasting of 23 reds, among them classics and reserves. The wines were sitting there already decanted and we were allowed to freely pour them out, creating our own tasting order and spending as much time as we needed to enjoy them.

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The oldest, a light ruby 1990, will not evolve any further, but it still revealed an amazing, elegant, silky and perfumed nose. On the mouth, it was very balanced, soft, with very ripe tannins – a very classy seniour. The most recent, a 2013, is garnet and very dark and heavy. Floral aromas, violets, heather and notes of raspberry. On the mouth, it’s intense, still austere, with floral notes, powerful tannins and excellent acidity. Furthermore, it already announces the emblematic elegant profile. The oldest of the reserves, a 1992, is an extraordinary wine of an intense hue of ruby – very clean. The nose is full of souplesse and elegance with soft notes of wood and smoke. On the mouth, it’s very refined, with very ripe tannins, notes of tobacco, a silky and very long finish. A great wine!

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Lastly, a moving lunch was served on the porch of the house, where we were accompanied by the many vineyards in the background and the morphology of the Douro.

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If anyone wished to, they could return to the whites; in the end, we had a Port and sung Happy Birthday. A page of the long history of Douro wines has just been turned.

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Once back home, I recollected a few fun episodes with João Nicolau de Almeida and his frank and contagious smile.

That is also how I fell asleep on the bus home…

Contacts
Av. Ramos Pinto, 380
4400-266 Vila Nova de Gaia
Portugal
Tel: (+351) 223 707 000
Fax: (+351) 223 775 099
E-mail: ramospinto@ramospinto.pt
Site: www.ramospinto.pt

Toca da Raposa, a place to hide in Douro…

October 27, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by José Silva

Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

Throughout the last few years, a number of places in Douro have emerged that specialise on serving good food, with quality, and using genuine products that have earned a safe spot on the market and are now sought after by both Portuguese people and foreigners. This is also thanks to the word spreading on social media, which is nowadays an ever more valuable and easily accessible tool.

In Ervedosa do Douro, a small village on the side of the road that climbs from the river bed up to S. João da Pesqueira, one of those places opened a few years ago, called Toca da Raposa [“The Fox’s Den”]. Right on the side of the road, but with plenty of parking space in front, we are welcomed into a very cosy and welcoming place. It’s well decorated, sober, and with very good taste.

A few tables stand at the entrance; then, you see a broad counter and a few more tables, a wooden floor, some wooden walls and others in schist, many shelves filled with bottles of wine, which they also work very well with here.

The mother directs the kitchen like a pro, her hands making pure magic at times; the daughter runs the room with knowledge and good taste, presenting the dishes and proposing high-quality wines to go with the meal. Douro wines naturally cover most of the menu. The result is always magnificent, offering visitors well-presented intense meals with plenty of variety, from appetisers to more elaborate main courses, with balanced seasoning on perfectly-cooked food that always enhances the quality of the products used. After selecting the food, when we shift to the choice or choices of wine, we can always count on the daughter to show us the wines on the shelves and in the long list; they are not there just by any chance. You can tell she is a knowledgeable, enlightened person who knows the wines, where they come from, their characteristics, and the many harmonisations that come through with the different dishes on the menu. This is not unrelated to the fact that many producers of the Douro region – and that area especially – come by to eat. S. João da Pesqueira is the municipality of this region with the highest amount of Douro wine producers. On our last visit, after we were comfortably sat at our table, we nibbled on a few toasted almonds that came with a 10 Year Old White Port by Andresen, served at the right temperature. Very good.

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Immediately afterwards, a delicious regional bread was served with very well-prepared appetisers: very tasty míscaros mushrooms (man on horseback/yellow knight) grilled with olive oil, and fried octopus filets with soft batter.

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Then, delicious small river fish fried in pickling brine, a delicious toasted alheira with a slightly sharp taste and a crunchy skin, served with sautéed plump greens.

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To close the session of appetisers and “watermill flavours”, we had toasted regional bread with olive oil, presunto, and cheese in olive oil. Excellent! So far, we had drunk the white Gambozinos Reserva 2013, that was always level with the food; we moved on to a red, Beira Douro Colheita 2012, both charged by the glass.

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The red made a good accompaniment for the míscaros rice – prepared to perfection, creamy and tasty, with grilled, thin Bízaro-pig steaks from the neck.

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And we still had grilled kid with stewed potatoes and sautéed cabbage – very well cooked countryside food.

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Already pushing it, but with a 2008 LBV Port by Noval in our hands, we started on the almond pie, egg pudding, a mountain cheese with quince jam, and nuts, which left us exhausted… but delighted.

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Then we moved down to Pinhão, to see the Douro, always his old self…

Portuguese wines support a social do in Brazil

October 20, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by José Silva

Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

Portuguese wines have been growing strong in the Brazilian market, not only because of the excellent work that many producers of various dimensions have carried out – thanks to the precious support of Viniportugal – but also thanks to the often passionate work of many Brazilian professionals, especially the wine waiters.

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Adriane Wiest is one of those professionals; she dedicates her time to working with wines, whether as a wine waitress in restaurants, by organising wine-related events, or by training people. She fell in love with Portuguese wines a long time ago, and is very knowledgeable about them. She travels to Portugal every time she gets a chance, contacting producers and participating in festivals and contests, often as a jury. Adri was trained as a chef de cuisine and sommelier in the Europe Study Centre and created her own company, Adri Wiest Wine Education Consulting. She lives in Joinville, the biggest city in the state of Santa Catarina, in the south of Brazil.

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She recently organised a charity event she called “Solidary Wine – Portuguese Wine Tasting”, in favour of people who suffer from kidney disease and are treated at Pró-Rim association.

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In a room with excellent conditions and all the necessary instruments, Adri led about 80 people through the aromas and flavours of Portuguese wines in a very pleasant meal filled with typical Santa Catarina cuisine and with very good harmonization.

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The Portuguese wines were offered by the respective producers and their Brazilian importers, supported by Viniportugal, and led by Sónia Vieira and Nuno Vale. Adri invited her friend Eduardo Silva to help out during the event; he works at Ostradamus restaurant in Florianópolis, and also knows our wines well. The profit from the tickets was entirely used for Pró-Rim to purchase baskets of basic goods for people with kidney diseases who don’t have the means to pay for treatment.

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About 70 people were in this situation. In order for people taking part in the event to buy the wines being tasted, the best wine cellar in Joinville town, Rubicon Wine & Emporium, offered their support as they bought the wines to be sold at the venue and at the wine cellar, as well as offering the profit of every two bottles that were sold to purchase the baskets for the kidney-disease sufferers. Even for these charity events, Adri prioritises Portuguese wines, which she knows so well.

The wines presented at the event were:

-Covela Avesso Edição Nacional; Casa de Mouraz Dão white; Quinta Nova Pomares Douro white; Ilógico, by António Saramago; Rosé, Vidigal Wines; Porta 6, Vidigal Wines; Quinta do Convento Syrah, Vidigal Wines; Moscatel Roxo de Setúbal, by José Maria da Fonseca;

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Adri and her colleague Eduardo led the tasting of the eight wines, explaining their origins, who produces them, their features, how they should be enjoyed and at what temperatures. The wines made such good matches for the Santa Catarina food.

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The event was hugely successful; participants toasted fervently and also bought wines in a charitable spirit. Furthermore, they asked Adri to throw a repeat.

My congratulations to Adri Wiest. I wish that her high-quality rigorous work continues to prove successful.

Portuguese wines are thankful and will always continue to be solidary…

Gaveto restaurant, a reference in seafood restaurants

October 13, 2015 no comments in Uncategorized by José Silva

Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

Gaveto restaurant started off as a seafood eatery in Matosinhos – yet another one. It was bought by Manuel Pinheiro in 1984.

From then onwards, they carried on serving seafood, but the place was turned into a more comfortable restaurant with good traditional Portuguese food. The list of clients gradually grew, and the restaurant was always very busy, which was the result of not only the friendliness and professionalism that the owner always demanded of his staff, but also thanks to the extremely high-quality products used in the many dishes they offer. Those values were passed onto Mr. Pinheiro’s children, who despite having studied unrelated subjects, made an early start at helping their father in the restaurant and in the guesthouse in Porto. The guesthouse has been transformed into a high-quality boutique hotel now managed by the daughter, Cristina. The eldest son, José Manuel, started working with his father in Gaveto (Matosinhos) almost from the start. Later, in 1995, they were joined by João Carlos, the other son.

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They put in a lot of work, dedication, simplicity, and a good relationship with both staff and customers, which grew constantly. Today, a huge amount of clients is composed of the two brothers’ friends and of regulars. The dad, Manuel, now retired, continues to pop in daily to offer one or two pieces of advice, but especially because he enjoys watching the success of his long-term project in the competent hands of his sons.

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The seafood and fresh fish of the day are always available on demand, with extremely simple recipe books that allow the quality of the products to glow.

Two huge beds of live seafood at the entrance are guarantees of ocean freshness.

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In addition, a huge glass cupboard displays some ready-boiled seafood and the many types of fresh fish, in plain sight. The giant tank, usually housing lobsters, will be hosting a lot of lamprey from January, the stars of the restaurant, which will also be alive. Cooked à bordalesa [Sliced, marinated in white wine and boiled in its own blood and vinegar, served with rice or toast] or in lamprey rice, they attract crowds of fans, who will not feel disappointed through to April. Also glowing in that season will be the shad – always cooked to perfection. The snack-bar service is successful too; be it small appetisers, the delicious seafood soup, barbequed food on the bread and, of course, the traditional Francesinha (a Portuguese twist on the French croque-monsieur). To be enjoyed with an ice-cold, very well-pressed beer.

However, in the last few years, the wine service and supply has been building up a real passion to the point where the current wine list includes the biggest names in the country, and even a few very good foreign wines. Many well-known national producers have become regulars; some are even friends with the two brothers and organise many tastings and presentations of their new releases and rarities. The latter make perfect matches with many of the dishes that have become compulsory choices for many of those very clients.

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Besides the seafood dishes that combine well with sparkling wines and refreshing full-bodied whites, the choice becomes refined, with the monkfish rice or the superb lobster rice, one of the best dishes I know. Or even a special white to side with a sole or a piece of grouper grilled on charcoal.

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The seafood rice is very traditional of this place, and so are the tasty and plump Bulhão Pato clams [Clams are cooked in white wine and olive oil].

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Also on the menu are the codfish meals, especially the Narcisa-style codfish: tall chunks of cod fried to perfection with a lot of fried onion and potato rounds.

Or even a traditional carne de porco à alentejana [Fried pork cubes and clams with potato cubes]. On Saturdays, the tripas à moda do Porto [Boiled tripes with fresh and smoked meats and vegetables.] dish brings in many loyal customers.

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On our last visit, we began with the delicious seafood soup, which had a delicate touch of spices.

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Afterwards, we had a plain fillet of fresh hake with a gorgeous Russian salad (cold salad of boiled vegetables with boiled egg and mayo); then, we ended the meal with john dory in very well-fried thin pieces, accompanied with a gorgeous seafood panada of the fish roe!

The Redoma White 2013 behaved beautifully…

Contacts
Restaurante O Gaveto
Rua Roberto Ivens, 826
4450-249 Matosinhos – Portugal
Tel: (+351) 229 378 796
Fax: (+351) 229 383 812
E-mail:geral@ogaveto.com
Website: www.ogaveto.com

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Duas Quintas 25th Anniversary

Toca da Raposa, a place to hide in Douro…

Portuguese wines support a social do in Brazil

Gaveto restaurant, a reference in seafood restaurants