Quinta do Vallado Vinha da Coroa 2013 – The Unflashy Crown
Text Sarah Ahmed
Vallado means “big valley.” As anyone who has taken Quinta do Vallado vintage Land Rover white knuckle tour to the top of this Douro estate…
Sarah Ahmed
Wine Writer
Sarah Ahmed
Wine Writer
Sarah Ahmed is an independent, London-based wine writer, educator and judge with a particular interest in the wines of Portugal and Australia.
Sarah was awarded the Vintners Cup in 2003, the Portuguese Annual Wine Awards’ Wine Writer of the Year 2009 and was short-listed for the International Wine & Spirit Competition Communicator of the Year in 2009 and 2010.
In addition to publishing www.thewinedetective.co.uk she writes for several respected magazine titles including Decanter and The World of Fine Wine.
Since 2006, she has contributed on Portugal, Port and Madeira to Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book. Sarah consulted on Portugal and Australia for the seventh edition of The World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson MW and has contributed on Portugal for the upcoming 4th edition of Jancis Robinson MW’s The Oxford Companion to Wine. Counted among Decanter’s “experts par excellence,” she is Regional Chair for Portugal at Decanter World Wine Awards, the world’s largest and most prestigious wine competition. In 2013, she was admitted to the rank of Cavaleiro of the Confraria do Vinho do Porto for her commitment and contribution to Port wine.
All articles
Surf n Turf
Text Ilkka Sirén
It’s no secret that most Portuguese wine regions are still unknown for most people. They are even quite unknown for people working in the wine industry.
Pormenor: The Devil is in the Detail
Text Sarah Ahmed
“Pormenor” means “detail” in English. Evidently, Pedro Coelho has indeed paid attention to the detail and done his homework.
Ferreira 10-year-old White Port
Text Ilkka Sirén
I live in a city. I grew up in the countryside but couldn’t see myself living anywhere else than the concrete embrace of my city.
Precision Engineering: Monte da Ravasqueira Vinha Das Romãs
Text Sarah Ahmed
I was bowled over by Monte da Ravasqueira’s latest releases, especially Monte da Ravasqueira Premium White 2012, Premium Rosé 2013 and Vinha das Romãs 2012.
Chili con vino (Esporão)
Text Ilkka Sirén
“What do you eat in Finland?” That’s a question I hear a lot.
Foz Torto: In Search of Elegance
Text Sarah Ahmed
In 2000, Lisbon-based IT entrepreneur Abílio Tavares da Silva started looking for a vineyard. He was always dead set on the Douro. But he was fussy.
Azores Wines, Strange Encounters
Text Ilkka Sirén
I like to travel. Who doesn’t, right? But I don’t like flying and I think spending time at airports is inhuman. Yet it’s something we have to endure.
A Royal Flush From Vasques de Carvalho
Text Sarah Ahmed
Never before has poker shared a thought bubble with Port. Not in my head anyway.
Craving for Crayfish
Text Ilkka Sirén
Yes. It’s that time of the year again. Like every year on 21st of July at noon the crayfishing season starts. And like every year I’m both excited and just a tiny bit scared.
When Blend met Sip & Savour & Fire met Water
Text Sarah Ahmed
Blend is a brilliant name for a Portuguese wine magazine. Why? Because the Portuguese are the masters of blending – whether it’s different grape varieties or vintages.
When Blend met Sip & Savour & Fire met Water
Text Sarah Ahmed
Blend is a brilliant name for a Portuguese wine magazine. Why? Because the Portuguese are the masters of blending – whether it’s different grape varieties or vintages.