Text Ilkka Sirén

If there is one thing I know, one thing I’m absolutely certain of is that winter in Finland is inevitable. As a season it is not my favorite. But not because of the snow, that might sometimes be waist deep. It’s not even the cold which can reach -40°C in some parts of Finland. It is the darkness that really takes it out of me.

But autumn I like. In some way I even like it more than summer. The nature in Finland is beyond beautiful when the fall colors start to appear. There is something really magical in this season. Fresh sunny days, leaves on the ground, longs walks in the forests….aah, nice!

The crackling sounds of a wood-burning sauna just might be the most relaxing sounds on this planet and it is something I associate with the dark nights of autumn. There is also something about autumn that makes me unusually thirsty for good wine. Not that I need many reasons to drink wine but the cozy-fireplace-hey-let’s-snuggle atmosphere of autumn really makes one want to sip wine like there is no tomorrow.

A quick getaway to the countryside after an intensive work trip is just what the doctor ordered. I picked up a friend of mine from the Helsinki airport late one evening and as we were driving through this thick fog the bottle I had left on the car floor started to attract attention amongst the thirsty travelers. My friend reached for the bottle and it turned out to be a rosé sparkling wine from the region of Távora-Varosa. This peculiar mountainous wine region shares a border with Douro in the north and Dão in the south. It’s quite remote and most of the vines grow at 500 to 800 meters above sea level.

Anyways, this bottle that was on the car floor was half empty before we got to the cottage but when we did finally reach our destination and settled in, I had a chance to taste it before it vanished.

Terras do Demo Touriga Nacional Rosé Bruto 2012
Some rosé bubbles are quite delicate and fresh, some are a bit meaty with more flesh around the bones. This wine is right smack in the middle of those two styles. At first glance it got me thinking “it’s not exactly champagne now is it?”. Ignorant, I know, but to the point. After a while this turned out to be a very decent sparkling wine with some good bang for the buck. The bottle promises too much for sure. I mean it’s a very pretty bottle. The necklace is exuding prestige and so on, dress to impress. But the liquid inside is more down-to-earth. Nice creamy mouth feel with a tasty sour lingonberry finish. Sitting in the end of the pier, watching the sunset, this wine can offer a delicious and unexpected treat from this curious little DOC.

Contacts
Moimenta da Beira
Sernancelhe
Vila Nova de Paiva
Sátão
Site: www.terrasdodemo.pt