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In the Wine Spectator Insider December 2009 issue, Kim Marcus Managing editor gave five 90+ scores to the Douro wines of Quinta do Vallado, with the top score being 96 points:

96 points – Quinta do Vallado Douro Reserva 2007

Located in the provinces of Monção and Melgaço, the Alvarinho grape stands out as one of the most sought after Vinho Verde varietal.

Grown in the northern region of the Vinho Verde, the Alvarinho grape is found in medium to full-bodied clusters, producing a wine with an 11 to 12 alcohol percentage, two to three percentage points higher than most other Vinho Verde sub-regions.

Its thick skin and low-yield has more body than most Vinho Verdes, producing an intense, fruity aroma, an “apply” taste, and little sparkle. A bottle of this wine can be expensive when considering the “rarity” and low production levels of the grape.

To taste the wine at its best, you will have to wait 18 months after the harvest. As one of the best of the “Green Wines,” the Alvarinho has spread in fame and should be considred a first choice among wines from the Vinho Verde region.

Check out Aveleda Alvarinho, which won 92 Points from Wine & Spirits.

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Harvest time in the farm of the Knights Templars (Quinta do Cavalinho) near Tomar.

The high quality grapes were picked by hand and carefully chosen and processed into the fermantation tanks.

Here is a small video that shows a bit of the harvest in the farm of the Knights Templars.

Global warming is a threat that must be dealt with. Beyond the countless impacts it has on human lives worldwide, global warming could also be a disaster in the making for wine production. It is not quite clear yet how higher temperatures will affect vineyards globally.

What can you do to help in this battle?

A web site that is getting people from all over the world to be part of the biggest “human clock” to protest the Global Warming is showing video clips, photos or text from people who care (each one a 1 second clip) to show the biggest online protest ever.

In 16 days and some hours the United Nations will meet in Copenhagen to decide on the replacement of the Kyoto protocol, a defining agreement that will determine the future of our planet in the face of the climate crisis.

The web site of the protest

We at Fast change did our ticks. Here is mine

and here is Fabio’s

Why don’t you add your “tck” too? or if you want you can donate for this good cause.

Out of the 5,726 wine entrants that competed at the 2009 Mundusvini International Wine competition, Vidigal Wines was one of the few to place for three of their entered wines.

The 2005 Vidigal Dão, the 2005 Brutalis, and the 2007 Vidigal Reserva each won a silver medal. All of Vidigal Wines’ 6 entries scored above an average of eighty out of one hundred, a great feat for the company. The categories each wine was meticulously judged in comprised of Aroma, Taste, and Overall Impression.

Announcing Ribatejo’s name change around the same time as the former Estremadura’s name change (see last blog entry!), Jaime Silva, the Minister for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, approved the name with the aim of improving wine sales in the region . José Gaspar Pinto, the president of CVRT (Regional Wine Commission of Tejo), stated that the region “has a lack of image and reputation abroad” and the name change would lead to recognition in consumers since Tejo refers to the well known river of the same name in the region . Other regions, Pinto says, like the Douro, Sado, Loire, and etc. seem to have names that refer to rivers which people will use to recognize the wines more easily.

The former Ribatejo, now the new Tejo region, is located in central Portugal and includes an area of around 19,989 ha. Of the 19,989 hectares, 11,993 ha. are used for white wines and 7,996 ha. are used for red wines. The Tejo River influences the weather and soil around the region, producing a mild, Mediterranean climate and a varying terrain depending where in the region you are in relation to the river . Some grapes grown in this region include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, among others . Among the six sub-regions in Tejo, Tomar is home to the winery Herdade dos Templários, whose 2006 DOC wine won the gold AWC Vienna award . Santarém, another sub-region in Tejo, houses Quinta da Ribeirinha.

If you visit the Tejo region, you won’t be disappointed by the beautiful climate, the history, and of course the amazing wines! Knowing me, I’ll be stopping by the stud farms in the region on my travels, saying hello to my old Lusitano buddies ! Life is good in the Tejo.

Ate breve (see you soon!)
Ze the Horse

Earlier this year, Portugal renamed the “Estremadura” wine region after its capital, officially naming it the Lisbon wine region, or the região de Lisboa.

The Lisbon region is home to our wineries Vidigal Wines and Caves Bonifácio

In April, the Ministry of Agriculture published a decree stating that wines from the former region of Estremadura will be given the Geographical Indication “Lisbon” . The Regional Wine Commission (CVR) proposed the name change in order to boost the region’s economy, hoping to increase foreign wine sales. The 30,000-hectare region produces an estimated 18 million bottles per year, of which about half are exported.

Not only do the CVR want to increase the ‘image and quality of the wines’, but they also want to increase the ‘percentage of certified wines’. Studies have concluded that changing the name to Lisbon would give the wines more notoriety and would give consumers a better reference as to where the wines are located. They also hoped that by renaming the region, there would be less confusion between the wine regions of Portugal’s Estremadura and Spain’s Extremadura .

The region has been making great strides towards world-class wine production and we are proud to say that many of our Lisbon wines, such as Vidigal Reserva and Senhor do Alto have garnered numerous international awards in recent years.

Olá amigos!

Coming straight from the horse’s mouth, Portugal has a lot to offer the world in its winemaking industry. For starters, Portugal is one of the top wine producing countries in the world – there are over one million acres of vines in over eight different wine regions that generate some of Portugal’s top wines, including the famous Port and Madeira wines.

Port is made in the Douro valley in northern Portugal, which is the third oldest defined and protected wine region in the world . Around 30,000 growers in the Douro are involved in the process of growing grapes to sell for the production of Port. What makes Port so special is the addition of Aguardente (a neutral grape spirit) which is used to take away the fermentation of the wine, but used to keep the grape’s natural sugars to increase the alcohol content.

Madeira, on the other hand, has a special aging process called estufagem that sets it aside from other wines. This process heats the wine up to around 120°F during maturation to age it, giving it a brown, caramel color and a mellower taste. The aging process can last from 3 months to 20 years, depending how you age the Madeira. Another interesting fact is that Madeira wine can last up to 150 years, making it one of the longest lasting wines if it is properly sealed.

If only horses had that kind of a lifespan…

Quinta da Aveleda Vinho Verde (only $8.99) continues to garner awards and recognition for its crisp, fresh taste and amazing quality. Watch the video and find out why!

As a top Vinho Verde, it goes perfectly with seafood or past and pairs particularly well with shellfish and oysters. It is a light and slightly effervescent wine that can be served with a light dinner just as well as with lunch. Serve chilled.

So you are looking at the front label of this Portuguese wine, and realize that you have no idea what most of it means…you are not the only one! Do not despair – let us help you decipher it!

Here are some common Portuguese terms you will find on Portuguese table wine labels, their definitions and pronunciations (the accent is in bold).

Contact us if the perplexing term on your label is not listed here, and we’ll gladly add it!

Colheita Seleccionada
Translation: Selected harvest.
Pronounciation: Col-ye-ta  Se-le-xio-na-da.
Definition: Means that the wine is certified as originating from one of Portugal’s controlled regions or appellations, and its alcohol content is at least 1 percent higher than the legal minimum required for wines from that region/appellation and year of harvest.

Escolha
Translation: Choice harvest.
Pronounciation: Esh-col-ya.
Definition: Means that the wine is certified as originating from one of Portugal’s controlled regions or appellations and is sold in a glass bottle. It also indicates the wine has some distinguishing characteristics of palate and aroma, but it is rather ambiguous when it comes to pinpointing . When the year of harvest is specified, the wine can be designated as Grande Escolha.

Garrafeira
Translation: Wine shop.
Pronounciation: Ga-ra-fey-ra.
Definition: A wine originating from one of Portugal’s controlled regions or appellations, that is aged a minimum amount of time. For red wines the  minimum ageing is 30 months, in which at least 12 months are in glass bottle, and, for white and rosé, with a minimum ageing of 12 months, in which at least 6 months are in glass bottle.

Reserva
Translation: Reserve wine.
Pronounciation: Ri-zer-va.
Definition: Means that the wine is certified as originating from one of Portugal’s controlled regions or appellations, and its alcohol content is at least 0.5 percent higher than the legal minimum required for wines from that region/appellation and year of harvest

Vinho Branco
Translation: White wine.
Pronounciation: Vin-yo  Bran-cu

Vinho da Mesa
Translation: Table wine.
Pronounciation: Vin-yo da Mey-sa

Vinho Tinto
Translation: Red wine.
Pronounciation: Vin-yo  Tin-to.