Jose Maria da Fonseca’s 2004 Domini and the Portuguese Black Sausage, Porco Preto

Last month, when my parents were in town visiting, I took them on one of my favorite local winery tours, the Manor House Museum Tour of José Maria da Fonseca. Easy to find on their website, this legendary Portuguese winery offers daily tours of the founder’s original estate and winery located in the town of […] Continue Reading →

2005 Quinta do Vale Meão – Douro, Portugal

Last night was one of the first evenings, in quite some time, that we took a big break away from drinking La Rioja wines. Sigh…it felt magical to take a massive step to the right and look adoringly at the bottle of 2005 Quinta do Vale Meão sitting regally alongside my red wine braised pork […] Continue Reading →

The Fantastic Five Port Varietals

I woke up this morning with a very odd thought clanking in my brain, “If the Fantastic Five port varietals are so famous, why don’t I have a clue as to how they each contribute to the pot?” I’ll readily admit that I rarely wake up…scratch that, I NEVER have woken up with a question […] Continue Reading →

Lancers and Mateus – Representing a Nation of Wine

Portugal equals Port wine, right?! This statement is dead on for so many of you, but this wasn’t the case if we go back a few generations. In the 1940s, there were two brands that epitomized Portuguese wine to the global market: Mateus and Lancers. Both wines were presented in uniquely shaped bottles that appeared […] Continue Reading →

Portugal’s Wine Demarcation

As a result of our recent trip to Portugal, we figured the best way to start off the month is by offering a basic road map to Portuguese wine. We have given you several articles in the past on the grape varietals, the Portuguese wine label and some specific wineries, but as a result of […] Continue Reading →

2003 Quinta do Carrasqueiro Douro

2003 Quinta do Carrasqueiro Douro – Portugal, Douro (9/26/2006)12.5% alcohol – Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta BarrocaDeep marroonish and very dark. On the nose wet slate, earth, leather, and white peppers, with black cherry and anise showing as it opens up. Strong acidity with medium weight tannins. The palate shows underripe raspberry flavors […] Continue Reading →

Interpreting the Portuguese Wine Label

The Windy Road of the Portuguese Wine Label If there was one wine style synonymous for Portugal, it would be Port. The sweet, creamy and fruit forward wine has been a personal favorite of mine since our first visit to Oporto not four years ago. Unable to escape the fame for their fortified wines, Portugal’s […] Continue Reading →