Adrian Murcia Blame it on RiojaWhen I’m not busy envying them their chosen career paths, I’m invariably and almost daily drawn to their wine blog/web compendium of all things Iberian and vinous,
Last week, we sent out an email to both Portuguese and Spanish wineries asking for a brief quote in English about their region. Interestingly, we’ve received several quotes from Quintas around Portugal, but very few from Bodegas in Spain. However, considering the harvest has commenced as early as August in some regions, and as late […] Continue Reading →
Jancis Robinson recently posted a report on how the 2007 Portuguese Harvest is shaping up. Her overall impression was that the unusually cool and rainy temperatures have, fortunately, affected the quantity of the yield more than the quality of the wine. She then followed up her report with direct quotes from the winemakers. Considering our […] Continue Reading →
The time has finally come to say “adeiu” to August, to long bright summer days, and to our month long dedication to Portuguese wines. As we look back over the month with excitement as to what we learned, I think it’s important to ask ourselves, “Was it worth dedicating an entire month to one subject?” […] Continue Reading →
Set among the Montejunto Mountains, between the villages of Vilar and Martin Joanes, the landscape is absolutely stunning. Rolling hills covered in pear and apple trees among miles of vineyards, the Portuguese winery Quinta do Gradil couldn’t have been situated in a more ideal location.
Last Tuesday, during a very hectic and busy day tasting wines, we had scheduled a lunch with Cortes de Cima, a winery located in the Alentejo. And typically, when you schedule a lunch like this, you are met with an export manager who is so professional that each crease and fold is perfectly starched and ironed without a wrinkle to be seen. Trust me, I’ve looked. But today was different. What stood before us shaking our hand was one of the winemaker’s of Cortes de Cima, António Cláudio. António is a large man, standing 6 feet tall with broad shoulders, curly black hair and a sweet boyish smile.
We love stumbling upon the unexpected. In fact, that is the story of our life. Our best friends were for the most part all made this way, and our best memories have been created when things happen to us by chance. Such is the case with today’s podcast/story. Wandering back home after our first day […] Continue Reading →
To be honest, we never planned on eating at Sacramento. Having walked past it earlier in the day as we were leisurely meandering through Lisbon enjoying a relaxing Sunday, we had seen the brightly colored windows far different in both style and feeling than its adjoining neighbors. Strips of varying hues of red marked the […] Continue Reading →
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