I first met Simon in 2011 at the European Wine Bloggers Conference. We were in northern Italy on the post-trip when both Simon and I had our first experience meeting Sandi Skerk. For Simon, it was life-changing and eventually led to his award-winning book “Amber Revolution.” Over the years that followed, Simon and I formed …
Interview with Simon Woolf – Foot Trodden co-author Read More »
I was a wide-eyed 27 years old with a half-decade of wine retail under my belt when I first stepped onto Portuguese soil. Due to close family ties, I was deeply curious about Portuguese wine but knew relatively little beyond the odd bottle of Port sipped over the holidays or during work tastings. This all …
Foot Trodden – Portugal & the wines that time forgot Read More »
If you visit Porto in the last week of February, be prepared to get wet – drenched even, as the rainy season can be almost tropical in its intensity. Metaphorically, you’ll also get drenched in wine, as the city hosts not just the huge Essencia do Vinho fair, but an ever-increasing range of off-events, lunches, …
Discovering Irresistible Portuguese Wines – Simplesmente Vinho Read More »
Portugal might be on its knees economically, but the Portuguese wine industry is going from strength to strength. Exports are growing quietly (between 5-10% per year over the last decade), and the country is beginning to escape the shackles of being seen only as a value producer. I’m not talking about Port, which has its own …
Last year, Catavino attended the premiere of Simplesmente Vinho and had a fantastic time. We were surprised by the off-the-cuff tasting that resulted in a group of “wine geeks” joining together in a cave, literally, on the Cais de Ribeira for a small producer tasting. Thankfully, it was a huge success and has returned for …
Simplesmente Vinho: Celebrating natural wine in Portugal Read More »
What do you call a group of small, artisan wine producers at a tasting? If you’re in France or Italy, the “natural wine” moniker might well rear its head. The suggestion being that these are winemakers who eschew overtly industrial production methods, intervene less and attempt above all else to express their terroir. The less charitable may claim …
Off the beaten track in Porto – Simplesmente Vinho Read More »
