Journalist Tom Cannavan present a weekly wine slot on Scottish Television, last week he covered Portuguese wines.

The programme is available to watch on the STV website, click here to see it!!

Wine enthusiasts from Stratford Grape Club recently enjoyed their first visit to the Vinho Verde region. Visits were planned with the help of Bruno Almeida of the Rota dos Vinho Verdes Office in Porto.

The idyllic setting of Quinta da Aveleda was first stop. After a saunter through the fantastic gardens, the ‘serious matter’ of tasting began. Winemaker Manuel Soares led us through a range of wines from Aveleda’s wide portfolio. The Follies Alvarinho showed particularly well with its complex floral aromas and long citrus finish on the palate.

At Quinta de Simaens (part of the Borges group) we enjoyed a vineyard tour with their viticulturist who explained that they were the first in Portugal to use a new system of vine training developed in this region called ‘lys’. Riper grapes apparently develop from this system.

Onto the group’s modern production centre at Lixa for a tasting and lunch hosted by Ricardo Campos, Sales Manager. The Quinta de Lixa Loureira was fragrant, had good acidity, and plenty of citrus on the palate. The Quinta de Simaens, a blend of Paderna, Avessa and Trajadura, showed complexity of fruit and at 13.5% makes a serious food wine.

Quinta Lourosa was final visit of the day. This family estate is developing wine tourism and its lovely setting and buildings show why. Joanna de Castro, daughter and winemaker hosted us. In addition to their still wines, three Vinho Verde Espumantes are produced by the traditional method. We tasted the Brut Rosé, a blend of Syrah and Jaen plus other non-specified varieties. It had floral notes, a creamy mousse with good structure and fruit, sufficient to be enjoyed with some lightly spiced food as well as an aperitif.

So a brilliant day and a happy group returned to Porto in the late evening sunshine, now fully familiar with the region’s grape varieties and keen to source wines from this delightful region in the UK. Our thanks to organisers and producers for their generous hospitality.

Hazel Tattersall
21 June 2010

Liz Morcom has just returned from Portugal, visiting many of the well known wine regions.

Liz will shortly be writing a blog about her trip, click here to read all about her experiences in the different wine regions of Portugal

Sarah Ahmed ‘The Wine Detective’ has found fantastic deals with Nick Dobson Wines for all you Portuguese wine lovers.

Simply click here to read Sarah’s blog and for more information about the discounts.

Win £50 worth of FREE tickets to the Taste of Gold Tasting

We have 5 pairs of tickets to give away

The most influential and prestigious wine competition in the world, the International Wine Challenge has awarded Portugal 35 Gold medals, and for the first time ever, consumers are able to go along and taste the award winning wines at the IWC Taste of Gold and Discovery Tasting at Lords Cricket Ground on 30th June 2010 from 6pm-9pm.

Simply answer the grape variety question below, e-mail your answer to sarah@jkmarketing.co.uk and the first 5 correct entries will win a pair of tickets for the event

Known as Tinta Roriz in northern Portugal, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ is rich in tannins and produces fruity (redcurrant, cherry, raspberry), dark and aromatic wines.

You can also buy tickets online, (£25 per person)

Come along and meet the UK’s foremost wine critic Oz Clarke and his fellow IWC co-chairmen, Tim Atkin MW, Charles Metcalfe, Sam Harrop MW and Derek Smedley MW.

Want to know even more about Portuguese wines? Get your copy of The Wine & Food Lover’s Guide to Portugal at a special price of £11.87 (rrp £16.95)

The Wine & Food Lover’s Guide to Portugal by wine writers Charles Metcalfe and Kathryn McWhirter is a 446-page hardback travel guide to the whole of the country and its islands, specially designed for people who like to drink and eat well. It recommends wineries to visit (and points out their best wines), the best restaurants (traditional as well as new-wave modern), unmissable tourist attractions, and characterful hotels and places to stay. No one paid to be included – reviews are independent and critical. Highly illustrated and beautifully designed, with 19 specially-commissioned maps and 1,600 colour photos, it’s meant to be used as you travel, but it makes a great coffee table book, too, and a perfect present. For more info and a sample chapter, visit www.innhousepublishing.com but for the promotional price, order your copy on Amazon.

Why not visit Luso Restaurant and sample their new lunch time petiscos menu. Petiscos are like Spanish tapas, smaller plates for you to share with friends. Choose three dishes from the petiscos menu plus a glass of wine, beer or a soft drink JUST £12 per person. Available Monday to Saturday, 12pm until 7pm (5pm Saturday)

63 Bridge Street, Manchester, City Centre, M3 3BQ – Tel: 0161 839 5550.

The Alentejo is a vast, rural area of flat plains speckled with cork oaks and olive trees. It is really hot in the summer, requiring irrigation for the many and large vineyards. The Alentejo was the standard bearer for Portugal’s wine revolution, adopting modern winegrowing methods.

The region is best known for red wines which are generally full bodied, fruity and suitable for aging. It also grows one of the ‘big five’ grape varieties for port, Aragonez, also known as Tinta Roriz in northern Portugal. White wines are not traditional to the region but with help of the temperature controlled fermentation tanks some very good whites are appearing.

We interviewed wine maker João Portugal Ramos to find out about life in the Alentejo…

Which is your favourite wine that you make in Alentejo?
“My favourite wine would have to be Marquês de Borba Reserva as it’s a elegant wine, but most importantly completely fresh and beautifully balanced.”

3 words to describe this favourite wine?
“Vinosity, complexity, balanced.”

What international food would you match with it?
I love to eat Carré d’Agneau, a lamb recipe roasted with a mustard, rosemary and thyme sauce.

Finally, what do you do when you’re not making wine?
“I spend time with my family and enjoy hunting.”

You can purchase João Portugal Ramos wines from Adnams; log on to www.adnams.co.uk

Why don’t you have a go at making this dish and matching it with Ana’s favorite wine, Marquês de Borba Reserva? Click here for a Carré d’Agneau recipe:

Carré d’agneau a la Provençale – Lamb Provencal
A lamb recipe from Provence for Rack of Lamb roasted with a mustard, rosemary and thyme crust.

Ingredients

• 3 lb. (8 ribs) rack of lamb, frenched
• 3 Tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, very finely chopped
• 1/2 -1/3 cup of soft dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground rosemary
• 2 Tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 Tablespoons of Dijon mustard
• Salt & freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1). Preheat oven to 525F.
2). Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet and add the shallots and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, do not allow the vegetables to color.
3). Remove the skillet from heat, add bread crumbs, thyme, rosemary, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.
4). Stir in egg then mustard. Stuffing should hold together in soft mounds.
5). Spread the remaining oil in a roasting pan, add the lamb and turn to coat on all sides.
6). Roast for 9 minutes, turning once so that the lamb browns on both sides.
7). Remove from oven.
8). Spread the stuffing over the fat side of the meat.
9). Return to oven and roast for 8 minutes for rare (internal temp: 130-135). Cook for an additional 5 minutes for well-done.
10). Remove from oven, turn broiler to med-high and broil for about 3 minutes or until crust turns golden brown.
11). Transfer to a warm platter and let sit in 200∞ oven for 5 minutes before carving.

To serve:

Carve roast into 8 chops and arrange on a platter to serve. Goes very well accompanied by tomatoes provenaal. To make the tomatoes: make a another batch of the stuffing, cut 2 tomatoes in half, arrange in an oiled baking dish. Spread the stuffing on the tops and bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes, then broil for 1 minute. They may be served at room temperature.

ViniPortugal is launching a T-shirt competition for summer 2010, with the chance to win some tasty Portuguese wine!

All you have to do is email viniportugal@jkmarketing.co.ukt to request a Wines of Portugal T-shirt, and then take a picture of yourself wearing it in the most unusual place you can think of!

The winner will receive 6 bottles of Portuguese wine and will be announced at the end of each month; the winning picture will also feature in the following monthly newsletter.

Pedro Oliveira sent us a picture wearing the Wines of Portugal T-shirt when Benfica won the Championship in Portugal…

High Douro producer Conceito Vinhos has appointed Portugal specialist Raymond Reynolds Ltd to look after its award-winning wines in the UK. Initially, the Contraste Branco 2009 and Bastardo 2008 will be available from UK stock.

Winemaker Rita Ferreira brings a wonderfully light touch to her wines, and her experience in New Zealand as well as at Niepoort in the Douro brings an exciting new producer onto the scene; albeit a property with old vines and a long family history! The Bastardo is a revival of an ancient variety, which received much attention since last year, not least as the first vintage was selected as one of the “50 Great Portuguese Wines” by Jamie Goode.

The Vinho Verde estate of Quinta da Raza has appointed Raymond Reynolds Ltd to distribute its wines in the UK. In the first instance, just the Raza Vinho Verde 2009 will be available. Expected to retail at around £6.99, it should prove popular.

“We are very lucky to represent two of the greatest Vinho Verde estates already, Soalheiro for Alvarinho and Ameal for Loureiro,” remarked Raymond Reynolds, “but this will fill a slot for outstanding value for money.” For further information, please contact info@raymondreynolds.co.uk.