Christmas is just days away so if you’re stuck for gift ideas, Wines of Portugal have the answer…

Fancy a 7 day wine tour to the Douro?

Arblaster and Clarke have started taking bookings for their 2011 trip to the Douro, the 7 day tour will take place on 16th – 22nd October 2011 and is a fantastic holiday for all you Portuguese wine lovers.

The Douro is still one of Europe’s unspoilt paradises. On this stunning walking tour, you will explore the vineyards, quintas, villages and towns of the dramatic Douro valley; mostly on foot, but also by train, and just before harvest there will be lots happening in the vineyards!

For further information about this fantastic trip contact Arblaster and Clarke direct on +44 (0)1730 263111 or email contact@winetours.co.uk

The Wine and Food Lover’s Guide to Portugal

This book is perfect for independent travelers who love food and wine, but also want to discover Portugal.
It has been written by Charles Metcalfe, one of the most spontaneous and amusing wine critics in Britain and a well known face on British television, and Kathryn McWhirter who was the drinks correspondent for the independent on Sunday and wrote the Which? Wine Guide and Good Wine Bar Guide.

They lead you around edible Lisbon and Porto, and the stunning countryside of undiscovered inland Portugal.
The book also gives you recommendations for places to eat, sleep and what to do inbetween meals (apart from drinking wine).

The Wine and Food Lover’s Guide to Portugal is available to buy online from Amazon, click here to purchase this fantastic stocking filler.

Christmas is just around the corner, which means it’s time to fill up your wine rack ready for the celebrations, we have asked some of the UK’s leading wine journalists for their Christmas recommendations…

(Please click on the links to find your local stockist/retailer of each wine)

Super with your starter
Charles Metcalfe, author of ‘The Wine and Food Lovers Guide to Portugal’ and one of the UK’s best known wine critics recommends Quinta dos Carvalhais Encruzado as the perfect wine to kick off your Christmas day starter, it has good creaminess, it’s rich with a touch of oak, and it’s not too expensive.

Sarah Ahmed, the Wine Detective and Portuguese Wine Writer of the Year 2009, will be drinking these wines on Christmas day:

Quinta de Soalheiro Primeiras Vinhas Alvarinho Vinho Verde 2008 – this top Vinho Verde, the exciting outcome of a collaboration between Luis Cedeira and Dirk Niepoort of Niepoort, will be perfect with turbot and scallops.

Perfect with your Christmas Pudding
Bacalhôa, Moscatel de Sétubal 1998 will complement your Christmas pudding; it’s a fortified sweet wine from Sétubal, It has spicy, raisined character and aged in large oak barrels to obtain its vibrant colour.

Tell us what you will be drinking over the festive season, or what you recommend as the perfect wine to match with your Christmas day lunch…

E-mail sarah@jkmarketing.co.uk and we will share your suggestions on Facebook and Twitter.

The Market Square Food & Wine shop invites you to a Portuguese tasting in East Grinstead, hosted by Charles Metcalfe on Tuesday 7th December and tickets are only £5!

Charles is one of the best-known, most spontaneous and amusing wine critics in Britain. He presented drinks and occasionally food items for 12 years as one of the Richard-and-Judy team on the ITV programme, ‘This Morning’, and was the drinks expert for ‘Taste Today’ on the Taste TV CFW channel.

His recent TV appearances have been as a wine expert on ‘Great Food Live’ and ‘Sunday Lunch Live’ on UK Food (BBC digital TV/Sky TV).

At the tasting Charles will educate you about Portugal’s wines, food and places to visit. You will also have Portuguese tapas to accompany the wine.

You will be able to order wines on the night and take advantage of some great discounts.

For further information please call the Market Food & Wine Shop: 01342 300355
Meridian Hall, East Court, East Grinstead RH19 3LT

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.