By MAURICE LEE features@algarveresident.com
BY CHRISTMAS the world will be in recession. Many people will be tightening their belts, which is the way to survive a recession. We needn’t cancel Christmas though.
I cannot foretell the wine offers, but I can give you some suggestions on how to bring cheer to your table, and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Normally I would tell you to upgrade your wines at Christmas, but this year is not the right year for extravagance. So don’t buy your wines on debit or credit cards as you’ll lose the benefit of any offers on the wines. Withdraw money from your bank, and pay cash for your wines. There’s really no need to be a scrooge.
Now the big question! What do you buy? You buy a wine you like, and hope your guests will like too. Don’t spoil a good meal by experimenting.
Including the islands of Madeira, Graciosa, Pico and Biscoitos, there are five Portuguese wine regions. Those on the main land are North, Centre, Lisbon and The Tagus Valley, and South. The islands produce only Indicação de Proveniência Regulamentada (IPR) wines, while the mainland regions produce IPR, Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC), Vinho Regional (VR) and Vinho de Mesa (Table wine).
DOC is Portugal’s highest classification but sometimes the wines are cheaper than IPR and VR. Factors that can affect price are age of wine, quality of grape and if the wine is from an exceptional harvest (garrafeira). All DOC and IPR wines guarantee maximum yield per hectare, minimum alcohol content, grapes used, ageing, and the region the wine comes from. These conditions are controlled rigorously. VR wines are allowed greater flexibility.
Ask yourself. If you were given a glass of each wine to taste, would you know which way they were classified? If your answer is ‘no’ and you’re going to drink only a few bottles, it’s not worth worrying about. If, like me, you intend to drink a few cases, then try an IPR or a VR. You will save money, believe me. You’ll save even more money if you choose a good Vinho de Mesa, and you and your guests will still enjoy Christmas.
Wine regions
Being Portuguese wine drinkers you’ll be familiar with the wine regions. But it is important to read the back label as well as the front one. You know the grapes (castas) you like, and you’ll find them on most back labels. If you recognise the grapes and the region, you are halfway to buying a wine that you know you’ll enjoy.
The North: If you buy wines from the Douro, expect dark reds with berry fruit flavours. Whites are crisp and fragrant. Planalto Mirandês being close to Spain produce big solid reds. Whites are usually fruity and floral.
The Centre: Dão wines can be peppery and spicy. Some are matured in oak (carvalho). Whites are crisp and fresh. If the Encruzado grape is the main grape (first named grape), the wine can be very fragrant. Bairrada – this is the only wine region dominated by one grape variety, the Baga. Dark and intense reds which age well. Another famous grape is the Periquita (Castelão Francês) softening the wine with a red berry flavour. Whites are dry, yet fruity, and sometimes floral. The Beiras covers most of the central wine region, stretching from the Spanish border to the Atlantic coast and incorporates Dão and Bairrada. Being spread over such a large area, the region’s wines vary greatly. Make sure you read the label.
Lisbon and The Tagus Valley: Ribatejo and Estremadura are the two largest wine districts here. The reds can be medium bodied and fruity in Estremadura and fuller flavoured from Ribatejo. In both these districts we find the red Trincadeira Preta grape and its’ white sister Trincadeira das Pratas making excellent wines.
South: The region stretches from the Spanish border to the Atlantic ocean, taking in Alentejo, Terras do Sado, Palmela,Tavira, and other smaller districts. You’ll all be familiar with Borba but have you tried Marquês de Borba or Viscount de Borba? Other well known wines are Évora, Redondo and Reguengos. If you like Trincadeira Preta, Periquita, Aragones, Moreto, Arinto, Roupeiro and Fernão Pires, you’ll feel at home in the South region.
Port: ‘Vintage’ port is made with grapes from a single harvest. It is also very expensive. ‘Late Bottled Vintage’ port is also made with grapes from a single harvest. It is cheaper than ‘Vintage’ and will not need decanting. Why? ‘Vintage’ must be bottled between the second and third year after harvest. Port throws considerable sediment and for ‘Vintage’ this will throw in the bottle. It will need decanting.
LBV must be bottled between the fourth and sixth year after harvest. If bottled during the fifth or sixth year it won’t need decanting, as the sediment will have been thrown in the cask. Date of bottling will be on the label.
Madeira: These fortified wines make excellent aperitifs or after dinner drinks. There are four varieties: Sercial – Dry ; Malmsey – Sweet ; Bual – Sweet; Verdelho – a fruity Madeira, but not sweet.
This Christmas I suggest you spend more time in the wine stores and less in the groceries. Find those bargains. Merry Christmas everybody and good health and prosperity for 2009!
For more information, please email truda-anne@treleon.freeserve.co.uk
