Covela – An expressive Arinto
Arinto is an indigenous Portuguese white variety of high acidity that produces steely dry wines that work great with seafood. The grape is often used in blends, specifically to add
Casal Figueira – António 2012
The story of this small producer seems to have passed me by and I only discovered the wine of Casal Figueira last week. This is not something you will find
Cortes de Cima – Sauvignon Blanc 2013
When I first tried this Sauvignon Blanc from the Cortes de Cima I was a little disappointed. It was the 2011 vintage, the first Sauvignon Blanc varietal they produced, and
Wine: Quinta de Saes
The long overdue trend of Portuguese winemakers moving away from oaking (and in too many cases over-oaking) their whites unnecessarily continues apace. The Encruzado grape is the backbone of all
Moscatel Roxo espumante rosé
A couple of weeks ago, on my Saturday morning shop at Apolónia, this new sparkling wine was available for tasting, alongside the rosé wine from the same grape (previously featured
Redoma Rosé 2013
The trend in Provence style rosés seems to be catching on only very slowly here in Portugal, and never one to be left behind, the Douro’s Dirk Niepoort has made
Filipa Pato Baga
The humble and thick-skinned Baga grape, the backbone of Mateus Rosé and the predominant red grape of the Bairrada region, was traditionally a high-yield variety for low quality winemaking. But
Are restaurants ripping us off?
The prices of wine at restaurants is a subject of hot debate: just how much can be justified as a mark-up on a product that a restaurant simply pores from
Natural essence of Dão
I seem to be on a bit of Dão run at the moment, the region that is still most undeservedly out of fashion but keeps surprising me with genuinely interesting
Garrus “World’s best rosé”
I was invited to a small tasting session recently at Bistro 84 in Almancil to try what is almost definitely the most expensive and arguably (to quote Jancis Robinson) the