Another brilliant Dao wine from Alvaro Castro

I bought this wine last year at a ridiculously cheap price in a sale from online Portuguese wine merchant Castas. It’s my last bottle, and I’m sad that I don’t have more. Once again, it shows just how good the Dao region, with its granitic soils, can be.

Álvaro Castro 2007 Dão, Portugal
A blend of Alfrocheiro, [...]

Highlights from yesterday's New Douro tasting

Yesterday’s New Douro tasting was one of the best yet. While the emphasis was on the 2009 vintage, producer’s also brought the odd older wine, which was appreciated. 2009 is a ripe, warm year, but despite the heat and lack of rain that characterized this vintage, the wines have a lovely purity and openness to [...]

Dinner at the wonderful Viajante with Dirk Niepoort

Sensational wines. Sensational food. Just what you want on a cold Tuesday night in January.

Amaranth with sorrel; onion brioche with stilton cheese; thai explosion 2

Dirk Niepoort, one of the winegrowers I respect the most, was in town, and he kindly invited a small group to dine with him at Viajante in Bethnel [...]

Another good Dao wine

The Dao region of Portugal continues to impress. Here’s another good one, from organic winery Casa de Mouraz.

Casa de Mouraz 2007 Dao, Portugal
A blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Alfrocheiro, Jaen and the rare Agua Santa. Fresh, sweet cherry and berry fruit nose with some spicy, savoury notes. The palate is vivid with good acidity [...]

Quinta das Maias Dao, an attractive Portuguese red

Really enjoyed this wine, which I previously blogged on just over a year ago. It’s a fresh, lively red wine with a hint of savoury, spicy meatiness that makes me think it may have a little Brettanomyces character (read more about this here). But this brett, if it is present, is at a level that [...]

A superb, affordable Port from Grahams

Now this is pretty smart. It may only be an LBV, with a T-top rather than driven cork. But it’s actually a really good Port, and worth thinking about as something to have on hand as the nights draw in and finishing the day with a glass of something sweet, delicious and alcoholic becomes an [...]

Video: mechanical/robotic foot treading for Port

In this short film, Paul Symington describes the way his company have pioneered the use of mechanical foottreaders (also known as robotic lagares) for Port production. It’s not straighforward: Port needs a rapid but relatively gentle extraction, and the human foot is especially good at this.

Video: the spectacular Quinta dos Malvedos in the Douro, Portugal

A film from my recent Douro visit. It’s Graham’s spectacular Quinta dos Malvedos, shot the day before harvest began.

For more on Malvedos, take a look at the superb Graham’s blog.

Video: foot treading grapes in the Douro

So here’s a film of foot treading at Quinta do Vesuvio, one of the Symington’s properties in the Douro. It’s amazing to think that many of the top Port wines are still made in this ancient fashion. Port grapes are loaded into the lagar after being picked during the day, and are then trodden for [...]

More pictures from the Douro

Quinta dos Canais

Just back from the Douro, on a trip visiting the Symington family’s properties. It’s always good to be in the Douro, and especially so at harvest time. It hasn’t been the easiest of growing seasons, but good weather over the last few weeks coupled with good weather over the next few (which [...]