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 [...]

A few quick pics from the Douro at harvest time

Some pictures from yesterday. Great time of year to be in the Douro with vintage just starting.

Sousao is not a teinturier variety

Sousao

OK, a bit of geeky viticultural stuff.

I’d always been told that Portuguese variety Sousao was a teinturier: a grape with coloured flesh. Normally red grapes have all their pigment in the skins and the flesh is transparent. With teinturier varieties, of which there are very few, the flesh is also coloured. They make incredibly [...]

Some traditional Portuguese food and Graham 1980

I’m in sunny Porto, heading off to the Douro today where vintage 2011 is just starting. So, snatching a few minutes on free wifi (all hotels should offer this) in the lobby, a brief account of last night’s dinner.

It was at O Carteiro (55 Rua Senhor da Boa Morte), a traditional Portuguese restaurant. The food [...]

The blue plaque of the Marques de Pombal

Spotted today while walking through London: a blue plaque commemorating the location of the Portuguese embassy back in the 18th century, and the residence of the Marquês de Pombal while he was ambassador to the UK.

Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquess of Pombal, has an important role in the history of wine. It [...]

Touronio, an impressive Douro red

I love the Douro, and I’m delighted to be going out there again in a couple of weeks. So much is happening, in the relatively new region for table wines. Here’s a new wine from Quinta de Tourais in the Baixo Corgo – the first bit you come to arriving from Porto, which is also [...]

Two Alentejo whites: Esporao and Torre de Frade

It’s not just Spain that is making some really impressive new-wave white wines. Portugal is also a happy hunting ground for fans of deliciously expressive whites. Here are a couple that have impressed of late.

Torre de Frade Viognier 2010 Alentejo, Portugal
12.5% alcohol. Paulo Laureano is the consultant winemaker here. Aromatic, varietally true nose with [...]