TRENDING:

SPLENDID ISOLATION? DAY TWO
Mary Hunt
For Foodies and Gardener’s: Petersham Nurseries C...
Steam Dreams: a Reality for Railway Fans in Wales
Wine Dine & Travel Magazine
  • HOME
  • MAGAZINE LIBRARY
    • WINE DINE & TRAVEL DIGITAL EDITIONS
    • INTERACTIVE MAGAZINES
  • FEATURE STORIES
  • ABOUT
    • OUR WRITERS
    • RON JAMES BIO
    • MEDIA KIT
  • BLOGS
    • WINE DINE & TRAVEL ADVENTURES WITH RON & MARY
      • WINE DINE & TRAVEL ADVENTURES WITH RON & MARY ALL POSTS
  • AD RATES & SPECIFICATION

Select Page

THE TROUBLE WITH PORTUGUESE WINES

Posted by Ron and Mary James

THE TROUBLE WITH PORTUGUESE WINES
It may come as a surprise, but Mary and I enjoy a glass of wine now and then. (Cue the laughing hysterically soundtrack). In our household, wine time has been an important ritual for more than 33 years. It always begins at 5 p.m. sharp, unless we’re traveling, but I won’t get into those weeds.
Wine time is more than just sipping a glass of wine before dinner. It’s our together time, when initially we’d vent about our workdays and now hash out challenges of the day and days to come. No subject is off the table, though we try to avoid politics, because I get agitated and start F-bombing the “orange man.” After wine time we feel relaxed and cleansed. I guess it’s like going to confession although I’ve never had that experience.
This leads us to the subject of this posting — Portuguese wines. We’ve grown fond of this country’s wines – they are good and cheap. Oh, there are expensive ones to be sure, but the majority offered at mini markets are less than $5. Double that in average at cafes.
The problem is selection. In America, we pick wines by varietals. Here, the region is first, followed by the varietal or blend and finally the vintage year. Scanning wines in a supermarket or wine shop here make your head spin. Every once in a while, you’ll spot a familiar wine friend – Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, or Chardonnay.
But mostly you’ll be a stranger in a strange land of grapes – Touriga Nacional, Aragonez, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Trincadeira, Tinta Amarela, Castelão, Alvarinho, Arinto, Fernão Pires/Maria Gomes, are the top varietals in Portugal. Plus there are some 250 others you’ve never heard of. If I were taking a Master Sommelier Examination and learned that the blind tastings included Portuguese wines, I’d ask the examiners to “just shoot me!”
So that begs the question. “Ron, how do I learn about Portuguese wines?”
I’m glad you asked. Most of us just want to find a wine to enjoy at wine time or with a meal. It’s not that hard at restaurants, where inexpensive house wines are a good bet by the glass or pitcher. Most of the time, they are very easy to drink table wines. Sometimes you’ll get a stinker, but that’s life and you’re probably in tourist trap. We’ve also found servers and sommeliers to be very helpful if you can explain the characteristics you like in a wine. Often, especially if they sell it by the glass, they will pour you a taste.
Finding wines you love on supermarket shelves can be a crap shoot. Sometimes I focus on regions – there are 14 – if had a wine from, say, Dou or Aletajo, or Douro I’ve liked. Or, I look for bottles with a tag touting high marks from Wine Spectator and the like. But mostly it’s trial and error – a wine enthusiast Russian roulette. If you lose, pour out the offending bottle and try again until you find a wine that hits your sweet spot.
You can also do wine tastings in shops and wineries all over Portugal, but that can be expensive and time-consuming. In Lisbon, Wines of Portugal Tasting Room on Plaza Comercial offers a fun easy shortcut, drawing on their large, everchanging selection of wines from around the country. The main tasting room is large and comfortable, with automatic machines lining the walls that dispense tastes. You can do flights of, say, bubby or reds, and you can book personal and group tastings. These are a kind of Portuguese wine 101 where guests learn the wine regions and grape varieties. We enjoyed a private tasting from expert Luis Mota that was informative and gratifying.
Still after a month here…and a number of previous visits to Portugal, learning about Portuguese wines is a lifelong undertaking. It’s an education I’m happy to continue. Cheers my friends or, as they say in Portugal—Saude!

Share:

PreviousA LUSOPHONIOUS DINING EXPERIENCE AT BAHR
NextExploring the Golden State’s Hiking Trails

About The Author

Ron and Mary James

Ron and Mary James

Related Posts

THE PARIS CITY OF THE DEAD

THE PARIS CITY OF THE DEAD

May 20, 2023

SPLENDID ISOLATION? DAY ONE

SPLENDID ISOLATION? DAY ONE

May 18, 2022

MONTMARTRE

MONTMARTRE

May 9, 2023

SPLENDID ISOLATION? DAY THREE (HUMP DAY)

SPLENDID ISOLATION? DAY THREE (HUMP DAY)

May 25, 2022

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

https://youtu.be/iF2R14QTVHs

A Stormy Sundowner in Kenya

Ron and Mary James thrill to a perfect sundowner on their last night on the Masai Mara. There bliss it interrupted by a lightning and thunderstorm.

RSS TRAVEL NEWS

  • Japan's new giant swing is a beautiful/terrifying way to see the ... - Japan Today October 1, 2023
    Japan's new giant swing is a beautiful/terrifying way to see the ...  Japan Today
  • Hokkaido Travel Adventures / Cycling Around Hokkaido's Tokachi ... - The Japan News October 1, 2023
    Hokkaido Travel Adventures / Cycling Around Hokkaido's Tokachi ...  The Japan News
  • This Small California Town Is Home to a Gorgeous Winery — and ... - Travel + Leisure October 1, 2023
    This Small California Town Is Home to a Gorgeous Winery — and ...  Travel + Leisure
  • This 95-year-old U.S. Airport Is About to Get Its First Lounge - Yahoo Life October 1, 2023
    This 95-year-old U.S. Airport Is About to Get Its First Lounge  Yahoo Life
  • Trancoso: a bohemian beach town in Brazil - The Week October 1, 2023
    Trancoso: a bohemian beach town in Brazil  The Week
  • Buddhist Statues Return to Newly Refurbished Hall in Todai-ji ... - The Japan News October 1, 2023
    Buddhist Statues Return to Newly Refurbished Hall in Todai-ji ...  The Japan News
  • With China’s help, Indonesia is launching Southeast Asia’s first bullet train - CNN October 1, 2023
    With China’s help, Indonesia is launching Southeast Asia’s first bullet train  CNN
  • NBC 1st Look in Philly: What to See and Where to Go - Visit Philadelphia October 1, 2023
    NBC 1st Look in Philly: What to See and Where to Go  Visit Philadelphia
  • Discover the magic of pearl cultivation and ama divers in action at ... - Japan Today September 30, 2023
    Discover the magic of pearl cultivation and ama divers in action at ...  Japan Today
  • Introducing your new travel buddy, the Instax Pal - Japan Today September 30, 2023
    Introducing your new travel buddy, the Instax Pal  Japan Today

BUY PRINT VERSION OF CURRENT EDITION

WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE WINTER 2018 Find out more on MagCloud)

Recent Posts

  • Mary Hunt
  • EXPLORING CASCAIS, PORTUGAL
  • EXPLORING SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN
  • OUR WEEK IN LEIDEN, HOLLAND: FORMER HOME OF THE PILGRIMS
  • NCL LAUNCHES NORWEGIAN VIVA
  • TIME TO GO HOME
  • THE ROCK TOMBS OF CAPPADOCIA

Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress

Share This

Share this post with your friends!