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Food & Drink in the Algarve, Portugal
what to drink during your stay in the Algarve
The Wines of Portugal - Recent Portuguese Wine Tasting Events
Bom Dia
 March has seen me continuing to bring the Wines of Portugal to groups around the U.K. and I thought that I would start off this month's piece with a look at a couple of these events hosted in the North of England. On a grey chilly Monday I set off to the beautiful county of North Yorkshire to present a tasting in the market town of Richmond. The tasting sheet for this session, with prices and retail stockists, is detailed below and you will see that, in the whites, I included both the Joao Pires Dry Muscat and an example of Alvarinho Vinho Verde that I have mentioned in previous articles. The other white shown was a classic white from the Alentejo region and was a blend of Arinto, Roupeiro & Antao Vaz grapes.
Turning to the reds, we began with the excellent value Ramada from the coastal Estremadura region, made by one of the country's best winemakers, Jose Neiva from a blend of local grapes. The gentle hills of Estremadura, cooled by the Atlantic breezes ensure perfectly ripened grapes. This was followed by Sogrape's Duque de Viseu, an excellent example of a traditional Dao; produced of course from wonderful indigenous red varieties - in this case Touriga Nacional & Tinta Roriz.
 Finally we tasted a fine example of just what the co-operatives I have talked about can do - here a red Douro Reserva with a bit of age and maturity. The blend, and these wines will inevitably be a blend, was of four great Douro varieties; Tinta Amarela, Tinta Barocca, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is seeing and hearing the reaction, usually one combining surprise and enjoyment, of the tasters in groups like the Richmond gathering. Despite being a very good Wine Society, there was no great experience of drinking Portuguese wines. In fact I started my evening by telling the audience that my welcome at the hotel included the receptionist asking me what I was presenting tonight; when I replied `Portugal' she then said “Oh, I only know one Portuguese wine……..”. My reply quickly interrupted her - “say no more!”
All the white wines were well received and I suggested that the VV would accompany bacalhao, and the excellent Defesa was a perfect match for sardinhas; both these suggestions got nods of approval and I expect to see group members trying the combinations on their next visit to Portugal! (See also below.)
Unquestionably the value of the reds was perceived by the group, as was the old fashioned but fruity style of the Dao and the wonderful, developed character of the robust and tannic Douro.
 A week or so after the Richmond tasting, I was able to show Portugal off in some depth over a whole day and evening at one of our Wine & Dine Weekends, at the Ouse Bridge Hotel on the banks of Bassenthwaite Lake; the only actual `lake' in the Lake District! Chef proprietor Stephen Barrie's excellent menu for the evening is shown below and the gourmet delegates drank a selection of top Portuguese wines with the meal.
Even before the meal commenced, the guests were able to take a really diverse look at Portugal's wines as I tutored a short tasting featuring four very diverse styles of wine; from a wonderful white port from Noval through to a stunning example of a Douro Red in the Quinta de la Rosa Tinto Reserva 2001. The palates were then refreshed ahead of the meal with a glass of Marques de Marialva Reserva 2003 Bairrada Sparkling from the Cantenhede cooperative.
 The (excellent) soup course was accompanied by the aforementioned pair of Alvarinho Muros Antigos and Vinha da Defesa, Herdade do Esporao. This latter wine particularly with its crisp acidity was just a perfect food wine and was actually also continued into the next course where it was especially enjoyed with the sardines, the bacalhau dish and the gambas. The Petiscos, or `Portuguese Tapas', was paired for reds with Bela Fonte Jaen 2000 from the Beiras region and Pegos Claros 1999; Palmela, while the `pudim' wine was 2002 vintage Moscatel de Setubal, Caves Velhas. Finally as we could not complete the meal without one, the digestif was Porto Calem Late Bottled Vintage 1994.
The Jaen is a lovely fruity wine, despite now being of some maturity whilst the Palmela wine had a combination of maturity and tannins, making it a great match with the chicken piri piri and the pork.
 Stephen's Portuguese dishes were just so authentic and the entire group greatly enjoyed the meal and of course the accompanying wines. If you would like to come and join us for a taste of Portugal over such a weekend; great food, wines and scenery all combined, just contact us and we can arrange an exclusive weekend date for your party or group. Alternatively for individuals just watch the events page of our website at www.wine-educators.com for future dates.
Many of the wines mentioned above were sourced from specialist Portuguese importers and merchants, who I also mention below along with our list of wines from the weekend.
I will pick up on the grapes of the River Douro Valley, those mentioned above being just a small percentage of those actually grown there, in a later issue because that will fit in with several paragraphs on the region's great Port wines. Also, having now exceeded my' wordage budget', the follow on from last time's report on the Whites, taking you through some of the wonderful indigenous Red grape varieties that make Portugal's wines so good and the report on the recent generic trade tasting in London will both be held over until next time.
Martin Ward
Wine Educators International
TUTORED TASTING - “THE WINES OF PORTUGAL”
 Presented by Wine Educators International
for NORTH YORKSHIRE WINE SOCIETY
Richmond, Monday 20th March 2006
Presented by Martin Ward
Vinhos Brancos
1. Alvarinho Muros Antigos 2004; Vinho Verde
2. Joao Pires 2004; Terras do Sado
3. Vinha da Defesa, Herdade do Esporao; Alentejo
Vinhos Tintos
4. Ramada Tinto 2004; Estremadura (retail - Tesco; Co-op £3.99)
5. Duque de Viseu 2001; Dao (retail - Waitrose; £5.49)
6. Calcos do Tanha Reserva 2001; Douro
Portuguese Evening
Sopa de Feijao com Tomate
- Bean Soup with Tomato
-
Petiscos
Bolinhos de Bacalhau - Cod Fish Cakes
Camaroes a Portuguesa - Prawns Portuguese Style
Galinba Assada - Roasted Chicken
with Piri Piri Sauce
Costelas de Porco Grelhada - Grilled Pork Ribs
Arroz de Tomate - Tomato Rice
Pimentos Assados - Roasted Sweet Peppers
Sardinhas no Forno - Baked Sardines
Accompanied by:
Rustic Bread
-
Pudim Flan
Dessert of Baked Custard with a Caramel Sauce
-
THE OUSE BRIDGE HOTEL WINE WEEKEND
Bassenthwaite Lake - March 2006
RECEPTION:
Marques de Marialva Bruto Reserva 2003; Bairrada
TUTORED TASTING:
Noval Extra Dry White Port
Joao Pires Branco 2004; Terras do Sado
Palha-Canas Tinto 2004, Casa Santos Lima; Estremadura
Quinta de la Rosa Tinto Reserva 2001; Douro
DINNER:
Alvarinho Muros Antigos 2004; Vinho Verde
Vinha da Defesa, Herdade do Esporao 2004; Alentejo
Bela Fonte Jaen 2000; Beiras
Pegos Claros 1999; Palmela
Moscatel de Setubal 2002, Caves Velhas
Calem Late Bottled Vintage Port 1994
Some Portuguese Wine Shippers:
D & F Wine Shippers Ltd
0208 838 4399
email: jleitao@dandfwines.co.uk
Oakley Wine Agencies
Tel: 01787 220070
email: oakleywine@btconnect.com
Atlantico (UK) Ltd
Tel: 020 8946 0707
email: info@atlantico.co.uk
Adnams Wines
Tel: 01502 727222
website: www.adnamswines.co.uk
Morris & Verdin
Tel: 0207 921 5300
email: sales@m-v.co.uk
Please mention if contacting the above, that you have been recommended by us - Wine Educators International
If you would like to know more about Portuguese Food and Drink, why don't you dip into our Restaurants in the Algarve section and our series of articles on Portuguese Wines and Ports. We also feature some Traditional Portuguese Recipes and a glossary of useful Portuguese food & drink words and phrases
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