Woefully underrated, lamentably neglected, and relatively unknown, the red and white regional wines of Portugal await your pleasure - at a bargain. By Nancy Ross Ryan
Photo by Laurie Proffitt
|
Portugal's Unchartered Wines
Woefully underrated, lamentably neglected, and relatively unknown, the red and white regional wines of Portugal await your pleasure - at a bargain. By Nancy Ross Ryan |
Photo by Laurie Proffitt |
|
Pssst! Could I interest you in dozens of undiscovered, really terrific red and white wines at bargain prices? Of course I could. So let me introduce you to the wonderful regional wines of Portugal. Perhaps you raise an eyebrow, remembering the people who drank (you certainly never did) Lancers and Mateus, the popular, slightly sweet Portuguese rosé wines of the 60s. But no, I'm not describing pop wines. Or perhaps you imagine small, exquisite glasses of Port and Madeira, Portugal's great fortified wines. Guess again. I'm talking about the serious red and white wines from one of the world's top 10 wine producing nations -- Portuguese wines that you hardly ever see on a restaurant wine list and almost never get offered when you dine at the homes of friends. What makes them so terrific? Why are they bargains? And, if they are quality wines and still bargains, why are they undiscovered? I can answer that. First, Portugal "Is one of the great wine producing countries, utterly devoted to growing grapes," says Joshua Wesson, president, Best Cellars, New York and Brookline, Mass. But until recently, its wine industry (stunted by political upheavals) has lagged behind the know-how and direction that characterizes contemporary wine making in France, Italy, Germany, Spain and the United States. "But in the past few years, Portugal has spent a lot more money modernizing its wineries," says Alice Feiring, New York wine writer and consultant. She says that new modern wineries are being built, single estate wineries (quintas) are on the increase, wine regions have been demarcated, wine laws rewritten, and -- most important -- grape varieties surveyed and classified. Portugal is a treasure trove of native varietal grapes, some not found anywhere else in the world. And from these grapes, some terrific wines are being made. Says Todd Cromwell, president, Wineworth, Bellevue, Washington, "The quality has always been there in some areas, but in last 10 years it has become widespread. The good producers replanted and hired superb winemakers." Second, considering their quality the wines are indeed bargains, because the marketing campaigns that have popularized and created a demand for the wines of other countries -- simply don't exist. Says Henry Davis, food and wine consulant to O Padeiro, New York's Portuguese bakery and cafe, "The Portuguese have not put any effort as an economic body into introducing their wines. It's still an undiscovered country, just waiting for that marketing effort." However, what this means to the wine drinkier is that "You can buy a white and two reds and still get change back from a $20 for the bus ride home," says Wesson. "These are great wines for food. And until the demand catches up the the supply there will always be great values." Wesson praises Portuguese reds: "Some of the reds are such a revelation because they are so inexpensive. No other wine-producing country in the world can give you the bottle maturity of some of the great Portuguese reds at such a decent price." Feiring agrees, and puts in a plug for vinho verde, Portuguese white wines, "They're spicy, slightly effervescent and have a low alcohol content that makes them ideal summer wines." Many of the red and white wines sell for $5, $6, and $7 a bottle. Not only has lack of marketing kept Portuguese wines a secret, but their labels are a challenge to American wine drinkers. The grape varieties are unfamiliar. Who knows from Alvarinho, Fernao Pires (white varietals), Baga, Touriga Naçional (red varietals)? And many of the wines are not single varietals, but skillfully and traditionally blended from several different grapes. The winemakers' names don't ring a bell: Quinta da Aveleda, Sogrape, and Quinta das Maias don't sound anything like Mondavi, Veuve Cliquot or Mouton Rothschild. The wine regions are unrecognizable, and the vintages -- good, bad, indifferent -- are to the average wine drinker unknown.
Where to Begin It is also helpful and relatively simple to know the good recent vintages, and the ones to avoid, (listed in "It was a very good year"). A word of caution about white wines comes from Wesson, "Portuguese white wines should be consumed within at most 2 years of bottling, and Vinho Verde should be consumed within one year of bottling. The white wines don't turn over quickly at the retailer and are often poorly handled. So consumers who bump into one of these white wines that is over the hill get a wrong impression of the wine."
Sip and Tell
Todd Cromwell is very excited about the 1996 varietals and blends from the Dão region, which include:
Alice Feiring fell in love with:
Joshua Wesson's favorites include:
Bartholomew Broadbent sets great stock by:
Debra Crestoni, president, of Vintage Wine Selections, Chicago, is partial to:
And I managed to impress not only dinner guests but myself, with my two discoveries:
It was a very good year
Wine Regions The most important DOC wine regions include: |
|
Dom Teadosio Cardeal Dao Quinta da Aveleda Vinho Verde Catarina Jose Pires Muscat Sogrape Alvarinho Vinho Verde Termes Vinho Verde Branco
Red Wines |
LIQUID ASSETS - October 1999