Cooking
A few weeks ago I attended an informal Portuguese wine tasting with Jardiniere Wine Director, the utterly charming, Eugenio Jardim. It was very gratifying for me on a number of levels. A few years ago, during the process of writing WinePassport: Portugal I got very excited about Portuguese wines. My enthusiasm has not waned. I am happy whenever I meet those who also enjoy sharing the pleasures of Portuguese wines, of which there are many.
Jardim had just returned from Portugal where he tried lots of wine and even wrote about regions of the country. We started out with one of my favorites, a Luis Pato sparkling wine from Bairrada and then proceeded with several wines I was unfamiliar with but enjoyed greatly. Then a week or so ago I went to a wine tasting of Portuguese wines that lacked distributors on the West Coast. The mood was giddy as wine writers, retailers and sommeliers discovered unique and captivating wines at often bargain prices. While red table wines from the Douro valley are becoming more common, there is much more to discover.
Next week Vini Portugal will host it's annual wine tasting event in San Francisco on April 5th, 2010, and Evan Goldstein will be giving master classes. I can't wait! If you are interested in Portuguese wines, this is THE event to attend.
While I suggest you also purchase a copy of WinePassport: Portugal, here are tips from Jardim for enjoying Portuguese wines and my comments as well:
1. Portugal is where you will find tremendous value when it comes to wine. Try something new, you don't have much to lose.
2. Don't get hung up on the varietals. As Jardim pointed out, they can be hard to pronounce and many wines are blends. When starting out, look to regions and styles instead.
3. Portugal is the last frontier. This is ironic, because Portugal has been making wine for a very, very long time. Grapes were brought to Portugal by the Phoenicians in 600 BC and Portugal has been exporting wine since the 14th century.
4. The native varieties are wonderful. Some may be similar to varietals in Spain, but others are completely unique and more often than not, food friendly.
- Vinho Verde: Wine On Friday
There's a sommelier I know who compares wine to people--she says Zinfandel is a dude, Pinot Noir is an elegant lady. If I had to choose a wine that fits with my personality, it might just be Vinho Verde. It’s fresh, approachable, bright, straight...
- Duas Quintas Reserva Red Wines: Wine On Friday
I have been very enthusiastic about Portuguese wines ever since I wrote WinePassport: Portugal. I appreciate that they are generally very food friendly with terrific acidity, and offer excellent value. While many varietals are planted everywhere,...
- News, News And More News
Since I've returned home a number of exciting things have happened that I want to share. 1. I am a published author! The latest in the line of WinePassports from SmartsCo has been released, it's WinePassport: Portugal and I wrote it. It was...
- Ucb Wine Studies: Fundamentals I Outline
I haven’t mentioned my upcoming UCB Extension wine class in a while, but today I made the final course outline. It seemed like a good time to remind any Bay Areans about the class, which starts on October 11 and gives an overview of the wines of...
- My Next Wine Class: Fundamentals I
A friend of mine mentioned that the new UCB Extension Catalog is out, so it's time for me to give you a heads-up about my next wine class. I'll be teaching the second section (starting Oct. 11) of Fundamentals I: Wines of California and Europe....
Cooking
Introducing the Wines of Portugal
A few weeks ago I attended an informal Portuguese wine tasting with Jardiniere Wine Director, the utterly charming, Eugenio Jardim. It was very gratifying for me on a number of levels. A few years ago, during the process of writing WinePassport: Portugal I got very excited about Portuguese wines. My enthusiasm has not waned. I am happy whenever I meet those who also enjoy sharing the pleasures of Portuguese wines, of which there are many.
Jardim had just returned from Portugal where he tried lots of wine and even wrote about regions of the country. We started out with one of my favorites, a Luis Pato sparkling wine from Bairrada and then proceeded with several wines I was unfamiliar with but enjoyed greatly. Then a week or so ago I went to a wine tasting of Portuguese wines that lacked distributors on the West Coast. The mood was giddy as wine writers, retailers and sommeliers discovered unique and captivating wines at often bargain prices. While red table wines from the Douro valley are becoming more common, there is much more to discover.
Next week Vini Portugal will host it's annual wine tasting event in San Francisco on April 5th, 2010, and Evan Goldstein will be giving master classes. I can't wait! If you are interested in Portuguese wines, this is THE event to attend.
While I suggest you also purchase a copy of WinePassport: Portugal, here are tips from Jardim for enjoying Portuguese wines and my comments as well:
1. Portugal is where you will find tremendous value when it comes to wine. Try something new, you don't have much to lose.
2. Don't get hung up on the varietals. As Jardim pointed out, they can be hard to pronounce and many wines are blends. When starting out, look to regions and styles instead.
3. Portugal is the last frontier. This is ironic, because Portugal has been making wine for a very, very long time. Grapes were brought to Portugal by the Phoenicians in 600 BC and Portugal has been exporting wine since the 14th century.
4. The native varieties are wonderful. Some may be similar to varietals in Spain, but others are completely unique and more often than not, food friendly.
- Vinho Verde: Wine On Friday
There's a sommelier I know who compares wine to people--she says Zinfandel is a dude, Pinot Noir is an elegant lady. If I had to choose a wine that fits with my personality, it might just be Vinho Verde. It’s fresh, approachable, bright, straight...
- Duas Quintas Reserva Red Wines: Wine On Friday
I have been very enthusiastic about Portuguese wines ever since I wrote WinePassport: Portugal. I appreciate that they are generally very food friendly with terrific acidity, and offer excellent value. While many varietals are planted everywhere,...
- News, News And More News
Since I've returned home a number of exciting things have happened that I want to share. 1. I am a published author! The latest in the line of WinePassports from SmartsCo has been released, it's WinePassport: Portugal and I wrote it. It was...
- Ucb Wine Studies: Fundamentals I Outline
I haven’t mentioned my upcoming UCB Extension wine class in a while, but today I made the final course outline. It seemed like a good time to remind any Bay Areans about the class, which starts on October 11 and gives an overview of the wines of...
- My Next Wine Class: Fundamentals I
A friend of mine mentioned that the new UCB Extension Catalog is out, so it's time for me to give you a heads-up about my next wine class. I'll be teaching the second section (starting Oct. 11) of Fundamentals I: Wines of California and Europe....