Wine Fictions

Pure citrus! This is the first thought that invaded my mind when I had my first a sip of this Casa de Paços Family Blend. As we keep on drinking it, the other tastes that are common to most vinhos verdes (such as peach or pineapple)  appear in a very harmonic way, granting it a fascinating stability, opening our palate to a most pleasant experience. This is a very elegant wine with high gastronomic versatility and I must say that it is one of my highlights of this summer due to the new dimensions that it has opened to me. Just a pity that the weather in Hamburg does not seem to collaborate with this joyful summer feeling. Along with this sort of summer euphoria, I leave you with this strongly visual poem by Anthony Cody. 17/20 Country: Portugal Region: Verde Grapes: Arinto, Alvarinho, Fernão Pires, Loureiro 12,5% Winemaker: Silva Ramos  Website: https://quintapacos.com/en/wines/index.html#

There are certain wines that we end up buying after a long and careful search, several readings and/or references from friends.  This often makes the expectation of having it rather bigger, creating a certain adrenaline when you are finally about to open the bottle. That was exactly what happened with me with this wine. Last year I have met a friend of mine who´s working with wines in Berlin and after a long and pleasant talk about a recent wine fair where he was, he took me to quite nice bar where he assured me there was this Arinto dos Acores, made by one of the star Portuguese winemakers, António Macanita. The place was a mix between vintage and posh in what many may define as "typical Berlin". We were welcomed by the local sommelier who in a rather sorrow look apologized to us saying that he had just sold the very last bottle. Sure has he proposed another one, but my friend just spent the rest of the night in a rather lame tone guaranteeing me that I have just missed s...

Keeping on the path of the Riesling, I have decided to try and see how the grape reveals itself in Portugal. After having tried several ones from the southern plains of the country, mainly Tejo and Alentejo and being deeply impressed, I have now decided to see how it would be a bit more north in the Douro region. This Cheda 2015 intensively reveals strong flowers taste perfectly balanced with some more traditional expressions of the grape, such as a strong minerality and slight oil scent. Compared to most of the offers you can get around the Mosel region, this one reveals a maturation which sets him somewhere between a new and a late harvest, without being as sweet as it often happens with the later. This is mainly due to its mixed fermentation, being 50% done with contact with french oak, and the other half in stainless barrels. Being a white wine already with five years, I could also notice some interesting evolution, reinforcing its strong gastronomic character, making it a ...

"Give me a flagon of red wine, a book of verses, a loaf of bread, and a little idleness. If with such store I might sit by thy dear side in some lonely place, I should deem myself happier than a king in his kingdom." Al-Khayyam Today I have decided to start this post the other way round as I often do, by first offering a quote. The reason why is to reveal one of my main inspirations when I think about wine and literature. Omar Al-Khayyam was a Persian poet who has dedicated most of his works to wine. The different perspectives that his poetry offers to the pleasure of drinking it have been a changing point on my perception of the experience of wine drinking.  Rather surprising was my experience in Iran, where wine is exclusively drunk by Christians during prayer (at least officially), where Al-Khayyam is still referred as one of their main poets. When I have asked about the potential conflict between the elegy of wine and a regime which sanctions all the ones who drink al...