Wine Fictions

 In this former post I have made reference to the importance of the lunar cycles to both harvest and tasting of a wine. This is a theme that has lately been popping around me and, having interested me from the very first moment, led me to this article which I strongly recommend to have a look at.  Being a Waldorf teacher I soon came across the lunar cycles observation and how it influences the most diverse aspects of agriculture,from which I find the full moon harvest particularly interesting. What has recently surprised me was the adaptation of this concept to the drinking of the wine. Through apps such as When Wine it is possible to know whether today is or not a good day to have wine. And this was the decisive point to meet the friend who has introduced me to this theme and open this Quinta das Bágeiras Reserva. With a traditional mix of Baga and Touriga Nacional, this is a wine that reflects the irreverence of the Baga grape, here translated with tempting green berries,...

 As I have started drinking wine in a more conscious way I soon came across Paulo Laureano's name and his work. By exclusively using and believing in the capacities of autochthonous grapes Paulo Laureano has grown to be  one of the major references in the Portuguese wine-making scene.  This organic old vines is a faithful reflection of the terroir where it was created, revealing dense and intense red fruits with a small hint of coffee. With its  dark red colour and tremendous long ending it is a rather voluptuous wine with a strong gastronomic side,  inviting to try the gastronomy of Alentejo such as Iberian pork or hard cheeses with long maturation time. One thing which has surprised me in this wine was its incredible freshness and somehow livelihood. Sometimes it seemed as if you were drinking a young wine full of character but with the a long and persistent ending revealing its age and development. The best of both worlds, I would say. With it I recommend the...

 From a no wine region in Germany comes this Riesling Traminer which can be a pretty good surprise for the ones who try it.  I have to confess that saying that this wine comes from a no region is not really that innocent. Even though it may be included in the Saale-Unstrut region, it is already out of it and, in fact, can not be included in any official region.  In fact, the story of Matthias Kirmann is pretty interesting and it can be checked here: https://www.vinum.eu/de/yoopress-news/portraits/2019/harzer-winzer-mit-herzblut / ( the article can be read in both German and French).  From the initial passion to the problems concerning distribution and recognition even from the local gastronomy companies, this is a story of perseverance and dedication to wine coming from a region which is famous for many reasons but not for its wines. I have came across it as my wife is from a close by village and I have seen the vineyards on some of the walks we took around.  I ...

 From one of the most exciting wine producers in Portugal there is this Dois Terroirs which, has the name reveals, is a mix of both continental and oceanic climates. These two terroirs are, in fact, not too far away from each other and express one of the things I find fascinating about Portuguese wines: you can have a huge variety of climates inland due to its large sea front and the mountains which cut most of the Atlantic breeze.  This was probably the reason that made the Danish Hans and the American Carrie Jorgensen move to Portugal and start a pretty successful wine project in the country.   With a strong design which is easily recognizable they have managed to establish a continuity in the market due to the quality of their wines and its visual impact.  But how important can design be? It is true that the eyes also buy and the aesthetics of a bottle can, in fact, play an important role. When I was back at the university in Lisbon, I had a friend who have s...