Wine Fictions

 One of the things that I find most fascinating about wine it is the stories around its creation and how they can influence your final perception of it.  The director of the shop where I work has recently confessed me that he has decided to buy a Barca Velha as he came across its history and its particular selection of grapes and how a vintage is determined. In my case, I have been a growing fan of Anibal Coutinho´s Astronauta project where the Oenologist has decided to work with grapes which did not belong directly to him but were carefully chosen in special areas. In the case of this one, Coutinho has chosen one of the Portuguese star white grapes and decided to make a vinho verde even though Arinto finds in the Lisbon area its best expression. I have to confess that I was positively impressed as soon as I felt its tremendous freshness invading my palate, revealing some of the main notes you can find in a vinho verde such as pineapple and grapefruit.  It is definitely...

 One of the things that has been going around my mind since I have started working at the wine shop is about the trust that customers lay (or not) on your abilities to identify their wine needs. It is quite interesting to make the right questions in the few seconds that the whole dialogue takes place and look for an appropriate answer within a rather short amount of time.  There are people who just blindly accept whatever you recommend them, the ones who are mistrustful and the ones who like to counterargument and get into some really nice wine discussions.  This Re Manfredi is one of the wines that I often recommend to all the ones who want a rather fruity and sweet wine without getting into  half dry ones. This is what I consider to be a wine out of the box where the sweetness of the Müller Thurgau offers an unique experience when allied to the volcanic soils of Basilicata. This makes it a perfect choice to accompany Indian or other spicy dishes. I find it really i...