For such a small country, Portugal turns out an impressive range of wines – light, bracing whites, sunny rosés, cellar-worthy reds, fortified Ports and age-defying Madeiras.
What's that? Oh, yes, and Mateus, the fizzy rosé in the iconic bottle modelled after a goat's scrotum. (I, ahem, kid you not; look up the term bocksbeutel.) You'll find a cross-section of that spectrum in today's Portuguese spotlight at Ontario Vintages stores, several selections of which are available in other provinces listed below. You'll also find a range of styles, from traditional and rustic to hyper-fruity, fresh and smooth.
What you won't find is a screw cap in the lot. No longer the lowly seal of industrial jug wines, the twist-off top continues to gain ground with premium wine producers around the world as a guarantee of freedom from cork taint. Not so much in Portugal, which happens to supply about 80 per cent of the world's cork.
Regrettably, most wine consumers' experience with Portugal extends little beyond that ubiquitous 1970s training wine, Mateus, which, ironically, is one of the few Portuguese wines that has made the switch from cork to screw cap. So, consider a few bottles from today's release, and save the Mateus for your next seventies theme party.
Quinta de Azevedo Vinho Verde 2006 ($11.95, product No. 727115) is a fine example of Portugal's famously crisp, often delicately sparkling vinho verde, a style literally translated as “green wine” for the fresh state in which it's customarily sold. This lively white is quite ripe and relatively substantial for the style, pushing an uncharacteristically high 11.5-per-cent alcohol and offering up hints of peach and citrus. A perfect springtime aperitif.
The other white not to be missed in today's release is Finagra Esporao Vinho Branco Reserva 2005 ($17.95, No. 500033). It's made from obscure local grapes called roupeiro, arinto and antao vaz, though you might be forgiven for guessing chardonnay in a blind tasting. It's medium full-bodied and brimming with hints of pear, stone fruit and honey, with a buttery texture and crisp, spicy-toasty finish from time spent maturing in American-oak barrels. There's great balance to this versatile wine from the southern Alentejo region. They've even had it on the by-the-glass list at chi-chi Canoe restaurant at the top of Toronto's TD Centre tower; that's how good it is. Pair it with chicken or grilled fish. It's also available in British Columbia for $24.99.
One of the best reds of the release is also among the most expensive, Quinta do Crasto Douro Reserva Old Vines 2004 ($29.95, No. 990572). Here's a thoroughly modern Portuguese wine in all is fruit-forward glory, from the Douro Valley region better known for Port production. It's full-bodied and luscious, with notes of sweet blackberry, cherry, herbs and spice, a creamy texture and crisp acidity on the warm, penetrating, 14.5-per-cent-alcohol finish.
For value, it's hard to beat Vinhos Sogrape Reserva Douro 2001 ($17.95, No. 335208; $22.06 in B.C.; $20.85 in Quebec), another dry red charmer from the Port region. Made by the people who brought us Mateus, it's full-bodied, showing rich cassis-cherry fruit enhanced with sweet pipe tobacco. This wine, like many premium Portuguese reds, comes unfiltered, so consider standing it upright for a couple of hours before serving. Then gently decant it into a pitcher to hold back the harmless sediment.
The excellent white I mentioned above has an excellent red counterpart, Finagra Esporao Reserva 2004 ($25.95, No. 606590). This is a perennial top seller at fine Portuguese restaurants. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario ordered in 1,000 cases of the 2004 vintage and I wouldn't be surprised if it sold out within a month. Full-bodied and intense, with penetrating flavours of cherry and black pepper, the wine has been bottled without the normal cold stabilization period, so it will throw a deposit.
For robust meat dishes such as grilled beef or braised short ribs, consider Herdade Do Peso Aragones 2004 ($29.95, No. 728170), big and concentrated, with flavours of ripe dark-skinned fruit, a chewy texture and firm, spicy-leathery finish.
And don't miss an excellent example of that sadly neglected wine named after the tiny island of Madeira. Cossart Gordon Madeira Sercial 5 Years Old ($24.95, No. 722975) makes a wonderfully offbeat aperitif for snacks such as roasted nuts and olives. Virtually dry, it has a rich, nutty character and long, tangy finish.
Whisky tastings
Interested in learning more about whisky and tasting some rarities? Toronto-area whisky aficionados gather tonight at Roy Thomson Hall for the annual Spirit of Toronto Whisky Gala, from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $105 and include tastings. Visit www.spiritoftoronto.ca.
