Firstly I have not been into my blogging recently. Well, the last 7 months to be more precise. This coincides with the age of my first daughter, who is also 7 months old. Funny how that happens… I do promise to be more active from now on though.

I was able to get down to the Algarve for a little break recently. Here I visited the Quinta dos Vales winery once again to try some of the latest wines. It was quite pleasant there with the temperature in the low 20’s (centigrade), which is very acceptable to me in mid November. Although it is pretty quite in the Algarve at this time of year, it is a good chance to get a cheap hotel room and see the towns as fishing villages rather than tourist resorts.

At Quinta dos Vales there is the option of accommodation. Here you can stay in a villa amongst the vines, which is a very relaxing option in the peak season in the region. You will feel a world away from the resorts and packed beaches and bars. During the off season it is also a wonderful experience. Especially at this time of the year as the leaves on the vines are painting the landscape red, orange, yellow and brown.

Then of course you are in a winery. You have the wines to try! I have written about some of the Quinta dos Vales wines before. What took my interest this time around was not a “top of the range” wine. I was very interested in one of their entry level white wines. The 2010 Marquês dos Vales Primeira Selecção – Blanc do Noir. This is an unusual white wine. It is made from the Castelão grape variety. For those not familiar with the varietal, it is a red grape. As most of you will know, when you crush the majority of red grapes the juice is clear, the red colour comes from the contact with the skins, known as maceration. The exceptions are; Alicante Bouschet, Carmina, Deckrot, Dunkelfelder, Gamy Teiturier , Grand Noir de la Calmette, Kolor, Petit Bouschet, Pinot Teiturire, Royal 1390, Rubired, Salvador, Saperavi, Siebouschet and Sulmer. These red (or black) varieties also have red flesh so provide red juice. The most well know white wine from red gapes is probably Pinot Noir, but there is the option of making a white wine from most red varietals.

For this wine, the results have been very good. With white flower, pear and peach on the noise and a crisp fuity palate and a tangy dry finish it pairs very well with a wide range of simple sea food dishes – or simply to enjoy on a warm evening of the balcony or terrace. If you visit the winery it will probably be the first wine you taste, but do not forget about it when you come to making a selection on what to buy. They are many great wines to taste after this one, but at under €7 per bottle it is well worth taking a couple away with you.

So if you are planning your holidays for next year at the moment, or are looking at escaping the freezing temperatures where you are right now, the Quinta dos Vales winery is a great place to stay or visit.

By Chris Metcalfe

In the film, various wine makers share their stories and passion with the viewer. From the Azores to the Minho, Colares to the Alentejo, the variety of techniques and wine styles are as varied as you would expect from such a diverse cross-section of Portuguese wine regions. The touching and, in most cases sad, part of most of these people’s stories is that they feel their way of making wine will not be handed on to another generation, or anyone at all. Surrounding these hardy, mostly aging men’s land, very few vineyards survive. They have either been abandoned or turned into another agricultural pursuit.

Although this film (and some passionate people in Portugal) is trying to keep these traditional wine make practices alive, the people in the movie in the most part, have a very pessimistic view of their passion continuing past their lifetime. I am not sure what to feel after watching the movie. There is something different in all of the wineries shown, something that should be preserved for the Portugal’s heritage as much as for wine lovers. The film aims to show the slow death of these traditions in a hope to raise people’s awareness of them. The value of these wines cannot be measured by a mark out of 100. They are hand-made wines in a world of mass-production; they cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world, so the value of these wines should be more than the few Euros you would pay for them.

I was fortunate enough to taste some of the wines from the producers (who were in attendance at the premier) and although some were an acquired taste I have to say, most were quite good. I know they will probably be different vintage to vintage, but really who cares? They tell a story in every bottle. That is something a modern winery will never be able to do. And I for one hope this film goes a long way in helping the people who are working to keep these traditions alive. The world of wine will be poorer if they do not exist past the current generation.

If you get a chance to see the film – do go along and watch it. But I do not foresee it being in your local cinema complex… You may need to wait until DVD sales are available. Here is a brief trailer for the film. If this film interests you – leave us a comment and I will provide you with more information on how you can see, or buy it soon. Or you can contact the director at his blog Reign of Terroir

By Chris Metcalfe

There are exceptions to the rule in the Algarve. One of these wineries is Quinta dos Vales. I visited them earlier in the year to see and taste for myself. I must admit, I was not sure what to expect. I was a little worried at the sight of brightly coloured artworks strewn across the property. After I had a look around the very well designed grounds and some of the vineyards, I began to realize they were set up for some serious wine production. All this could have been undone if the wines were not up to scratch.

I was guided through the tasting by Aderito , the horticultural engineer at the winery. Although his title may seem unusual for someone to be hosting a wine tasting, I can assure you he knew his stuff. His main role at the winery is maintaining the vines for optimal grape production. This is a hard, time consuming job at any winery, but at Quinta dos Vales there is one vineyard that is particularly temperamental. The Grace Vineyard regularly tests the winery’s patience. The intense workload for low yields seems like a thankless task. Maybe in many wineries now days it would have been dug up and replaced. Tasting the wine however (and a few times since) I can assure you the time and effort is well worth it.

The wine that interested me the most was the Grace Vineyard 2010 Branco. A white wine made from Arinto, Siria and Malvasia Fina. This wine I tasted as a tank sample and it still had some time to go before it would be bottled. Even so, it was very interesting – in a good way. It has mango, lychee and passion fruit aromas and on the taste it starts light and then becomes more robust with great acidity, a touch of oak and a long finish. It is better to have this wine with an equally robust meal – pork, strong fish or chicken dishes I think would be best. It is an excellent wine on its own, but when you compare it to most other white wines made in the region it is really outstanding.

Quinta dos Vales is located just outside the small town of Estombar. If you are in the Algarve this summer go and visit them and try their wines for youself.

By Chris Metcalfe

There are two reasons why Herdade do Portocarro is producing something different. One is the terroir. The winery is located in a unique area on the hilly banks of the Sado river. It is an Alentejo winery, but in the boundaries of the Setubal Peninsular region. To make it even more unique, it has a micro climate different to most wine producing areas in Portugal. They get a lot of sun, but not as much heat in the evenings as other Alentejo or Setubal peninsular wineries, thanks to an almost constant cooling breeze. The soils here are mainly clay and add an earthiness to the wines which is different from the schist or limestone soils of many other wine producing regions.

The second reason they wines are different, is the owner Jose Mota Capitão. I met him recently at the winery and tasted the individual wines from the grapes he grows, that go into his blends and single varietal wines. When tasting the barrel samples of the 2010 vintage wines with him, it was hard not to get infected by his passion for earthy, dry and complex red wines. The son of a doctor in Lisboa, Jose is not a third or fourth generation wine producer like many in Portugal. Jose’s passion for farming brought him to Portocarro, here he started growing rice and tended cattle and after many years of meticulously planning he started with the vineyards. Now he has a capacity for around 60,000 bottles per year; a very small volume by today’s standards. He does not want to produce more than that. In talking with him I found he stands very firmly in producing “hand-made” wines. To produce more than he does now, would mean he would have to automate the production a lot more, this he believes will reduce the quality of his wines, which he is not prepared to sacrifice.

The results are wines made with the intent to show the terroir, Jose’s personal taste and the grapes he grows. These grapes include Alfrocheiro, Aragones (known as Tempranillo in Spain), Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and most interestingly Sangiovese. The Touriga Franca and Sangiovese were the pick of the bunch, so to speak, when tasting them individually.

Herdade do Portocarro currently produces 3 wines:
Herdade do Portocarro – A good way to introduce yourself to the wines from the winery. At around €11 it is very good value.
Cavalo Maluco – Meaning “Crazy Horse” from his childhood fascination with the Native American leader, not the night club in Paris… This is the top blend from the winery. At around €27 it is a great wine for the price.
Anima – This 100% Sangiovese wine is a wonderful representation of the grape and a real surprise for me to see it in Portugal. It would seem too hot in Portugal to produce Sangiovese, but at Portocarro there are excellent conditions for it to grow and make great wine. At €27 it is great value compared to Italian versions of the same quality.

By Chris Metcalfe

Vines Alsace

One highlight wasn’t the comparison between the two styles but the comparison between the King Valley samples and some European ones. The 2009 Del Zotto was compared to a 2008 from the Alto Adige region in the Tyrol and Libertine matched them with a soufflé. Initially I was disappointed as both wines were served too cold and you had to let them drop to room temperature before the real taste came through. Then there wasn’t much difference between the two. Both were steely and long on the palate. I was biased and preferred the Victorian variety.

The Prentice pinot gris was compared to one from Alsace. Both were from the 2009 vintage and the chef matched them with a chicken farci. I thought the food was a better match for them and the smoothness of the gris complemented the taste of the chicken. I couldn’t see much difference in these two wines either.

The two grape varieties are both splendid styles and ideally suited to the cool climate of the King Valley. Other examples I’ve tasted from warmer climes weren’t as pristine and the gris were rather overblown. I am a fan of the Del Zotto wines and would have voted for their wines if pressed. I also liked the modesty of Michael Del Zotto, the winemaker. His description of the grigio wasn’t complicated by wine speak.

Vines King Valley

By Michael Metcalfe

For most people, experiencing wine comes at eating establishments rather than at wineries, so I would like to highlight a restaurant that offers great local food and wine in the Algarve. I was recommended this restaurant by the staff at Quinta dos Vales winery just outside Estombar. They gave me the GPS coordinates to place called Espaço Xarme in Lagos. Despite some tricky little streets in the old centre of Largos, I managed to find my way there.

Here I met with the owner and Chef Augusto Lima. Augusto’s life-long love of food comes across as soon as you strike up a conversation with him. His cooking days started at a very early age. After being banished from the household kitchen for nearly destroying it at age 6, he spent his time replicating what he saw using earth and water in his imaginary kitchen outside. At 18 years old, he unexpectedly got his first experience as a head chef, due to the owner and chef of the placed where he worked being involved in a minor car accident. With a fully booked restaurant and some convincing from the owner’s wife, he took over running the kitchen. Despite some imperfections here and there, the meals were received very well.

His passion for the local ingredients led him to Vincent Nas at Ermitage in Almacil. Here, while working along-side him for 4 years, he learnt much of what he brings to his own restaurant; great local ingredients made in innovative ways. And I can tell you it works very well! I was very impressed by the local and quite rare Algarve Churro lamb that was recommended for me to try along with a local red wine.

Although Espaço Xarme was only opened in early January this year, another innovation was launched last week. Augusto has decided to offer “mini courses” of Algarve and Alentejo produce, along with local wines by the glass. I highly recommend it if you are interested in getting to know more about the local food and wine of the area – or if you like me and just want to experience more of it.

In the word of Augusto – “We exist because we love what we do. Welcome! It will be a pleasure to cook for you.” I for one will be back to try some more, sooner rather than later.

By Chris Metcalfe

Further up the road is Lilliput Winery, about eight kilometres from Rutherglen. Typically it is a small winery in a small settlement. The German winemakers their claim their wines are biodiverse. I expected a reisling and a gewürztraminer but got neither… But they did do a shiraz and a cabernet that were very rich and fruity and I didn’t get a headache from either.

Even further up the road is Larks Hill. As with Lilliput, we chanced upon this winery located a few kilometers north of Bungerong on the road from Queanbeyan to Batman’s Bay. It is certified bio-dynamic and they stick to the gospel of Steiner with mulching, planting at the full moon, building stone monument, sacrificing virgins, the lot. The don’t do a gewürztraminer, but they do the first gruner viltliner in Australia. The story goes that importing the vines into Australia is prohibited, but a man from Tasmania had some and gave them to Larks Hill as he was getting on in years and wanted the vines to have a good home. The winemaker from Larks Hill flew to Tassie, got the seedlings and flew back with them first class. The wine is great going by the second vintage, the 2010. It is reisling like but not as austere and is quite fruit driven. Their pinot and shiraz were superb – rich and intense, long and savoury – real food wines. We had a bottle of the shiraz with steak and it was an excellent fit.

The cost of preservative free wines is minimal. As you get into the rarified and certified organic, the prices skyrocket. But it’s worth it and we willingly support the effort.

By Michael Metcalfe

As a part of the conference they had some of the best wine critics, including Jancis Robinson, Charles Metcalfe, Neil Martin, among many others, blind tasted many Touriga Nacional single varietal wines to come up with the top 10. And here they are!

Alfaraz Touriga Nacional 2008 – Alentejo
Churchill’s Estates Touriga Nacional 2008 – Douro
Encontro Touriga Nacional 2008 – Bairrada
Herdade São Miguel Touriga Nacional 2008 – Alentejo
Inquieto Touriga Nacional 2008 – Douro
Marques dos Vales Grace 2008 – Algarve
Munda 2008 – Dão
Pedra Cancela Touriga Nacional 2008 – Dão
Quinta da Pedra Alta Touriga Nacional 2007 – Douro
Quinta das Marias 2008 – Dão

It is nice that one from the Alentejo in there. The home of the grape is the Dão region, but it has been made famous by the Douro region using it in Porto as well as making some great single varietals. Other regions have taken it and are producing they own distinctive wines from the grape. As I am a big fan of the wines of the Alentejo, it is great for the region!

Another great thing is that there is an Algarve winery in the top ten. This region is not often thought of as a wine producing area. It is more thought of as a holiday destination, but there are great areas to grow and produce wine there. I hope there are more wineries coming up there and the existing ones get more recognition soon.