Posted on

Creature Of The Night

Quinta do Passadouro
Vinho Tinto 2019
55% Tinta Roriz, 25% Touriga Francesa, 10% Touriga Nacional, 10% Field Blend from old vines
Duoro DOC
Pinhão, Portugal

Inky maroon with purple pops. Sniff and a little oak dances through & mingles with wildflowers, blackberries, black currants, plums, and a pinch of warm spice & anise. Tasting and there’s dark cherries joining the blackberries, black currants & plums & a red currant or two with a not quite ripe tart raspberry, licorice, and the teeny tiniest of tomato leaf appears & then tells you you didn’t see them…or shhh they were never there it’s all an illusion. Everything smooths out into an elegant, graceful sip. You know…this wine pairs well with a lot, but honestly I want it all to my self solo.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: this is one of those moments of YES!

My first encounter with Passadouro was when I was browsing wine in Montreal and a little Oryctolagus cuniculus hopped in my way. Yes, I was pulled in by the label but not just because of the little Portuguese bunny, but also the artistic details from the drawing & the distinctive zipper-like cut in the design. The next one to flutter in my path was a native game bird, the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) on their Tinto 2012. Now this 2019 red may just be my favorite yet with the sleek, stealth, and agile creature of the night…the Genetta genetta. I wonder if they are part of the natural pest control for their vineyards since they are carnivores. Back to the vineyards/grapes, another reason why I have fallen for these vinhos is their consistent yet somewhat varied blends. They always start with the 3 same grapes: Tinta Roriz, Touriga Francesa, & Touriga Nacional but may not be the same percent depending on the harvest and sometimes (like this one) it’s rounded out with a field blend of old vines. Hands down this bottle is not only a work of art, but it’s also simply delicious. 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #portugal #douro #FrederickWildman #QuintadoPassadouro #vinewinenyc

Posted on

Following The Dream

Textura
Pretexto Tinto 2020
Dão DOC
Jaen, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Alfrocheiro
Sustainable, organic
São Paio, Gouveia, Portugal
Marcelo Araujo & family
Winemaker: Luis Seabra

Ruby purple that’s so deep I can’t see my fingers on the other side of the glass. Sniff and there’s cherries, tart & a few dark plums &  touch of prunes, raspberries, tomato leaves, fresh pulled beets, and as it opens a floral moment of tiny roses. Sipping & again cherries, tart & dark plums, green tomatoes warm from the backyard, dried herbs (oregano, rosemary, pinch of sage), young strawberries, blackberries, boysenberries, and a lemon/lime zest moment. Smooth, fresh and easy to love.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: ack ack ack awful

So what do you do if you realize you love wine more than your old job in Brazil? If you’re like Marcelo Araujo you follow your passion, but you also follow a well thought out plan. He & his family found the right plots in Portugal, the right people (Mariana Salvador & Luis Seabra) to help guide the way, and utilize what is already there like the 100+ year old textile factory that they renovated into their winery, wine bar, and a space for “wine tourism” which celebrates the native grapes that make as they say their “wines of character”, local recipes, culture, and of course nature since they are nestled right near Serra da Estrela Natural Park where you can find Eurasian eagle-owls (wow are they huge!), Common genet (so freaking cute), wolves, boars, and so much more. Who wouldn’t want to follow a passion and end up in such an enchanting place that you can call home? They are definitely living the dream, or rather in their case the best wine life possible. 🍷❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #organic #wineislove #winetime #naturalwine #worldbyglass #jdselections #textura #texturawines #vinewinenyc

Posted on

Drink Life Slowly

Esporão
Monte Velho Tinto 2021
Vinho Regional Alentejano
Aragonez 40%, Trincadeira 35%, Touriga Nacional 20%, Syrah 5%
Alentejo, Portugal
Winemkaers: Sandra Alves & João Ramos

Deep goth dark ruby with a light ruby rim. There’s scents of cola, prunes, dark plums & cherries, mission figs, raspberries, over time blueberries wave hello, a pinch of earth & iron. Sipping raisins, prunes, dark plums, tart & dark cherries, dried mission figs, also some rustic tangy young cherry, and a welcome burn that fades and smoothes.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: everything goes more rich and smooth so YES

When I took my first few sips, my hands just took over and typed, “I want to be on vacation”. Well, Esporão wants that for us too, or actually more than just a quick break but to learn to move forward slowly, to breath deeply, to care for our environment, enjoy silence, and live in the moment. Here’s their manifesto and it’s definitely worth a read.

The world moves at a faster pace than ever.
But to many of us, it looks like we’re going nowhere fast.
Fast is surrendering our privacy for instant access to memes.
Fast is downing a double espresso while rushing to work.
Fast has us watching five seasons of a show on Netflix in one gulp.
Fast has made the week speed by because we were too busy
to stop and look around.
Fast isn’t forward.

We’re from the slow country.
We have a different pace of life.
And it makes life look pretty good.
Slow is smart. Slow is a skill. Slow is progress.
So if you’re in a hurry, drink wine slowly.
Drink life slowly.

There are many ways to move forward. This is ours.
Esporão.
Slow Forward.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #redwine #winetasting #winetime #naturalwine #portugal #Alentejano #Alentejo #slowforward #thisisEsporão #Esporão #Esporao #vinewine #vinewinenyc @esporaoworld @vinewinenyc

Posted on

History, Heritage & Horses

Casa Cadaval
Padre Pedro 2019
Tejo DO
Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, Alfrocheiro
Organic (certified in 2020), hand harvested, vegan
Muge, Portugal
Owned since 1648 by the Álvares Pereira de Mello family
Current generation: Teresa Schönborn, Countess of Schönborn and Wiesentheid

Stained glass ruby. Give this glass some space to breathe (and later a steak or blood sausage). Scents grow of cherries fresh & dried, plums, dark raisins, cranberry, a little cola, oil cured olive pits, and a light earthy that turns into a toasty goodness. Tasting and all of the scents are heightened and more dry, blend of cranblueraspberry with a tiny fig dropped in, orange & peel, balsamic reduction, and a spice slow burn on the back.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: smooth

Had no idea how much centuries of history was going to be in this bottle when I grabbed it from the under $20 shelf. There’s a lineage of royalty, patrons of the arts, 5 generations of women at the helm, the vast varying territory including the vineyards, a bird sanctuary, cork trees, and the list goes on. Of course, the one thing that truly stands out to me (other than the fab wine) are their noble & majestic  Lusitano horses, that have been linked to the estate since the 1600s. What an amazing ability to get to raise and grow with these historic (lineage of this breed can be traced to the early neolithic) spirits. Horses also can be such a source of comfort, and in my case during my youth when things were not bright they pulled me out into the sun. There’s nothing like that contact & connect where your ride as one. 🐎 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #winelover #redwine #winetasting #redwine #winetime #organic #portugal #naturalwine #winesofportugal #lusitano #horse #vosselections #CasaCadaval #vinewine #vinewinenyc @vinewinenyc @casacadavalmuge @vosselections

Posted on

That’s No Drone…

Fento Wines
La Galaxia 2020
Vinho Rosado
Touriga Nacional 60%, Tinta Roriz 30%, Jaen 10%
Organic, hand harvested, unfined, unfiltered
Dão, Portugal (grown)
Wine team: Álvaro de Castro (Portugal); Rebecca & Eulogio Pomares (Spain)

Shimmering light salmon. Scents of strawberries, raspberries, light lemon breeze, and delicate apple tree blossoms that weave in and out…very clean and refreshing. Here’s those strawberries again on my tongue along with lemon/citrus squish, watermelon joy, a lick of granite, and a chew of parsley at the end. It’s so delicious, fun and freeing.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: eh well it’s ok but you’re better off without

This delightful wine is a mashup of two countries. The grapes are from Portugal and raised naturally by Quinta Da Pellada’s Álvaro de Castro (and possibly his daughter Maria) and the team’s Spanish other half are Fento Wines’ Rebecca & Eulogio Pomares & then there’s the label artist their eldest son “Gio”. At age 6, he told his dad he was going to design one and sure enough he did…he’s the one in the UFO pulling up by Álvaro’s vines. Rosés/Rosados always have me yearning for the bright summer sun, but this one has me dreaming of laying out in a field away from all the city lights and gazing up at the night sky…waiting for whatever celestial beings might fly by. Hey Gio, if it’s you, how about stop and say hi 👋🛸.

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #rosé #rosado #cheezit #pairswithcheezits #iwanttobelieve #organic #UFO #Spain #Portugal #thatsnomoon #FentoWines @avantgardews @quinta_da_pellada @vinewinenyc @cheezit

Posted on

46 + 46 + 13 = ???

Southold Farm + Cellar
Basics of Life 2019
Red blend
Touriga Nacional 46%, Dolcetto 46%, Mataro 13%  (It’s what it says on the bottle)
Native yeasts, unfined, unfiltered
Texas Hill Country
Fredericksburg, Texas

Hazy ruby plum. Scents bouncing around of raspberries, cherries…(sound of car wheels screech!!!) holy crap! It’s filled with hay and vinegar. Sip and oh lord! Sigh…hoping my next encounter is better. I should have taken the back label as a sign since it’s 105% grapes. 🤣 For the record, I’ve had other Southold wines that have been absolutely fab, but sadly this was just an off bottle. Hey, it happens 🤷‍♀️

#wine #naturalwine #winelife #vino #vin #winelife #葡萄酒 #ワイン #TourigaNacional #Dolcetto #Mataro @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #winestagram #redwine #Texas

Posted on

Finding the Real Dory

AdegaMãe
Dory
vinho tinto 2019
IG Lisboa
Turcifal, Portugal
Touriga Nacional 38%, Syrah 27%, Pinot Noir 12%, Aragonez 23%
Winemakers: Anselmo Mendes and Diogo Lopes

Cherry purple gothiness. Uncork and let it breathe…then exhale and breathe in deep cherry, plum, baking chocolate, and warm pepper. Another deep hug in a glass. Rolling around back and forth over my tongue and there’s cherries, strawberries, blueberries, fresh picked blackberries seeds and all, and fenugreek. Nice and juicy and a happy wine. Don’t over think it. Just enjoy and maybe order some bacalhau croquettes. Mmmmm.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: makes it more velvet, sweet, glorious

Dory’s name comes from a nod to the small shallow boats the cod fishermen of old (not the cute Pixar/Disney fish). One would wonder, why that? Well, João António Alves founder of AdegaMãe, is also the founder of Riberalves which is the leader of cod in Portugal. He and his family now have a hand in two of the best of Portugal, wine and cod (bacalhau). The more I read on the history of how the fishermen used to travel so insanely far and believe me not in a luxurious quarters, I wonder at their amazing physical and mental strength and endurance. Once the home base ship ended up in Newfoundland they’d take off in the smaller one man boats (Dóris) into perilous waters and fish their fill, return to the main and immediately salt the fish. These guys make “Deadliest Catch” look like child’s play.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @adegamae_wines @aidilwines @cheezits #cheezit #wine #vinho  #winestagram #instawine #redwine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #Turcifal #Portugal #Lisboa #TourigaNacional #Syrah #PinotNoir #Aragonez #Riberalves #Dory

Posted on

Follow the Duck

Joao Pato aka Duckman
BaaagaDuck 2018
Vinho Tinto
Portugal
Baga 85%, Touriga Nacional 15%
Winemaker Maria Pato

Beautiful dark ruby color. Starts off with a whiff of butter and then herbal cola (like ricola), salt, dried cherries, plum, a touch of white peppercorn, and at last wild flowers. Shall I sip or take a long swig? I will admit, this is not my first duck, and I am a big fan! Here comes the deep dark cherry, flowers, some smoke, and dried fruit and a bit of spice that I’m trying to figure out.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Mellows it out. Rich and concentrated. 

Baby this is smooth like Barry White. I feel like snuggling up in front of a fireplace with a glass and letting this wine and his voice wrap me like a warm embrace. 

So who is this mysterious Duckman? Maria Pato helms this project, and she comes from quite a prestigious wine family. The vines are in her genes. Her family has been in wine since at least the 18th century. Maria, along with her father Luis Pato, (and well known Baga champion) and her sister Filipa (who I have written about previously) all focus on Bairrada’s native grapes. Maria though leaves off the region on her labels and lets the grapes to speak for themselves. Ok, this is a family I wish would adopt me. I’m more than willing to learn Portuguese, and help out with any vineyard/winery tasks needed. How amazing to have such a long heritage in wine, and to steadfastly stick with it and each other.

On to Bairrada…The Buçaco Forest, encircled by a protective wall, is an enchanting fairyland filled with lush and diverse trees, shrubs, plants and animals from the region. In the 1600s Carmelite monks, by Papal decree, sent to tend to the forest,  began introducing “exotics” including cedar from Mexico. Oh, and during that time, women were forbidden from the forest, so the monks would not be distracted (seriously?!), and not long after that a threat of excommunication was posted if anyone did harm to any of the trees. There’s paths and staircases to lead you through, and hopefully help you from getting lost in this wonderland. You can still see what is left of the convent and the Via Crucis, which are now on the grounds of the Buçaco Palace. The Convento de Santa Cruz do Buçaco also contains the famed Nossa Senhora do Leite (Our Lady of the Milk) by Josefa de Óbidos (from what I’m reading she is potentially Portugal’s first female painter and her works were very well received). Visitors leave behind wax breasts, in hope that Mary will find them some divine intervention. For a view into the architecture and the forest, here’s a calming video by Michael Levit, that I found on youtube. On to the next stop. I keep seeing posts and info that the spas in Luso are a must see. The water from the area is supposed to be some of the best in the world, and there’s a fountain in town where people can fill up their own bottles. The thermal baths were founded in the 1800s, and used for various curative reasons, but now you can find modern spas such as Termas de Luso, where you can either just relax or work on your health in a beautiful setting. One last thing, I truly wish I could experience in person, is to visit the Pato winery in Amoreira da Gândara. It is by appointment only, but they have an option for a regional lunch paired with their wines, and Bairrada’s roast suckling pig. Now that would be a perfect day.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @SaviosSelections @Duckman @luispato.wines @FilipaPato.net @TermasdeLuso #wine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #baga #TourigaNacional #portugal #bairrada #barrywhite @pageofficiellelianefoly #josefadeobidos @saviosoaresselections @joao_pato_aka_duckman @luispatowines @filipapato