We first discovered the Portuguese white grape, Avesso, as part of a wine club we were receiving bottles from. This grape, typically grown in Vinho Verde, really delighted us with a nice complexity of flavor while still having many of the characteristics we love in a refreshing Vinho Verde.
So when we got a chance to try a bottle from Quinta do Ferro, we were really excited to see if it held up to our expectations.
Thankfully, it did!
Most of the Portuguese red wines we tried in the country were intense to say the least. Think high alcohol, high tannin, and pretty in-your-face flavor intensity too.
Whenever we had “light” wines, by Portugal standards at least, we were told to pair them with steak- signaling they are still on the pretty intense side all things considered.
So while we think that Taboadella 1255 Alfrocheira Reserva does fall under the lens of a “light” Portuguese red, you'll do well to keep in mind it really is anything but light in the grand scheme of things.
When we visited wineries in the Douro Valley of Portugal, we knew we would be trying some still wines alongside the fortified wines the region is famous for. There has been a big push in recent years to increase the quality of these wines, so we were excited to see what producers would put out.
While we had some generally good wines, there were only a few bottles we absolutely had to bring home with us.
Quinta do Vallado's Sousao was one such bottle, as this blending grape rarely is seen outside of fortified wines and/or in percentages high enough to be noticeable characteristically. So not only was this single varietal bottle a rare find, it was also simply delicious.
When visiting Portugal, you're going to have no shortage of great wine at your disposal. This country produces amazing wines from north to south, and the Douro Valley wineries are known for producing a unique fortified wine- aptly named Port.
If you can't make it to the Douro Valley on your trip (either via on your own or via a Douro Valley day tour), don't fret. Porto is a hub for all things Port wine due to the region's unique history where winemakers would ship barrels down river to Vila Nova di Gaia (a distinctly separate city just across the river from Porto) for aging and subsequent shipping abroad.
Today, many of the most famous port houses still continue to age their Port wine on the banks of the Douro River and are open to visitors for tours and tastings. The oldest port wine house is Kopke House (founded in 1638) which, not only has one of the smallest tasting rooms in the area, but it was also home to our favorite tasting outright- a premium flight we call the Decade's Flight.
So in this one, we thought we'd share more about Kopke, why you should splurge on this one particular flight, and how to get a table at Casa Kopke at all as this one is quite popular!
During our travels in Portugal, we were fortunate enough to taste many high-end wines at wineries and via multi-course tasting experiences at restaurants like Belcanto, DOC, and The Yeatman.
One such wine we were able to try at these dinners was the Principal Grande Reserva 2011 which was one of the most memorable pours we had on the entire trip.
Naturally, when we went wine shopping on our last day at Garrafeira Nacional (perhaps the best wine store in Lisbon), we found a bottle of this one and had to buy it to bring home.
It did not last long in our cellar after that.
When we visited Portugal in 2021, we naturally had to go tasting at the many Douro Valley wineries as well as the port houses of Vila Nova di Gaia just across the river from Porto.
One such port house we fell in love with was Kopke. Not only is this one said to be the oldest port house in the area (founded in 1638), but it is also one of the smallest, most popular, and ended up being home to one of our favorite tastings- a decades flight featuring Colheita ports from the 1960s to present spaced apart by roughly 10-year intervals.
This flight really helped us learn how flavors of tawny ports change in the barrel over time and also let us find our sweet spot of flavors we personally enjoy (generally 20 to 30 years old which works out well as prices generally spike from there).
Naturally, when we bought wine at Garrafiera Nacional in Lisbon before flying home, we had to stock up on many bottles of Kopke for our cellar. We originally wanted to pick up a bottle from our birth year (1986), but as this was not available we went one year prior and picked up a Kopke 1985 to bring home.
We opened it the following spring to celebrate our 36th birthdays because it seemed fitting to celebrate with a port that also spent 36 years in the barrel!
The Douro Valley in Portugal is one of the most awe-inspiring places we've been to. Not only is it the oldest demarcated wine region in the world, we'd take it one step further and also call it the prettiest wine region in the world too. Douro Valley vineyards are really something else!
While getting around the Douro Valley is so challenging that a Douro Valley day tour may be a better option for most (as driving there is, in a word, terrifying), we put our fears aside and hit six great Douro Valley wineries during our two-and-a-half-day visit.
So in this one, we thought we'd share more about the wineries we were able to see!
During our travels around Portugal, we had two kinds of red wines. The first was intense, hot climate reds that were loaded with tannin and out of balance with the other flavor characteristics. The second had the same intensity but managed to find the perfect balance to make them enjoyable.
Quinta do Portal's Grande Reserva was most certainly the latter. This wine sings.
As far as Portuguese grapes are concerned, Avesso is a bit of an unsung hero. Part of it is simply because it is delicious (routinely one of my favorite whites from the country) but also that the production is quite limited- just a few vineyards even grow this grape at all!
So when we say it was quite rare to find a sparkling Avesso, made in the traditional method, from Quinta do Ferro, we really mean it.
We were fortunate enough to meet up with one of the owners from Quinta do Ferro when in Portugal thanks to an introduction by our local wine school, and we were able to bring a bottle of the Ferro Sparkling home with us courtesy of the winery. Naturally, it lasted about a month in our house before we had to open it because, you know, we love Avesso (and also had reasons to celebrate with family- so double win).
When it comes to Portuguese whites, you really can be all over the place in terms of what you get. But for us, one of our favorite white grapes is Arinto thanks to its high acidity, rich flavor profile, and salinity/minerality that really works with seafood dishes.
Ramilo's Arinto was no different, and this one worked beautifully with sous vide octopus!