Photo Courtesy of Wines of Portugal.info Vinho Verde is a large DOC in the North of Portugal with nine subregions. They are nine sub-regions in the DOC. Each one is named after either a river or a town. They are Monção, Melgaço, Lima, Basto, Cávado, Ave, Amarante, Baião, Sousa and Paiva. The weather is cool and... Continue Reading →
Quinta de Santa Eufemia – A Special Visit in the Douro Valley Part I
I visited Quinta de Santa Eufemia in the fall of 2016 when I was on a press trip to the Douro Valley. In the intervening period of time since my visit, I have had the occasion to meet the owners at various Portuguese tastings in New York City but nothing can compare to my wonderful... Continue Reading →
Monday Musings: When Will Tawny Port Become A Staple In US Dining?
It's snowing here at Avvinare.com which means it's December. It's the first Monday of the month which means I am on my way to the International Wine Center's Diploma dinner. I got my diploma back in 2008 but I still love to come to this dinner. It starts the holiday season for me. Every year... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: Quinta Monte Sao Sebastião
This week's Wine Wednesday post is all about Quinta Monte São Sebastião from the Douro Valley. The quinta's history started in 1950. They have 4 hectares devoted to wine and three to olive growing near the town of Murca out of a property of 50 hectares. Pinhao is the largest city near the winery. We... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: Old Vines Great Reserva 2013 from Teoria Winery in Douro Valley (Portugal)
During my recent trip to the Douro Valley in September, we visited 15 wineries, four a day. As most press people know, that isn't too many wineries, often you are asked to visit twice that number in one day. Yet even if it is only four wineries, journalists are never the same at the start... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: Coimbra De Mattos 1858 Port Valriz
Coimbra De Mattos was one of the older estates I visited during my trip to the Douro Valley in September. The family has 55 hectares and produces port wines and still wines from a host of indigenous grape varieties. The sell their port wines under the brand Valriz while their still wines are sold under... Continue Reading →
Quinta Do Beijo: Kisses from Douro Valley
All of the wineries that I visited on my September trip to the Douro Valley were family owned concerns except for one, Caves Santa Marta, a cooperative. Today's post is about Quinta Do Beijo located in Celeiró do Douro. The winery owns 15 hectares of vineyards and olive trees. They make a range of port... Continue Reading →
Women In Wine Fridays: An Interview with Justina Teixeira from Quinta da Barca in the Douro Valley
This week's Friday post is in the Women in Wine Fridays series. I meet a lot of wonderful women in the wine industry during my travels and I also seek them out at whatever trade tasting I attend when in New York. I have done this series over the years with a variety of women.... Continue Reading →
Quinta Dos Castelares – A Winery To Watch From Douro Valley
On my recent trip to the Douro Valley, I was amazed at the breadth and diversity of producers. Some with new wineries others with generations of history and port barrels behind them. One of the men behind this winery in Freixo de Espada à Cinta in the Upper Douro Valley, reminded me of an American from... Continue Reading →
Women In Wine Fridays: Aileen Robbins of the Dunn Robbins Group
Thinking about my love for Portugal, I realized that it is all thanks to the lovely lady in the photo, Aileen Robbins of the Dunn Robbins Group. I first met Aileen when I moved back to New York after having lived in Italy for many years. She was and is always a pleasure to see... Continue Reading →