Why Portuguese Wine?

“Let’s just go to Porto now.” After one night in Madrid we decided to visit more of Spain at the end of our trip instead of in the middle and head to Portugal.

Everyone that knows me, and most of our readers know, that I am partial to Portugal and Portuguese wine, and for good reason. Family ties aside; few places in the World of Wine can do what a good Portuguese wine can do.

What can it do and why?…should be everyone’s question.

There are two special things happening here; the land and the indigenous grapes.

There are books written about, what the French call, “Terroir.” People have gone to blows about what it actually means. Once you, if you can, scrape away the emotions and marketing you do get to a truer sense of the word. It should not surprise anyone that if you grow two identical things the same way in two different locations (say an apple) they can, and often do, taste different.

The Terroir of Portugal, especially of the Douro, is unique on this planet. Between the steep slopes of Schist and Granite flows the River Douro (translated from low-Latin to mean “Of Gold”). Growing on those slopes are varietals of grapes, many indigenous to the Douro, that have still not been fully explored by the palate of the Wine World at large. The future of Douro wine is bright.

When most people hear Porto (only bad tourists call the city Oporto) only one wine comes to mind, Port Wine. I do love a Vintage Port! If you have had Port and perhaps didn’t care for it go back and read the multiple previous posts titled “So you think you’ve had Port.” Yet it is the red blends that I am after this trip. With the capacity to bring the drinker both the complexity of deep ripe fruit, elegant tannins, balanced acid, and a formidable, long finish. What many call the holy grail of wine.

Not every Portuguese wine on the shelf will give you that experience. Most bottles that do can fetch a very high price once the word gets out, so I do my research and go to the source. One of my favorite shops (of which I mentioned last year in a post of how important a few key translation words are) always has some of the hardest to find bottles at very good prices.

Next week we will travel into the high Douro, the Alto Douro Superior, nearly untouched by tourists, and continue to explore why the wines here have abilities unique in the World of Wine. Until then; A té logo.

French Wine. Location location location!

“Je ne connais pas celui-là,” is what I said to the wine shop owner as she picked up another bottle of French white wine to show me. “I don’t know that one,” is the translation.

In most of Europe when you go shopping for wine and ask for help, or a recommendation, you are going to get a question in return, and that question is almost always the exact same anywhere in the “old world,” especially France: “Qu’est-ce que tu vas manger?” “What are you going to be eating?” It is implied, of course, what are you going to be eating with the wine?

Most people, not all, in old wine country traditionally only drink wine with food. Again, not all. Yet the majority of wine is still tailored as such. For our dinner that night we were going to have fresh oysters from Bretagne to start, then roasted sea bass with garden herbs and rice. So after telling the wine shop owner this key piece of information she directed me to, and started to point out, several white wines.

Pairing food with wine is a true art, although it is based on chemistry. Acid, sugar, alcohol, and the next 400 compounds that make up what you taste in each sip of wine form the foundation of food and wine pairing. But if you don’t know how to translate that science, and language, into a good dinner pairing then all is for not.

So how do you bridge the language and knowledge gap in the hopes that you end up buying a wine that you will like here in France?

First, all French wine is labeled, and named, based on its location. Location location location! There are a lot of grape varieties that grown in France, and more wines than anyone can know. BUT, the locations of where the best wines come from are known to all French people. Location is the key here, and knowing a few of the big names is a must.

Before your trip to France, do a little research of the taste profiles that are common to a certain region.  Knowing a little about the big red GSM blends from the Rhône, the elegant Pinot Noirs from Burgundy, the minerality of the best whites from the Loire, the difference between the left bank vs right bank in Bordeaux will get you a long way. And never be afraid to ask for help, just try it in French first; “Que recommandez-vous?” You will get a MUCH better recommendation!

Now on to Spain, Portugal, and the Douro!

Packing for a Wine Journey

Well you finally made it to the night before of that long awaited, meticulously planned, every-friend-envious, international wine journey. Congratulations!You have several goals in mind for this excursion. First, have a good time. Second, bring some wine back. Sometimes the second goal becomes the first. So how do you prepare to bring wine back? Here are a few things to think about.I have been successfully bringing wine back from other countries since I turned 21. There are several options to safely and successfully transport wine internationally. The first is having the Vineyard, or Wine Merchant, ship it for you. If you are buying multiple cases of wine then this is really your only option, baring the few readers that have access to private aircraft. It can be expensive and, depending on the current rotation of world events, can take awhile.Yet if you are like me and enjoy buying one or two bottles from multiple locations, then bringing that wine home in your checked luggage may be the way to go.Planning prior to leaving home is key!!!I travel pretty efficiently, and I also, usually, have a base that I operate out of on my travels. That gives me the ability to stow all of my stuff and not have to drag it around. Therefore I fit all of my personal stuff, even on a multi-week trip, in a backpack and an international sized carry on roller bag. Then I devote a single, soft sided, semi-rigid roller bag to be a checked bag. This will be my wine carrier.You have two options when considering “wine luggage.” Option 1 is a specifically built (usually hard sided) wine suitcase. They come in a lot of different sizes, are fairly expensive, and even the best ones are a little cumbersome. They also really only have one use, so not the most versatile.Option 2; using a traditional, soft sided piece of luggage, preferably a piece you already own. I use an old carry on roller bag that can be expanded. Studies have shown that soft sided luggage actually lasts longer and protects the contents better than hard sided luggage (they are much better at absorbing impact). The key to filling soft sided luggage with 18 bottles of wine are wine sleeves.I fill my wine luggage at home with wine sleeves, which are made from durable bubble wrap and are sealable. I also take some extra bubble wrap to line the inside of the main compartment. They are essential!! They are also much cheaper and easier to find here at home, so don't bet your wine trip on finding adequate ones on the road!Next thing to consider with a soft sided bag is weight. Not just for the airline, but for the integrity of the zippers. I bring a lockable luggage strap to wrap around the entire bag. It also helps with picking out your bag out on the carousel.Finally, lock the bag and bring a back up lock. TSA, and other nosy customs officials, love taking a look, and often do not reattach the lock properly. I now no longer use TSA locks. If they want to get in they will call you and ask you to open your bag. Once complete, you lock it and don’t have to worry about someone else getting into your stuff. Also, I have had locks break, so having a back up is a good idea.With a good plan and the right equipment you can be confident that your treasure-find-of-a-wine will make it home intact. Being able to bring back that great wine-find to enjoy with your friends will only extend your wine journey when you return home, and will be well worth the effort!Join us next week as we report back on week one of our wine journey, France! Jusque la, mes amies!