So Much to Write About, No Time to Write

Excuses, excuses.

This will be a bit of a summation of summer events and wines that are captivating our palates these days.  I have been meaning to share a little something about an excellent Master Class I attended at Jay Youmans' Capital Wine School.  http://capitalwineschool.com/  It was a touring class sponsored by the Vinhos do Alentejo http://www.vinhosdoalentejo.pt/index.php presented by Rui Falcão(the wine critic not the Brazilian politician.)  Mr. Falcão who writes for Revista dos Vinhos (the Portuguese equivalent to the Wine Spectator) was a thoroughly engaging speaker and educator.   It's so rare to find an individual who is armed with both extensive knowledge of their material and an ability to really teach and deepen their students understanding of the subject.    

Here are some of my favorite takeaways.  They stressed the huge popularity of Alentejo wines in Portugal and the diversity of their native grape varieties (Duh!) and sub-regions.  In addition to the sunny central plains that we associate with the Alentejo, there is a region cool enough to make sparkling wines and one of high elevation terraced old vines in the north east.   Paid homage to the ongoing tradition of Vinho de Talhas, the traditional wine made to this day in clay Amphora, and

delved into the regions long and interrupted wine making history.  Politics and religion really do mess up absolutely everything.  When will we learn?    The wines have plenty of fruit but plenty of acidity as well.   I think because they tend to be fruity or fruit forward, it is easy to write them off as simple.  They are not.  An important distinction Mr. Falcão made, they are not always "begging for food" but they are without doubt food wines.  You will miss the magic of these wines if you do not serve them at the table.

Nary a restaurant list in Lisbon will be found without a healthy offering of blends based around Aragonez(Aragonês,) the Alentejo version of Spain's Tempranillo, aka Tinta Roriz in the Douro and the northern appellations.  You don't hear much talk of clones, but Aragonez in my experience has a very different character from Tinta Roriz, or Tempranillo or Tinta de Toro, and maybe this is just terroir?    I often perceive a note of red licorice or sundried tomato (which could well be the Trincadeira commonly in the blend and not the Aragonez at all.)  I would not be surprised, however, to find a relationship similar to Sangiovese and Morrelino de Scansano or Sangiovese Grosso.  

We are starting to see a better representation of Alentejo wines on US shelves.    Four of the participants in the class were from Total Wine.  It would surprise many independent retailers who pride themselves on being at the forefront of trends and emerging regions to know that they have been outdone with respect to Portugal by Total wine for years.   Unfortunately for the rest of us, many of their brands are "Total" brands and any waves of market penetration they generate do not reach beyond their shores/shelves.

Another large and emerging power player in the Northeastern US wine market, Wegmans Supermarket chain, has recently plugged into the Alentejo region as well, highlighting key bottles in their "Highly Rated" promotions.    This is a huge development.  The grocery cart, after all is the entryway to the American psyche. 

http://www.centerclub.org/
In other news, I had a wonderful time co-hosting the "Culinary Tour of Portugal" dinner with Al Spoler    this month at Baltimore's Center Club, complete with 16th floor panoramic views of Baltimore's Inner Harbor.    Executive Chef Robert Bannan's dishes were exquisite and the wines paired beautifully.    General Manager Kevin Bonner and his warm and polished staff ensured the event went off without a hitch.  Truly a great evening and a great group of people.

And why just try a new variety when you can try the world's oldest variety...or the wine that Odysseus used to liquor up the Cyclops??

More and more reasons to love our Greek wines.  I had a great time pouring Northern Greek wines at Vinosity in Culpeper last weekend.    For more tasting opportunities in your neck of the woods, don't forget to check out the Dionysos Imports Facebook page.

Cheers!

Amy

My New favorite wine!

The legendary Eugenio Almeida winery in the Alentejo, famous for the nearly unobtainable cult wine Pera Manca, also crafts this ultra classy little table wine that can be had for a song.  EA Tinto is a tank fermented blend of Aragonez, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet and Syrah.

Fresh, lively and literally stuffed with warm, velvety fruit, the EA Tinto is a first class introduction to the Alentejo that will go with everything imaginable.  Fisherman's stew, Porca Preta, game and young cheeses.

Everyone had something different to offer up for their impressions of the 100% organically grown Limnio from Domaine Vourvoukeli in Thrace.    The antique variety Limnio can make a case for itself as the oldest known variety referred to in Ancient literature.  They just can't quite trace the DNA yet to verify that what we call Limnio today is indeed the Limnio of Odysseus.  From Bobal, to southern California Pinot to old vine Zinfandel, this bottle kept tasters on their toes and reminded us that when you taste a new variety, it will ultimately just taste like itself, regardless of our great desire to put it in a recognizable box.  With a slightly oxidized nose of dried fruit and nuts, the palate had plenty of fresh red fruit as well and a more angular, acid driven frame than the nose suggested.  Intriguing to say the least, this one is begging for food-sliced duck breast on wild greens with walnuts and candied cherries maybe, or as someone suggested your favorite eggplant dish, Moussaka?  Go forth, and fell your Cyclops.