Monthly Archives: July 2010

Wrath: The Grapes of Chardonnay

Posted on July 26, 2010 by don

Apologies to John Steinbeck. I took my teenage son on a trip to Northern California a few weeks ago. We visited the Monterey Aquarium, which I had visited before, but my son insisted we stay there until it closed, about … Continue reading →

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Castello di Amorosa La Castellana Super Tuscan

Posted on July 22, 2010 by don

Who would believe it? A 13th century medieveal Tuscan castle with moat, torture chamber, and several hundred feet of elaborately carved underground wine caves sitting in the center of Napa Valley. A trusted friend recommended a visit, so I called … Continue reading →

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Does Champagne Age? Notes on 230 Year Old Veuve Clicquot Doux

Posted on July 19, 2010 by don

Divers recently found 30 bottles of late 18th century Champagne, believed to be made by Clicquot (now Veuve Clicquot) between 1782 and 1786, on a shipwreck at the bottom of the Baltic Sea off the coast of Aaland, Finland. They … Continue reading →

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Pairing Soalheiro Vinho Verde and the Cuisine of Restaurante Ferrugem

Posted on July 17, 2010 by don

Last week we had the unique opportunity to pair the best Alvarinho from Vinho Verde with the exquisite cuisine of Dalila and Renato Cunha at their Restaurante Ferrugem located in Vila Nova de Famaliação, located just south of Braga in … Continue reading →

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The Douro Boys (and Girls) Revisited

Posted on July 17, 2010 by don

Is there a wine region more magnificently beautiful than the Douro? Some of the world’s best wine grapes are grown on steeply terraced hillsides on either side of the Douro River. This is Port country, of course, but increasingly the … Continue reading →

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Filipa Pato: Making Both Fun and Serious Wines in Beiras

Posted on July 15, 2010 by don

Filipa Pato is a young lady who is passionate about making wie. She also makes some of the most interesting wines in Portugal’s Beiras region. Earlier this week she showed us some of her wines at her father Luis Pato’s … Continue reading →

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Quinta dos Roques: Showing the Potential of the Dão

Posted on July 14, 2010 by don

The Dão is a Portuguese wine region that’s in a state of transition, and Luís Lorenço (shown here), co-owner and manager of Quinta dos Roques is helping lead it. Luis showed us his wines this week at a special tasting … Continue reading →

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Sandra Tavares: One of Portugal’s Leading Winemakers

Posted on July 13, 2010 by don

We met winemaker Sandra Tavares da Silva a few years ago at Quinta do Vale Dona Maria in the Douro and loved her wines [see the January 2006 issue of the International Wine Review]. This week we once again had … Continue reading →

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João Portugal Ramos: A Pioneering Alentejo Winemaker

Posted on July 11, 2010 by don

Five years ago João Portugal Ramos, one of Portugal’s best known winemakers and an avid hunter, invited us to his house near Estremoz for lunch. We must have behaved ourselves because he invited us once again last week, this time … Continue reading →

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Food and Wine in the Alentejo: A Maria Restaurant

Posted on July 11, 2010 by don

We don’t usually recommend restaurants, but the restaurant A Maria in the town of Alandroal in Portugal’s Alentejo region is an exception. We had lunch there this week with Hugo Carvalho, Bacalhoa’s winemaker in the Alentejo. He makes Quinta do … Continue reading →

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