How Long Does Wine Last After Opening?

John Belsham, an international consultant and founder/winemaker of Foxes Island in New Zealand, says, “The ultimate deciding factor is quality. The better the wine, the longer it will keep in an open bottle. That’s irrespective of the techniques used to protect the wine, be it gas-injection or vacuuming…The bottom line is that once you’ve opened the bottle, oxygen is introduced, which is absorbed into the wine. It’s not actually what’s in that space above the wine that makes the difference, but what’s absorbed into the wine at the moment of opening.”

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White Wine

“The wine will not rapidly oxidize, if it’s been well made,” says Belsham. “I would expect a quality bottle of Chardonnay, Riesling, Sémillon or Sauvignon Blanc to last comfortably three to four days in a half-full bottle. Really high-grade, single-vineyard wines with a high fill level will last for at least a week in the fridge, in my own experience. Even with slight loss of aroma, it will still be palatable. Mass-produced, simpler whites and rosés are probably best [enjoyed] over two days.”

Red Wine

“With red wine, similarly, it will comfortably be in good shape for three to four days,” says Belsham. “The more robust the red wine, the more tannin it has to protect itself against oxygen. So, the denser the red wine, the better it will present itself. For example, I would give elegant Beaujolais three to four days, but five to six days to a robust southern Rhône or Primitivo.”

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Sparkling Wines

Sparkling wines enjoy protection via their own carbon dioxide, but open bottles need proper, purpose-made stoppers that firmly clamp the bottle shut. Marcello Lunelli, co-owner of Italy’s Cantine Ferrari in Trento, says, “It depends how full the bottle still is. If there is just a glass missing, a re-stoppered bottle will keep three to four days, as long as the stopper completely maintains the pressure. Keep the bottle absolutely closed. Every time you open it, you lose pressure.”

“If the bottle is half-full, just two days is probably best,” he adds. “After that, you won’t have the perfect perlage. That said, the wine inside will still be good, just with less pressure. What remains when the bubbles are gone is still an outstanding wine. If the wine has been open for longer than that, it will be perfect for making risotto. The acidity of the wine perfectly balances the sweetness of the rice.”

How Long Does Fortified Wine Last?

Sherry

George Sandeman, of Sherry and Port producer Sandeman, advises to refrigerate Fino and Manzanilla styles and consume them within one week. Amontillado and Oloroso styles will stay fresh for up to eight weeks after opening. He notes this goes for these two styles regardless of their sweetness level.

Port

Paul Symington, managing director at Symington Family Estates, the group behind Graham’s, Dow’s and Warre’s, says quality and style make a difference.

Ruby Port and LBV (late bottled vintage) styles “will stay in good condition for up to a week after opening,” he says. “After that, they will suffer from the normal process of oxidation, common to all wines. Keeping the opened bottle lightly chilled and using a Vacu-Vin or similar will prolong the quality.”

“Tawny Port has been aged in oak casks and is therefore well used to contact with air,” he adds. “Consequently, a fine 10- or 20-year-old Tawny will remain in excellent condition for two to three weeks after opening, especially if kept in the fridge.”

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Concerning the pinnacle of Port, Symington says, “Like all great bottle-aged wines, Vintage Port has been totally isolated from the air for many years. The glorious elegance of this wine upon opening is a real pinnacle, but its ethereal beauty will fade after a few days. It should therefore be consumed within three to four days of opening. A Vacu-Vin will help prolong the quality by a further few days.”

Sandeman, which also produces Port, has recently adopted re-sealable Vinolok closures on its 20-, 30- and 40-year-old Tawny Ports. These can be kept “for up to three months,” says George Sandeman, especially when stored in the refrigerator.

Madeira

Madeira already has been exposed to heat and is an oxidized style. Can time still ravage it? “Do you want to know the truth?” says Chris Blandy, director of the Madeira Wine Company. “Nobody knows how long these wines last once opened, but my own experience is that I had half a bottle of 1976 vintage Madeira with my wife at Christmas 2011. One year later, Christmas 2012, we had the other half, and the bottle was perfect.”

The wines are fortified and deliberately oxidized, so nature has little to throw at them. “As long as you keep the bottle away from direct sunlight and upright, it can last a very long time,” says Blandy.

The post How Long Can a Bottle of Wine Stay Open? appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.

This week, we’re highlighting the amazing world of Portuguese wine. What offerings are you familiar with beyond Port, the fortified wine produced in the Douro Valley? If your answer is not too many, you’re not alone.

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In this episode, Mike DeSimone—author, Wine Enthusiast writer at large and Spanish wine reviewer—sits down with John Sumners to discuss one of the oldest wine-producing countries in the world.

Sumners is a freelance wine writer and California and Portugal wine specialist based in Lisbon. He is also the author of There’s More Than Port In Portugal: The Unpretentious Guide to Portuguese Wine.

Listen as Sumners shares details of his career before wine writing; the famed sommelier who inadvertently helped him decide to leave that career and get into wine; why he decided to move to Portugal; his favorite regions for Portuguese dry red wines and his favorite out-of-the-box pairings.

Episode Transcript

Transcripts are generated using a combination of speech recognition software and human transcribers, and may contain errors. Please check the corresponding audio before quoting.

Speakers: Jacy Topps, John Sumners, Mike DeSimone 

Jacy Topps  00:09 

Hello, and welcome to the Wine Enthusiast podcast. You’re serving them drinks culture, and the people who drive it. I’m Jacy Topps. This week we’re highlighting the amazing world of Portuguese wine. What regions and wines are we familiar with from Portugal outside of Port, the fortified wine produced in the Douro Valley? Well, if I’m being honest, I’d have to admit, I’m not too familiar with wines from Portugal. So, I’m super excited that author and Wine Enthusiast Spanish wine reviewer Mike DeSimone sat down with John Sumners to discuss one of the oldest wine producing countries in the world. John is a freelance wine writer in California and Portugal wine specialist based in Lisbon. He is also the author of there’s more than port in Portugal, the unpretentious guide to Portuguese wine. So, listen on as John shares what career he had before wine writing; the famed sommelier who inadvertently helped him decide to leave that career; why he decided to move to Portugal; his favorite regions for Portuguese dry red wines, and his favorite out-of-the box food pairings. 

Jacy Topps  01:25 

Every glass of wine tells a story. These stories reveal hidden histories, flavors and passions. And sometimes they unravel our darkest desires. And Wine Enthusiast newest podcast. Vinfamous Journalist Ashley Smith dissects the underbelly of the wine world. We hear from the people who know what it means when the product of love and care becomes the source of greed, our sin, and even murder. Each episode takes listeners into the mysterious and historic world of winemaking and with crimes that have since become Vinfamous. This podcast pairs well with wine lovers, history nerds and crime junkies like so. Grab a glass of your favorite wine and follow the podcast to join us as we delve into the twists and turns behind the all time most shocking wine crimes. Follow Vinfamous on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen and be sure to follow the show, so you never miss a scandal. New episodes drop every other Wednesday. 

Mike DeSimone  02:35 

Hi, this is Mike De Simone. I am a writer-at-large for Wine Enthusiast magazine. I cover the Spanish beat, and today I am talking to John Sumners, who is a wine expert who wrote a book called There’s More Than Port in Portugal: The Unpretentious Guide to Portuguese Wine. John is a wine industry veteran writer, educator consultant, and a Portuguese and California wine specialist based in Lisbon, Portugal. His roles have ranged from working the floor in the Manhattan fine dining Battlefield, managing buying and marketing for San Francisco wine retailers and serving as a featured contributor for various international publications. Writing for various international publications. That sounds really important. Hey, John, welcome! How are you?  

John Sumners  03:26 

I’m great. Thanks, Mike. Pleasure to be here.  

Mike DeSimone  03:29 

I cover Spain for Wine Enthusiast. And I know that you know, you, you live at least part time it seems in Portugal and the Portuguese wine expert, but I know that both Spain and Portugal are expat hotspots.  

John Sumners  03:44 

Oh, yes, they are. Yeah, they’ve really are.  

Mike DeSimone  03:46 

And I guess there’s, you know, both countries obviously have the, you know, pros, cons reasons to be there, you know, reasons to avoid at cetera, et cetera. But it’s kind of I think it’d be interesting offline to just kind of talk about our experiences in both countries. However, staying on topic. Yes. Tell me how did you how did you get into why you’re this? We look at your bio and your you know, your your wine expert, you’re specializing in a couple of different things. What brought you to wine? 

John Sumners  04:14 

You know it was it was really kind of organic and just a natural beginning. Me and a buddy of mine, a guy by the name of Jeremy Bran, he’s not in the business. But he and I used to explore and obsess over whiskey. That was the initial gateway, and he lives in Lexington, Kentucky. So, you know, he’s got access to all kinds of crazy yeah. And then that kind of segway into wine for me because I love a complex subject. And I was just constantly fascinated and wanted to know more, like there was so much out there to learn. 

Mike DeSimone  04:52 

Okay, and I know that so you have I know besides this the blurb on your book I you know, I took a look at your bio. I when it says that at one point you worked under a superstar sommelier, a winemaker working in a restaurant in midtown Manhattan while you were pursuing a career in opera. Can you tell us the name of the restaurant and who was that superstar somm?  

John Sumners  06:51 

Yeah, moderately. I mean, the fact that I had this gig in between gigs, that in and of itself, tells you well, I wasn’t a superstar, right. But I had plenty of gigs. And they, I had a great deal worked out with a very generous GM there. And as soon as I’d get a contract, I just let him know when the contract was in for the duration. And he let me go do my gig wherever it was. And I’d come back, you know, two or three months later, and come right back into my position of seniority. It was a pretty sweet deal.  

Mike DeSimone  07:48 

Cool, that’s great. You’re, you know, you’re lucky. And I know, you know, living in New York City, and living I mean, an awful lot of my friends are, you know, are actors and our singers, and, you know, having that situation where you can be flexible, and you can actually simultaneously build two careers, is that really, really is being in a wonderful place. And it’s, you’re, you’re very lucky to have had that situation. And then I know that so at some point, you left New York and you were working in California at the Napa Valley Wine exchange. So how did how did you get other than, you know, the wisest response? I took an airplane. Alright, drove everything. How did you get from New York to California, and start working as the California Portugal expert at Napa Valley Wine exchange? 

John Sumners  08:39 

Well, you know, I took a road trip across the country stopped all over the West. You know, all the great sights went to Yellowstone, Black Hills, Badlands Tetons, you know, all that amazing stuff. And took some time to do that a few weeks and then and then landed in San Francisco and very, very shortly after, was hired as the as the GM of Napa Valley winery exchange. Now that place is it’s still there. And it’s it’s a renowned little boutique that specializes almost exclusively in small producers of California. And there’s a gentleman there by the name of Don Gillette, that is, yeah, he’s not widely known. But if you’re in the California wine industry, and you’re a small producer, or you work in California retail, you know, this guy. He is a local legend, and you can still walk in there and asked to talk to Don and he’ll regale you with unbelievable amounts of California wine history for an hour. 

Mike DeSimone  09:40 

Okay. And they had so did they, they had Portuguese wines that they sold there as well? 

John Sumners  09:46 

No, actually no, after several years working there. I mean, gosh, I guess I was there about six, seven years I think working with Don, and then moved on to K and L Wine Merchants. Okay. All right. Yeah. and started working with the Spain, Portugal buyer there. Eric Walker was paired up with him. And, you know, Kirk is, don’t get me wrong, his Portuguese knowledge is phenomenal. He’s brilliant, but his home turf, his real passion is Spain. And I thought, well, I’ll be the Portugal guy. And I just dove in and started obsessively learning everything I could, and tasting everything, I could when it came to Portugal. 

Mike DeSimone  10:28 

So, what is What’s your connection with Portugal? You live in? You live in Lisbon now? Correct? 

John Sumners  10:32 

Yeah, that’s correct. So COVID hit and turned everything upside down for everyone. And my partner and I, Catherine, we had been we had visited Portugal previously and spent a couple weeks just traveling around the country went to several different places. And we’re just head over heels in love with it. And we thought, you know, if if we ever if we ever go expat, this is where we’re going. Okay. And so yeah, that came to fruition, we decided, well, let’s, let’s do it. And, you know, took the leap and

arrived in, in Portugal in, I think it was October of 2020. And continued my obsessive study. And, you know, now that I had boots on the ground, I had access to everything. So just tasting everything, talking to winemakers, talking to revered retailers, and just truly absorbing anything I could.  

Mike DeSimone  11:25 

So you got to I’m just trying to think so you got so you actually got there. Obviously, if you got there on October 2020. You got there the minute they opened the country, to foreigners. 

John Sumners  11:36 

That’s it. We were actually supposed to get there earlier. Why, but our visas were stuck in limbo. So, we actually, we, we decided, well, what are we going to do? And so we were kind of, quote, stuck in the Highlands of Scotland for a few months, which was not too shabby. Because everything, everyone was very respectful and keeping distance wearing masks. And we were able to just explore the beauty of Scotland for a few months while we waited for our abuses to be officially approved. 

Mike DeSimone  12:09 

Right? Yeah, that’s not a terrible place to be especially considering that I mean, at the beginning of the pandemic, you know, we were stuck in New York City, which was just a frightening thing. And living in a, you know, in a very big apartment building and to go anywhere to get groceries, just to move your body and go for a walk. You had to get into an elevator with other people and other people. So, I think you were very blessed and lucky. But so then I mean, so you wound up in Portugal, you were there for a couple of years. Obviously, in your previous jobs you really had you know, especially at KL it sounds like you really had delved into Portugal. And now let’s fast forward and you’ve written this book. There’s More Than Port in Portugal. What was what made you decide to write your book? 

John Sumners  12:52 

So in my, in the process of my education of learning and teaching myself about Portuguese wine, I kept thinking, You know what I wish there was a kind of comprehensive, but to the point reference guide that I could use as a touchstone throughout this journey. And I wanted something that kind of encapsulated the entirety of the Portuguese wine world but did it in a kind of a concise and unfussy way, and nothing like that existed. Now, there are other great books written about Portuguese wine, and they’re very, very comprehensive. And there are other books that, you know, just touch on a few things and do a nice job with that. But I wanted the combination of comprehensive, but also, very, to the point, and also relatable, and that nothing existed, and I kept talking about it and talking about it. And finally, Katherine was apparently fed up with, because she said, You need to stop talking, and start writing. 

Mike DeSimone  13:51 

Wow. And, you know, that’s what we all need in our lives. And I do love what you’re right, when you say relatable, I know. And I’m just, you know, if I start flipping through here to find to find something, we’ll have moments of silence, which, which no one rule will really enjoy it all. But um, there’s like some really funny little like zingers and one liners and you do keep it there’s, there’s a lot of it’s a, it’s a small but mighty book. I appreciate that. There’s a lot of information in there, but I know that there’s also when you’re, you know, when you’re writing a book, there’s a lot of decision making that has to be made. So how did you decide like, why did you say like, let me lay it out and let me divide it into like three distinct sections, bubbly, still dry, and fortified sweet? 

John Sumners  14:33 

Well, in general, when writing this, you know, if I’m writing for a publication, you kind of have to stay in the lines of the kind of generalized voice and generalized rules that that publication wants, you know, you got to you got to obey the editor. And with this, I, I could just, I could do it how I wanted to do it, and I could write with my I voice and how my brain understands things. And my brain looks at things. And, you know, the way I understand wine is different categories of styles. And so I thought, that’s the way I want to break it down, because it’s very simple for me to understand it that way. 

Mike DeSimone  15:18 

You know what that makes and that makes a lot of sense. Because I think I mean, a lot of books, or a lot of wine books are written geographically. And as you know, as an author, myself as the co author of six books, and the most recent one is called white wine, you know, kind of like the like the question that everybody always asks, it’s like, why did you decide to write about grapes? And it’s like, because everybody else writes about regions, you look at every other major wine book, whether it’s the Wine Bible, the world Atlas of Wine, and you know, and I could go on. They all are written geographically. And we’ve had to take 50 grapes, or regional blend styles and write about them individually. And of course, you have to talk about where they come from, but not not just to, like, you know, break it out by country, but to break it out by grape. So I love that you, you know that you kind of said I want to do this in the way that makes sense. Talking about bubbly I was in Bairrada last year for the first time. And I hope I pronounced that right. And it is so it’s actually shocking to people when I say yeah, I was judging a sparkling wine competition in Portugal. And people are like, they’re always surprised like they make sparkling wine in Portugal? 

John Sumners  16:31 

Yes, they make brilliant sparkling wine and Portugal. Oh my gosh, you’re talking about a country that consumes more seafood per capita than any other country in Europe, of course, there’s great sparkling wine. Bairrada is a special place. I mean, its traditional method, you’re dealing with indigenous varieties. And because it’s right there on the coast, it has something that, you know, Champagne doesn’t have is that that coastal, that salty, minerally coastal influence that comes in. And it has the chalky soils that has the sandy soils, but really, it’s the ocean that kind of sets the tone of these wines and adds that salty spice to the finish of them. 

Mike DeSimone  17:14 

Yeah, it was just I mean, it was really amazing to be there. The funny thing is, I was there judging the wine competition. And so basically, we were tasting wine all morning, and then in the afternoons we would do winery visits. And I didn’t even realize until we left that we were anywhere near the coast, you know, nobody, there was nobody I said, Hey, let’s go to the beach. 

John Sumners  17:34 

Oh my gosh, yeah, you’re probably like, you know, maybe, gosh, maybe like a 10-minute drive or something.  

Mike DeSimone  17:42 

Exactly! So if there is so look, if people if someone picks up your book, right, and there’s only one region if readers take away only one region from your book that they want to explore in depth, maybe visit what region would you hope it would be?  

John Sumners  18:00 

Oh, man, you’re really putting me in a spot here. Mike. I, you’re asking me to pick like my favorite pet. 

Mike DeSimone  18:07 

Okay, let’s say so let’s say let’s go to either American or British readers who although there’s a lot of great wines from Portugal, there’s a somewhat limited supply of the of the regions that do get exported. So let’s just say for someone in, you know, an English speaker in the US or the UK, thinking about what wines get heavily exported, what region would you hope people would explore 

John Sumners  18:36 

That they can get? Okay. Yeah, I see. You know, I think Douro is wonderful, but it’s kind of the marquee it’s it’s the Napa, so to speak. So more and more, you’re starting to speaking of Bairrada, you’re starting to see more and more Bairrada out there. And I think people should check this wine out because, you know, you think of the Iberian Peninsula, you think of wines that are especially the red wines. You think of ripe, big, powerful wines. But Portugal I mean, it’s a sliver of land along the coast. It’s a relatively cool country for where it is longitudinally or latitude. I don’t know what what are still in your graphical Yeah, let’s let’s call it that.  

John Sumners  19:24 

So in Bairrada, you’ve got you have several different grapes but you’ve really got the mark key grape there The King is is  Baga, B A G A and Baga is really versatile, great, but if you identify it in a classical red wine form, it comes across as somewhere between Nebbiolo like your Barolo or Barbaresco and Pinot Noir. You know, it has that kind of bright ripping acidity and gripping tannin, but it has a little more soft fruit around that structure. It can kind of see the More Pinot Noir end of the spectrum. So it’s a little more slightly more cuddly in its youth. I think they’re fascinating wines. They age forever. And they’re also incredible food wines. So, find some find some bicara, bi, R, R A, D, A, you’ll start seeing more and more. 

Mike DeSimone  20:19 

Okay, that’s, that is that’s good to know. So, speaking of you actually mentioned, the Douro Valley, which is home of the famous port wines. And now of course, this is not something brand new, but for you know, for quite some time now we’re seeing a lot more dry wines coming out of that region. How did that come about? When did producers start turning from making all port to making dry wines as well?  

John Sumners  20:45 

Well, there’s always kind of a tiny underground trickle of dry wines that were made there, but not in any real commercial volume. What really put it on the map is this a specific vintage of a specific wine was the 1952 Barca Velha. And it’s since become a cult wine. It’s one of Portugal’s most expensive wines, and they only make it in the very best vintages. But in 1952, this dry red wine from Douro was tremendously received. And that kind of set the precedent and it made people realize, oh, Douro can make really great red wine to like dry table wine. So more and more producers started doing that. And now it’s, it’s a good mix between port and and dry red wines. I mean, more of the dry  red wines tend to be produced a little further to the east in Douro Superior, but you still see quite a few made in in the middle region, the SEMA quarter Whoo, and, and even in the lower regions. So it’s, it’s really it’s continuing to grow because fortified sweet wines are currently out of fashion. 

Mike DeSimone  21:59 

Yeah, that is, I think, I just think, unfortunately, worldwide, we’re seeing that. Although, you know, there are people in the market who love their sweet wine, but there is there’s a lot less port is being drunk. So you’ve got you know, in the Douro Valley, as you just said, people are making more dry wine. And because there’s less turn being drunk, we’re seeing a lot more high-quality white Bordeaux. We’re also seeing a lot more in Hungary from Tokai because people are not drinking those sweet wines in the quantities that they used to. We’re seeing a lot more dry for men. You feel as you just said, a lot of it is just kind of winemaking necessity. But it also points to the fact that they’ve just got this incredible terroir, these beautiful, you know, old vine vineyards. They’ve got the know-how, and there’s no reason not to make credible red wines. And now we’re going to switch to another region Vinho Verde, It straddles two sections in your book, bubbly and dry. I feel like Vinho Verde is probably one of the categories of Portuguese wines that people in the states have access to and know about and have heard of. So if I’m buying a bottle of that, how do I know if it’s fizzy? Or if it’s flat? 

John Sumners  23:13 

You know, that’s a great question. And I have a complex answer for you, unfortunately. So Vinho Verde, it’s a region but it’s also been the victim of its own kind of mass market product success. This this kind of fun, fizzy, easy, inexpensive style, but there’s a whole other side to Vinho Verde which is still wines that can go these are aromatic white wines that can go toe to toe with the best that Alsace or Germany or Austria can produce. So yeah, so there is this complication of like, what am I getting here? And there’s not a perfect answer to it. Unfortunately. The best rule of thumb though, and what you’re gonna find more often than not is if the bottle just says Vinho Verde, and it doesn’t have a variety it’ll labeling on it, you know, a particular grape, or it doesn’t have a regional labeling on it, you can bet it’s probably the light fun fizzy stuff, okay. And if it’s got a variety on the label, you know, if it’s telling you this is Alvarinho , or this is Loureiro , or this is a vessel and additionally, if it has a sub region on it, then more often than not, that’s going to be a more serious in quotes. Serious still wine.  

Mike DeSimone  23:26 

Okay, all right. That’s a that’s a that’s a kind of a good guideline. I think that’s a good rule of thumb. It sort of reminds me that, you know, in a certain way of like Riesling. A lot of people steer completely away, because they don’t know when they buy a Riesling, whether it’s going to be sweet or dry. So, they just stay away from it at all. And I do know that Vina I’m going to pronounce it correctly this time, Vinho Verd. I’ve got that, you know the Spanish pronunciation where, you know, there’s a there’s a vowel there, I’m going to say it. 

John Sumners  25:09 

No, trust me, I get it, it took me so long to learn this language. 

Mike DeSimone  25:13 

So, which literally translates to green wine. And people expect this greenish very young wine. So, what is what is actually the reality of Vinho Verd? What, what do I get when I open a bottle? 

John Sumners  25:29 

Well, you know, it’s, it’s with the fun fizzy stuff that you know, this is great stuff for the beach, for picnic, for backyard cookout. But the serious stuff, you know, you’re, it’s really an exploration of these different varieties in Vinho Verd. And even though the name is a little bit confusing, because it I mean, it means literally green wine. But what are they talking about? And there is some mixed information on that. We’re not exactly sure. It may have been that you know, it’s one of the greenest parts of Portugal, It gets a lot of rain. And so maybe that’s it. Everything ripens more slowly there. So the the grapes are, are greener, longer, and often they’re harvested a little bit earlier. And when they have a little bit more of a green hue to them, as opposed to golden. So that’s kind of the short answer to that. But Vinho Verd it’s a complex place. And there’s a lot of different sub regions to it. And it just kind of gets over simplified into this mass market product. And I think that’s going to be a very exciting thing for people to explore as more and more of these serious Vinho Verd bottling start coming to the export market. 

Mike DeSimone  26:49 

Yeah. You know, and actually in the book in White Wine, I mean, Portugal has an incredibly high number and you probably like sort of know it, the ballpark off the top of your head of indigenous grape. Oh, yeah. The only so we covered Alvarinho, as a grape and we covered you know, Alboreto of Merino in one chapter. And then we also covered as a regional style because it can be made as a blend, or with different varieties. We covered you know Vinho Verde as well. So I hate to have paid, you know, short shrift to all of the other great Portuguese grapes. But, you know, you did it, you did a great job. You know, giving them love in your book. We talked a little bit about food and seafood. What are some of your favorite food pairings with the Portuguese wines that you’re drinking? 

John Sumners  27:36 

Oh, gosh, so I’m a just a nut job of a locavore. So I love all the traditional Portuguese things. If you’ll humor me, let me ramble off a few dishes that I really like and the pairings thereof. So there’s a particular dish that’s called the Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato. That’s a mouthful, and the last word is very confusing. Because  Pato means duck. But this dish has nothing to do with duck. Okay. It is essentially just steamed clams. So steamed clams in a pot with white wine, olive oil, butter, garlic, cilantro, and then you eat the clams and then you sop up all that wonderful sauce with bread. And you pair that with an Alvarinho from Vinho Verde far northern region of Vinho Verde called Melgaço. That’s absolutely brilliant stuff. 

Mike DeSimone  28:29 

You’re what you are making me hungry. I think everybody can be salivating right now. 

John Sumners  28:34 

That’s the idea, Mike. So another favorite of mine, Katherine and I, we always love to get this. We sometimes make it at home, we sometimes get it out. But it’s called Arroz de Pato. And it just means duck rice. And it’s very simple. It’s essentially, it’s duck paella. Okay. Oh, wow. And you pair that with the with, like I said, red wine from Bairrada or quite frankly, any of the red wines from those regions right along the coast. Whether it’s a red Vinho Verde. Yes, there is red  Vinho Verde . Wow. Or it’s  Bairrada red or it’s a red from leash boy or it’s a read from Setubal. These all pair brilliantly with this with this duck rice. Third, I’d probably say one of my favorite things to do is every Thanksgiving we have kind of an expat Thanksgiving here in Lisbon and invite our friends from Berlin to come down. And we do the full Thanksgiving spread, the whole nine yards. I get my Midwestern classics, and Catherine gets her her Northeastern classics and we’d like to pair that with white wine from Alentejo because it’s originally a Fantasia we think of it as a red wine region. You know, it’s a hotter region. But historically, traditionally, this is a white wine region. And the white wines from they’re beautiful, they’re luscious and opulent but have all kinds of character to them. They’re a lot of fun to play with and they go tremendously well with A full Thanksgiving spread. 

Jacy Topps  30:02 

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Mike DeSimone  31:04 

I actually feel like you know when we get every November when we get those articles, you know all the articles that everyone writes on all the different websites? Yeah, I’m like what, you know what pairs with Thanksgiving, I feel like Alentejo wines I feel like, like those are presented a lot. And I have to say, I know that you started out, you know, in your career wanting to be an opera singer. But I have to tell you the way you’ve described pairings right now, I think that you were probably an amazing waiter. 

John Sumners  31:32 

Well, that was my favorite part about it. I mean, there’s that. I mean, I think any of us that have worked in a restaurant have like, what I jokingly call restaurant PTSD, where you still have like anxiety, nightmares about it. Right. But the parts of it that I cherished, I mean, besides the camaraderie and kind of being in the trenches with your people was being at the table with a guest that was really excited to just put their trust in your hands, and let you guide them and talk with them and say, well, what do you usually like? Do you want to do something that’s more exploratory? Do you want to? Do you want to go with an old faithful, but maybe a different vintage or a different producer of a region that you love? I mean, that was the real joy of it. So I mean, I don’t think necessarily I’m, well, I think maybe I’m good at that simply because I love doing it. 

Mike DeSimone  32:22 

Right. Right. But just you’re just you’re that when you describe the dishes and why the wine works with it. I was like, Wow, this job can really, if he were my waiter, I would be or my or the beverage director at a restaurant I was eating at I would be, I would just be so happy and so excited. And I would take your advice. So for people who don’t live in Portugal, for those of us, for example, who live in New York City, and as much as I love to eat at home, it’s been kind of hot out and I might be getting some takeout. What are some of your like, out of the box nontraditional pairings with Portuguese wines? Just the couple? 

John Sumners  32:58 

Yeah. Do you want something way out there because I have one? Okay, go ahead. So, so often just as a general paring concept, we don’t think of pairing fortified wines or sweet wines with the main meal. We think of those as okay, it’s a it’s a dessert wine or it goes with dessert, or it’s an aperitif. It’s not something to pair with anything, right? Anything savory, but you look at you look at American cuisine. I mean, we’ve got we’ve got General Tso’s chicken. I mean that’s it’s an American Chinese classic and you have that savory salty chicken with this kind of sweet honey glaze on it. You’ve got you know Americana classic pork chops and applesauce barbecue I mean barbecue. You’ve got the smoky savory meaty, and then you know you put like a Kansas City style sauce on that and that’s that molasses rich style of sauce and the way that savory meaty, salty plays with sweet is great. And pairing a glass of Madeira or a glass of Moscatel de Setúbal or a glass of white Port with a pork chop my goodness it is divine.  

Mike DeSimone  34:15 

Yeah, those all I mean those again you’re making me super hungry but those are those are all excellent, excellent options and choices. Now you actually just you talked a little bit about white Port, so we talked in the beginning about like you know Portugal being this like super-hot expat destination also vacation destination, especially since now United flies direct from Newark to Aeroporto and they also fly direct to Madeira as well. So but everybody who comes back from Porto comes back raving about white Port. It’s made in tiny quantities. It’s mostly for domestic consumption or it’s sold into the UK. Do you think that we’re going to be seeing more white port in the The US market? 

John Sumners  35:01 

You can absolutely count on it. I think this is a category A style of Portuguese fortified wine that is just about to explode on the international scene. You know, it’s made in all kinds of different styles even you know, there’s there’s kind of your dryer’s style. There’s your sweeter style, you have different general age statements like 1020 30 year made in a tawny style. You have more fruity kind of, quote, Ruby style, if it was a red port, and it’s tremendously versatile. Some of the more inexpensive bottlings make a great base for a cocktail, like a Port and tonic with a squeeze of lime and a sprig of mint. And you’re set for a hot day. 

Mike DeSimone  35:46 

I love I actually love a Port and tonic. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. It’s super hot. In New York. I feel like there I feel like there’s a Port and tonic. And in my future today, and your near future. Besides Port, what are some of the other sweet styles of Portuguese wine? You kind of you touched on them in the pairing. But tell tell me a you know about Setúbal and Madeira. 

John Sumners  36:11 

Yeah, so, so that’s really those three are really the royal fortified trifecta of Portuguese wine. And Portugal is probably the most prominent country on earth for just those styles of wine in general. And, you know, it came about through kind of necessity it was, you know, these wines were fortified and left a little bit sweet. Therefore, because they had to travel, they had to be durable. And in these in the holds of ships going out across the globe. So yeah, you have Madeira, which is a fascinating style. I mean, basically, if you took a tawny port, and you very, very slowly cooked it over the course of years, just that kind of a low heat. And this renders it indestructible. And so it became this, this wonderful beverage for those in hotter climates, like in the Americas, and it became very popular in the US. It will even before it was the US. Americans were drinking in the 18th century; I think like over 90% of all Madeira. So it takes on these oxidative and kind of cooked nutty flavors, but it always has this beautiful bright acidity to it. And then Moscatel de Setúbal, this is so overlooked. This is magnificent stuff. And basically no one outside of Portugal or that’s into wine in a very serious way knows about it. 

Mike DeSimone  37:42 

Yeah, I actually was exposed to it as you know, as a wine judge. One year I sat on a sweet wine panel. 

John Sumners  37:49 

Yeah, yeah. And I mean, how does it sit with you in that experience? 

Mike DeSimone  37:54 

I mean, I mean, they were just amazing. And it was it just kind of it just opened up, you know, my my mind and my eyes and my tastebuds to this incredible style of wine that even kind of you know, I’m I’m at the level where I’m, you know, I’m judging International Wine competitions. And I’ve never heard of Moscatel de Setúbal.  

John Sumners  38:14 

It’s, it’s, it’s wild to me. And I mean, maybe I should keep my mouth shut because it keeps it inexpensive. You’re not gonna be able to afford it. I know. I know. What am I doing to myself? But yeah, it’s it’s wonderful stuff. And you know, it’s mostly made from variety here called Moscatel Graúdo. Which is our old friend in the Mediterranean based in Moscatel de Alexandria. Made its way everywhere. And one of the oldest grapes in the world, in fact, exactly, exactly. So this it’s like a time machine. I love it. It’s a style that’s wildly out of fashion right now. But, you know, all fashion comes back around eventually. I mean, we were wearing bell bottoms in the 90s. Right? You remember something like that, right? 

Mike DeSimone  39:01 

I don’t know. I’m not a tall person. So I don’t care. I don’t care how wide pants legs get? I’m wearing my narrow path. 

John Sumners  39:11 

You know what, me too. I’m about five, six on a good day. 

Mike DeSimone  39:15 

And on the other hand, though, when it comes to wine, I’m an equal opportunity drinker. You know, I drink dry. I drink sweet. I drink still. I drink bubbly. I drink fortified. So it sounds like I’m going to have to do a lot more exploration of Portuguese wines. Fantastic. Sure. So besides Portuguese wines, and I know when you live somewhere for you know, like, I we have a house in the south of Spain. And we can get wines from elsewhere in Europe, but it’s not super easy. So besides Portuguese wines, what do you drink? 

John Sumners  39:47 

I mean, you know, kind of goes with my locavore thinking. When I’m in Portugal, I’m drinking probably 99% Portuguese wine. Although everywhere rare once in a while. aisle, there are a couple of shops that I don’t know how they get them, but they get a couple of small producers from California and Washington. And I’ve found some, some bottles of single vineyard. Andrew Will, from, from Washington, from Columbia Valley. Wow. So that’s always kind of a fun treat to take me back to my old stomping grounds of the West Coast in general. And I love, love. And this is an obsession that didn’t start with Northern Rhone. It started with Central Coast California. I love cool climates Syrah, yeah, anytime I can get my hands on, on any kind of that kind of black fruited but still bright, spicy, peppery herbal characteristic from a cool climate Syrah. Like from Santa Barbara, great producers, they’re like Melville. I am all about it. 

Mike DeSimone  40:52 

Cool. That’s that sounds like, you know, it sounds like you’ve got a, you know, a broad palate, but you know, what you like, which is really what, what’s important when we’re drinking wine? So is there anything, anything that we’ve missed? Was there something that you were dying to talk about, that we didn’t hit on?  

John Sumners  41:12 

Well, I think what I’m most passionate about right now is communicating with people who might not feel invited into the wine world. You know, so often, it’s a complex topic. So it has a somewhat coded language and a proprietary lexicon that we use. And I mean, you and I both understand that there’s, there’s a reason for that complexity. But it tends to be when we’re reaching out, it tends to be a little bit unhelpful. So like, like you and Jeff do so brilliantly. Instead of standing at the castle gate, and saying, in order to get in here, you need to know this, this, this, this, this, this, and this, just like you do, I want to go out and meet the people where they are and say, I understand what you that you want to get in the castle. But you’re scared about it. You’re scared away by all the complex lexicon and everything. But let me help you let me guide you let me walk with you. And let’s have a conversation about it. And I think it’s so important that we do that. And especially with Portuguese wine, it’s so complicated in and of itself, because it is its own kind of proprietary thing with its own indigenous varieties. But being more inviting, and meeting people where they are, as opposed to, as opposed to being the gatekeepers, I think is important. And I admire you guys for that. And I hope that I’m doing that as well. 

Mike DeSimone  42:43 

Thank you, you know, absolutely. Just having talked to you today and having read through your book, I really do feel that you are doing exactly what you are stating you set out to do. And I actually love that metaphor of the castle gate. And instead of saying, like, you can come in here, going out and like you know, and talking to people. I really, I really do like that a lot. Now, when we just really quick we’re gonna go in a moment. But when we were emailing back and forth setting this up, you actually said like, you know, I need to be prepared. If you’re gonna ask me about Madonna or Cindy. 

John Sumners  43:17 

Well, I’m in trouble now, aren’t I? 

Mike DeSimone  43:20 

We’re not going there. Because let’s face it, you know, the people who listen to podcasts are a lot younger. They probably don’t know who those people are. Christina? Oh my gosh. Come on Britney verse. Christina, where are you?  

John Sumners  43:34 

Oh, I’m with I’m with whoever’s got the pipes as a former singer, Christina, and to your earlier question. Cindy, for the pipes. 

Mike DeSimone  43:45 

There you go. Okay, uh, you know, agree. There you go. All right. John Sumners. Great talking to you today. I really enjoyed chatting with you about wine in general and about your journey in wine. And I actually, I’ve kind of breezed through it. But I really look forward to getting more of an in depth look at your amazing book. There’s more than port in Portugal. So John, thank you very much for being with us today. 

John Sumners  44:13 

Thank you, Mike. It’s been an absolute honor. 

Mike DeSimone  44:15 

All right, take care. 

Jacy Topps  44:21 

Portugal has been producing wine for millennia. But for some it doesn’t come without as complexities. For us who don’t speak the language, the regions and the indigenous grape varieties may seem a little perplexing. Fortunately, for wine lovers, the wine is certainly not. From Red ports to white Ports, sweet styles to dry, wines from Portugal are dynamic and incredibly food friendly. So maybe it’s time me step off the beaten path and reach for wine outside of Port, because Portuguese wines are some of the most approachable and diverse wines in the world. What are your thoughts? If you liked today’s episode? sewed, we’d love to read your reviews and hear what you think. You can email us your comments and your questions at podcast at wine enthusiast.net. And hey, why not tell your wine loving friends to check us out to remember, you can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify and anywhere else you listen to podcasts. You can also go to wine enthusiast.com backslash podcasts. For more episodes and transcripts. I’m Jacy Topps. Thanks for listening.

The post An Exploration of Portugal’s Under-the-Radar Wines appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.

These wines are perfect for sipping in the summer sun, with tart acidity and a subtle fizz. Indeed, after getting to know them, you might make Vinho Verde your go-to wine region for warm weather. Here’s everything you need to know before picking up your first bottle.

What Is Vinho Verde?

Vinho Verde is a wine region wedged into the northwest corner of Portugal, just below the border with Spain. Like many areas, like Bordeaux or Rioja, wines are often sold under the region name but vary in all other aspects.

“Like any other region, Vinho Verde produces white, red and rosé wines,” explains Miguel Maia. They typically contain a blend of indigenous Portuguese grape varietals, such as Loureiro, Alvarinho, Arinto, Azal, Avesso, Trajadura and Fernão Pires, he says. “But most people associate Vinho Verde with a style of white wine, which may be described as light, fresh, aromatic and slightly [effervescent].”

Wine

Understanding the Gems of Vinho Verde

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Where Did the Name “Vinho Verde” Come From?

“Some people think that the grapes are harvested early, or harvested when they’re green and therefore they make a green wine,” says Tiago Soares, winemaker at Sapateiro winery in Vinho Verde. “But it’s not necessarily because of that.” Neither is it because the region is verdant all year round, he adds.

The name likely comes from the fact that the wines were traditionally released young—within three to six months after harvest, Soares says. This lent them a fresh and light characteristic with high acidity and low alcohol. These qualities are still prominent today, along with the spritz-like nature for which Vinho Verde wines are known. More on that below.

What Kind of Wine Is Vinho Verde?

Another common misconception is that the Vinho Verde region only produces white wines. Up until the ‘80s, most of the wines produced here were red. This was the type of wine locals preferred, Soares says. “The farmers would drink from ceramic bowls. They liked to see the bloody dark color of the wine against the white porcelain,” he says.

It wasn’t until Portugal began exporting more wines that whites became more predominant, Soares explains. The region’s preferred style of light, acidic wine is better served by white varietals, which led Vinho Verde to gain an association with white wines.

Region Rundown

Diversity and Innovation Keep Vinho Verde Relevant

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“In the region, you can make white, red, rosé, vinegar, brandy or sparkling wine, as long as it’s made with autochthonous varieties from the region,” Soares adds. “If they are grown inside the region and have a spectrum of flavors that are expected for these wines, that’s Vinho Verde.”

But these typical tasting notes can vary depending on the sub-region and the winemaker. Typically the flavors of Vinho Verde wines are citrusy, ranging from lime to lemon zest to grapefruit. But some styles are “more ripe, with notes of nectarine or peach, and hints of lychee and passion fruit,” Soares adds.

All Vinho Verde wines, however, regardless of color, have a slight spritz, high acidity and relatively low alcohol.

How Is Vinho Verde Made?

Although Vinho Verde wines are produced like any other white, red or rosé, “the biggest differentiating feature of Vinho Verde wines is that they are lightly sparkling,” says Miguel Maia. “In the past, this fizziness was obtained through a natural second fermentation in the bottle, similar to a pét-nat.”

Nowadays, though, winemakers add carbon dioxide at the bottling stage to achieve the spritz-like texture.

Vinho Verde Bottles to Try

Although you may see some bottles older than 2020 on the market, it’s recommended not to consume Vinho Verde that is older than this, explains Wine Enthusiast Tasting Director Anna-Christina Cabrales.

“Vinho Verde are wines that should be consumed immediately due to their light flavor profile and delicate effervescence,” Cabrales says. “You don’t want the bottles to be too old, as they may fall flat or not feel as energetic.”

Included in this list are the best examples of bottles we’ve previously rated that are still acceptable to drink today, she notes.

Anselmo Mendes 2021 Alvarinho Contacto Alvarinho (Vinho Verde)

Skin contact gives this wine extra intensity and richness. The full texture brings in spice and vanilla flavors as well as beautiful acidity and freshness. The wine is young, so drink from 2023. 93 Points —Roger Voss

$ Varies Wine-Searcher

Quinta de Paços 2020 Casa do Capitão-Mor Reserva Macaração Alvarinho (Vinho Verde)

This beautifully ripe wine offers touches of honey and a dense texture from long maceration. A fine example of rich Alvarinho, it has aging potential. Drink the wine from 2023. 92 Points —R.V.

$ Varies Wine-Searcher

Quinta do Ameal 2021 Loureiro (Vinho Verde)

The signature wine from the Ameal estate, this features the Lima Valley’s Loureiro. The wine has softness as well as well-textured acidity and minerality. Citrus gives a tangy character, fresh and full of fruit. Drink the wine now. 91 Points R.V.

$ Varies Wine-Searcher

Casa de Vilacetinho 2020 Avesso Superior Avesso (Vinho Verde)

With an extra year’s age, this wine has a rounded character, with spice and soft apple flavors. It is fruity, spicy and food friendly. Drink now. 90 Points —R.V.

$ Varies Wine-Searcher

Quinta da Raza 2021 Alvarinho Colheita Seleccionada Alvarinho (Vinho Verde)

This ripe, creamy wine offers richness alongside a mineral texture. Apple and spice flavors balance well with the citrus acidity. It will be ready to drink from 2023. 90 Points —R.V.

$ Varies Wine-Searcher

Aveleda 2021 Alvarinho (Vinho Verde)

This bright, crisp and lemon-scented wine is deliciously and openly fruity. The wine just needs a few months to become richer while not losing the crisp aftertaste. Drink now. 90 Points —R.V.

$15 Wine.com

J. Portugal Ramos 2021 Alvarinho (Vinho Verde)

The wine comes from the Monçao & Melgaço region of Vinho Verde, the home of Alvarinho. It is a textured wine, poised between freshness and ripe white fruits. The wine will softer over the next few months, broadening out very satisfactorily. Drink from 2023.  90 Points —R.V.

$20 Wine.com

Lima & Smith 2021 Covela Avesso Reserva Avesso (Vinho Verde)

This wood-matured wine is smooth and ripe. It has a honeyed edge along with citrus and soft fruit flavors. The wine is rich and ready to drink. Organic. 90 Points —R.V.

$19 Lima Smith Lda.

FAQs

Are Vinho Verde Wines Sweet or Dry?

Fresh, fruity and floral, Vinho Verde wines err on the drier side.

“Normally, Vinho Verde wines are semi-dry,” says Miguel Maia. “In our case, one of the wines we make in this style has a residual sugar of six grams per liter. Another has only 2.5 grams per liter.”

Is Vinho Verde Similar to Pinot Grigio?

Because of the number of indigenous grape varietals in the Vinho Verde region and the fact that most of its wines are blends, it’s difficult to compare Vinho Verde wines with those made from other varietals, Soares says. However, some single-varietal Vinho Verde bears a resemblance to Pinot Grigio, while others are similar to Sauvignon Blanc.

“There are styles of Loureiro along the lines of Sauvignon Blanc,” Soares says. “And a blend of Loureiro, Arinto—also called Pederna—and Trajadura can deliver wines similar in style to Pinot Grigio.”

Do You Drink Vinho Verde Wines Cold?

White wines from Vinho Verde are usually served cold. “Most people serve the wines around 6°C (42.8°F) and then they warm up while served in the glass,” says Soares.

What Do You Eat with Vinho Verde?

The tartness and light fizz of Vinho Verde wines mean they pair well with summery foods like grilled fish, seafood and salads, says Miguel Maia. “However, given that this style of wine is light, it doesn’t necessarily need to be paired with food. It can be drunk on its own, by the pool or the beach,” he suggests.

“[For the grape varieties] Loureiro and Azal, I would drink those styles of wines with something spicy,” Soares recommends. “For example, seafood rice that we eat in Portugal, we make it with spices. I love to have Azal or Loureiro [with this dish]. It’s like a palate cleanser on your mouth, so it’s a great match.”

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All products featured here are independently selected by our team, which is comprised of experienced writers and wine tasters and overseen by editorial professionals at Wine Enthusiast headquarters. All ratings and reviews are performed blind in a controlled setting and reflect the parameters of our 100-point scale. Wine Enthusiast does not accept payment to conduct any product review, though we may earn a commission on purchases made through links on this site. Prices were accurate at the time of publication.

The post 8 Vinho Verde Bottles to Drink Right Now appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.

High-end white wines from the region continue to showcase the quality and versatility of many of the local grape varieties, as well as varying vinification techniques such as skin-contact whites and aging in oak or clay. According to the Vinho Verde Viticulture Commission (CVRVV), premium bottlings (generally greater than $10 retail) represent around 20% of the region’s production. Roughly 14% of Vinho Verde wine bottled between January and July 2021 was labeled by subregion, a figure that’s been on the rise as additional attention and distinction are paid to the varying offerings and microclimates found within the region at large.

These white wine offerings are also in addition to the region’s output of light-colored rosés, polished reds, textured traditional-method and pétillant-naturel sparkling wines, and brandies.

Located in the northwestern corner of the country, Vinho Verde’s rolling hills stretch across nine subregions from north to south: Monção & Melgaço, Lima, Cávado, Ave, Basto, Sousa, Amarante, Baião and Paiva. A maritime to continental climate is impacted by fierce coastal Atlantic breezes from the west, while mountainous terrain shapes the east and south of the region. The influence of river channels and tributaries helps form different microclimates, which allow for varied indigenous grape plantings and expressions throughout the area.

The art of blending is a trademark of Portuguese winemaking, and Vinho Verde bottlings are no exception. However, monovarietal and single-parcel wines can showcase the region’s impressive potential, and provide a sense of place, cultivation systems and production.

Vinhão is the region’s most planted red variety. Purple-red in color, the grape offers acidity and wild berry flavors. Borraçal, a red grape with a ruby color, also has a fresh character and is grown across all the region’s communes.

But Vinho Verde’s white wines garner much of the attention. The region’s most widely planted grape, Loureiro, thrives in these microclimates in the lower and higher Lima Valley riverbanks. The grape yields high-quality wines and is recognized as an ideal cultivar for single-variety expressions.

In the moderate conditions of the Ave and Cavádo subregions, Loureiro produces light-bodied, refreshing and elegant wines. It transitions into richer expressions toward the interior by the Sousa subregion, where it’s not as exposed to the Atlantic.

Loureiro’s floral notes play along nicely with other grapes, including the sharp, citrusy edge of Arinto and delicate, low-acid Trajadura. These three grapes form a pivotal power trio that reigns in Sousa, along with the very promising red-fruited Espadeiro for rosés.

Intermediate altitudes with cold and rainy winters and long, hot and dry summer days give late-ripening varieties the chance to mature. In the South, by the Paiva subregion moving inland across the Amarante and Baião, which borders the Douro Valley, the vibrant Azal Branco grape, as well as the fruity and nutty Avesso, a rising star variety, yield promising wines with great potential.

The centralized, inland subregion of Basto is sheltered from sea winds. The white grape Batoca is found here and incorporated into offerings from the region, while the friendly Padeiro red grape and rarer Rabo de Anho variety yield structured red wines with fresh texture and rustic edge.

In the North by the Spanish border, which butts up to Rías Baixas, the Monção e Melgaço subregion is characterized by particularly sunny hillsides around the southern bank of the Minho river. The area’s wines are centered around high-toned Alvarinho, largely considered the king of the North, where it yields wines with complex aromas.

The scarce dark-skinned Pedral can bring fragrance when added to blends, while Alvarelhão can produce refined, mouthwatering light-bodied reds.

The post Diversity and Innovation Keep Vinho Verde Relevant appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.

Get to know this expansive category of wines by checking out some of our favorite budget-friendly bottles below.

Magnum Carlos Lucas Vinhos 2019 Pinha Ribeiro Santo (Dão); $13, 93 points. Named after the pine trees that surround the vines, the wine is rich while keeping poise and freshness. Spice, black fruits and dry tannins are all getting to know each other. The wine should be ready from 2024. Iberian Wine Importers. Best Buy. —Roger Voss

Lavradores de Feitoria 2017 8 Bagos (Douro); $13, 91 points. In a master class of the Portuguese art of blending, this wine brings together eight grapes. Rich, finely perfumed and with delicious spicy black fruits, it is almost mature—a rich wine that is also balanced and juicy. Drink this attractive wine now. Polaner Selections. Best Buy. —R.V.

Adega Cooperativa do Cartaxo 2016 Bridão Colheita Seleccionada Alicante Bouschet (Tejo); $12, 90 points. The richness and dark color of the Alicante Bouschet is readily apparent in this wine. It has the right power and density and black plum fruit flavors. After four years, the wine has smoothed out to give a solid wine, ready to drink. Watch the alcohol. Wine Enterprises. Best Buy. —R.V.

Casa Ermelina Freitas 2019 Vinha da Valentina Premium (Península de Setúbal); $13, 90 points. This young wine is dense with tannins, spice and rich wood-aging flavors. Combined with the black fruits, it shows fine potential, with richness and a streak of minerality. Drink from late 2021. MS Walker. Best Buy. —R.V.

Casa Santos Lima 2019 Stones & Bones (Lisboa); $13, 88 points. A comfortable blend of four grapes, the wine has soft tannins and a light spiciness from wood aging. The wine’s red berry fruits give a warm feel to this just lightly textured wine. Drink now. Lionstone International. Best Buy. —R.V.

DFJ Vinhos 2019 Paxis (Lisboa); $10, 88 points. Three Douro varieties, grown in the Lisboa region, go into this wine. That gives it some structure, although not too much to mask the blackberry fruits. So the wine is a little young, but will certainly be ready from late 2021. Tri-Vin Imports. Best Buy. —R.V.

Duorum 2018 Tons de Duorum (Douro); $10, 88 points. This young, bright and fruity wine is packed with blackberry flavors. Tannins and a mineral texture are reminders that this comes from the Douro’s schist soils. That makes for a ripe wine that has structure. Drink from 2021. Winebow. Best Buy. —R.V.

Global Wines 2018 Casa de Santar (Dão); $12, 87 points. From the aristocratic estate managed by this producer, this is a generous, warm and wood-aged wine. Its tannins are well integrated into the elegant black fruits and juicy acidity. It will benefit from some more aging, so drink from late 2021. Tri-Vin Imports. Best Buy. —R.V.

José Maria da Fonseca 2019 Periquita Tinto (Península de Setúbal); $10, 87 points. This brand, produced since 1850, is a consistent name in Portugal. This latest release is fruity, touched lightly with wood and tannins. Fresh red fruits and fine acidity come together in an immediately drinkable wine. Palm Bay International. Best Buy. —R.V.

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So, when 2016 and 2017 were declared vintages back-to-back, it was big news and an extremely rare event. The last time two consecutive vintages were declared was in the 19th century.

Following the two generally declared years, 2018 arrived. Due to quality variations throughout the region, it did not receive the same general vintage declaration as 2016 and 2017, and most producers released a lower level of vintage Port from individual vineyards. Very fine wines, yes, but surely not as great as the two preceding years.

And yet, in a line-up of 2018 vintages tasted blind as usual this last summer, there was one wine that stood out.

It had everything a great vintage Port should. It was unbelievably, almost impossibly, impressive. This Port sang, it purred, but with great gusto and certainty. Could this be a 100-point wine? Should it enter a space occupied by so few selections?

Looked at objectively, the layers of fruit spoke to great concentration, as did the richness of the structure. But the clincher were tannins that went so deep that it was impossible to taste the end or feel the bottom. The tannins in a vintage Port tell you the wine will last for decades, and beneficially so when in harmony with the wine’s other elements.

This was the real thing. This was a 100-point wine. It was time to unbag the bottle: Ferreira 2018 Vintage Port. And then it all made sense.

The winemaker for Sogrape, owner of Ferreira among many other great Douro houses, is Luis Sottomayor. He had 2018 already in barrels when he broke ranks and made headlines by not declaring a 2017 Vintage Port from Ferreira.

“It was a very good year, but the wines had a different profile, and they had a different style from what we want in our classical vintages,” he wrote in an email.

On the other hand, Sottomayor notes that 2018 “produced elegant and harmonious wines that at the same time have great structure and amazing tannins that gave rise to a wine of rare completeness.” That was what I had found when I tasted the wine.

He declared Ferreira 2018 as a Vintage Port. He was right.

The provenance of a Ferreira Vintage Port has great pedigree. It is always the same, a blend of grapes from two great estates: Quinta de Caêdo and Quinta do Porto.

Both quintas are in the heartland of the great Port vineyards of the Douro, situated close to Pinhão. Caêdo has belonged to Ferreira since 1990, while Quinta do Porto has been part of the Ferreira heritage since the 1800s.

Quinta do Porto is one of the great Douro estates created by Dona Antonia Ferreira. Dona Antonia is noted as one of the famed “wine widows” of the 19th century, much like Louise Pommery and Madame Clicquot, who took their business over themselves when their husbands died.

Today, on its magnificent hilltop situation, complete with chapel, a house and massive winery (Dona Antonia did nothing by halves and had a liking for granite), it is a showpiece of the Douro and a favorite place for the Guedes family, owners of Ferreira.

The facts were right, the origins were right, and the winemaking decisions were controversial but impeccable. The result, though, is more than the sum of those parts. An aura hangs over this Port, one that sets it apart, and one that makes it a 100-point wine.

The post The Making of a 100-Point Wine: A Vintage Port of Immense Concentration appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.

In contrast to the bright and acidic white wines, Portugal’s red wines are often bold with firm structure and dark fruit flavor. They are made from both indigenous grapes like Touriga Nacional and international varieties like Merlot.

Manuel Carvalho Martins 2017 Golpe Reserva (Douro); $15, 92 points. Produced from vineyards at 1,500 feet, this wine is structured and rich. Its solid black fruits give the wine density as well as bringing out ripeness and tannins that are just beginning to soften. So this is a wine for further aging. Drink from 2022. Weygandt-Metzler. Best Buy. —Roger Voss

Global Wines 2016 Cabriz Reserva (Dão); $19, 91 points. Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro and Aragonez come together in this rich, spicy, juicy wine. Nine months in wood have smoothed out many of the tannins while bottle age has done the rest. The wine still has some potential but is ready to drink. Aidil Wines/Old World Import. —R.V.

Quinta da Lapa 2016 Reserva Merlot (Tejo); $18, 91 points. A full, rich wine with fine ripe blackberry flavors, this is ready to drink. Its dark fruits and soft tannins are just beginning to show signs of attractive maturity, meaning this full-bodied, dense wine is ready to drink. D’Ouro Vino Selections. Editors’ Choice. —R.V.

Seacampo 2014 Casa Américo Reserva (Dão); $16, 91 points. With 10 months in wood, this now mature wine is rich, packed with black fruits that are lifted by the spicy flavors from wood. Dusty tannins are integrated with the fruitiness and acidity. Balance is the thing here, giving a ripe wine that is ready to drink. Aidil Wines/Old World Import. —R.V.

Casa Santos Lima 2017 Confidencial Reserva (Lisboa); $15, 90 points. Boasting a balanced combination of oak and ripe fruit, this wine is rich and full of juicy spiced-fruit flavors. Flavors of black currant and a hint of toastiness are fully integrated into this ready-to-drink wine. Drink now. Tri-Vin Imports. Best Buy. —R.V.

DFJ Vinhos 2018 DFJ Touriga Nacional-Touriga Franca (Lisboa); $13, 90 points. This rich, serious wine is full of black fruits. It has structure and spicy density, framed by firm tannins. LGL Imports LLC. Best Buy. —R.V.

Duorum 2018 S&R (Douro); $12, 90 points. The partnership between the Soares Franco and Portugal Ramos families has produced this friendly, open and ripe wine that celebrates the city of Porto and the Douro River. Black fruits, a smoky texture and warm tannins are attractively packaged in this ready-to-drink wine. Winebow. Best Buy. —R.V.

Herdade do Rocim 2019 Amphora (Alentejo); $16, 90 points. Aged in amphorae, the wine was made naturally with wild yeast. The result is a fine textured, fruity wine with a strongly juicy character as well as light tannins. The wine should be deliciously ready from 2021. Shiverick Imports. —R.V.

Quinta Vale d’Aldeia 2015 Reserva (Douro); $15, 90 points. Partially fermented in open stone lagars, the wine has a dense mix of black fruits, acidity and licorice flavors from the wood aging. Having melded well together, the wine is balanced with a line of acidity that allows for final, juicy freshness. Drink now. Leo’s Choice. Best Buy. —R.V.

Sogrape 2018 Silk & Spice (Portuguese Table Wine); $13, 90 points. This celebration of Portugal’s intrepid explorations in the Far East is a ripe, smooth, lightly toasty wine. Its texture is soft, open with black-currant fruits, spice and fine finishing acidity. Drink now. Evaton, Inc. Best Buy. —R.V.

The post 10 of Our Favorite Portuguese Red Wines Perfect for Fall appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.

Exposed to hot sun on the open seas, however, the wine would often spoil. So its makers took a cue from Porto producers and fortified the stuff with a sugar distillate to ensure its survival through the course of the voyage.

Sailors soon discovered an added benefit. The longer that Madeira sat on their ships, the deeper its flavor became. In the years that followed, what could have been a mundane table wine was transformed into a hot commodity.

Today, four principle noble grape varieties are used to make Madeira into styles of the same names: Malvasia (or Malmsey), Bual, Verdelho and Sercial. The wine is fortified with brandy and, rather than rely on ocean air and sunlight to treat the wine, it’s exposed to heat and oxygen while aging at the vineyard.

“The beautiful thing about Madeira is, even though it’s a fortified wine, styles range anywhere from bone dry to intensely sweet,” says Sam Gamble, head sommelier of Atlas restaurant in Atlanta. While sweet Malvasia pairs with desserts, he says other variations work well with savory dishes.

At Los Angeles cocktail bar Thunderbolt, for instance, Owner Mike Capoferri pairs Verdelho Madeira with country ham. “The Verdelho has a beautiful sugar content level that’s going to match really well with the salty, cured flavor,” he says.

Madeira is a great addition to cocktails, too. Chantal Tseng, a Washington, D.C.-based cocktail consultant, mixes Verdelho and Sercial styles with spirits like gin and Tequila to add salinity and complexity. She also likes it as the base for simple mixing.

If you’re hesitant to buy a bottle, don’t be. Because of its aging process, Madeira is considered somewhat indestructible.

“Everything that’s gone wrong to wine [has] happened to Madeira,” says Gamble. “There are no bad bottles.”

The post How Madeira Transformed from an Average Table Wine to a Fortified Powerhouse appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.

Winemakers in Portugal praise the variety’s quality in the two regions where it has been traditionally planted, the Douro Valley, and its original home just to the south, the Dão. Touriga Nacional produces wines that are instantly recognizable and offer intense floral aromas and red fruit flavors. It’s an elegant grape, a natural leader in a blend, timeless and ageworthy.

In the Douro, it’s planted for both Port and table red wines, at home in both worlds. Touriga Nacional is “complete and balanced, aromatic, maintaining freshness and with great aging capacity,” says Jorge Moreira, winemaker at Quinta de la Rosa, Passagem and Poeira, his personal label in the Douro.

From these two regions, the grape has spread around Portugal.

“It is the most traveled and the most discussed grape in Portugal,” says Carlos Lucas, CEO/winemaker of Magnum Vinhos in the Dão. “It is present on all back labels, even if it only makes a tiny contribution to the final blend.”

It wasn’t always like this. In the 1970s, Touriga Nacional was poised to disappear. Even though the grape’s quality was recognized, it had low yields, was full of disease and growers wanted nothing to do with it. Its fortunes changed a decade later.

One of its champions was João Nicolau d’Almeida, owner of Quinta do Monte Xisto in the Douro Superior and formerly CEO of Casa Ramos-Pinto, identified five out of the 80 different grape varieties planted in the Douro. Atop that list was Touriga Nacional.

That listing, and the fame it garnered, spurred the research that produced the reliable, quality clones that are planted today. Now, Touriga Nacional can both take its rightful place and keep growers happy.

Planted the length of the Douro Valley, Touriga Nacional is at its best as part of a blend.

“I like to use it like salt and pepper to make the wines from old vines almost perfect,” says Moreira.

“It can be used as a single varietal, as in our Casa Ferreirinha Reserva Especial in 1992,” says Luis Sottomayor, winemaking director at Sogrape Vinhos, which brands include Sandeman, Offley and Ferreira. “I really prefer to use it in a blend when it brings complexity and harmony.”

In the Dão, Touriga Nacional’s blending companions are Jaen and Alfrocheiro. It’s grown in the region’s cooler climate, with granite mountains and high-altitude vineyards providing “such great elegance, aroma and velvety textures,” says Carlos Lucas. “It gives wine with intense color, violet and bergamot aromas.”

“In the mouth, it is full-bodied, robust and structured, fruity when young, but with a high potential for prolonged aging.”

In other regions of Portugal, Touriga Nacional is a relatively recent arrival, certainly since its clonal revolution of the 1990s. While it brings style and sophistication, it does lose some aromatic quality and ageability in the warm Alentejo and Tejo vineyards.

In Touriga Nacional’s new incarnation, with clones and rootstocks that guarantee quality and quantity, winemakers love to work with it.

“It is like the guarantee seal for the best wines,” says Lucas. “It has attributes I cannot do without, especially its ability to give us wines with longevity. This will be our legacy.”

Sottomayor, who’s also responsible for Sogrape’s Dão wines, calls Touriga Nacional “a winemaker’s best friend. Always solid and consistent maintaining the same quality and aromatic profile.”

The post Portugal’s Answer to Cabernet is Complex and Ageworthy appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.