When the world was very young, I courted a young woman in New York City; our favorite restaurant of that era was a cozy, romantic French bistro, Café Henri IV. The food was good enough, and the restaurant came complete with a French accordionist wearing a beret and singing Edith Piaf tunes, nasal accent and all.
Of course, we had wine with our dinners. I am somewhat embarrassed to say the wine was Lancers sparkling rose from Portugal, and it came in an imitation brown, crock-like bottle. It had a bit of fizz and just a hint of a semi-sweet flavor. Not what you would call a blockbuster—more like a butterfly. However, it looked good in the glass and the price was just a few francs. The wine was very popular.
Lancers was created by the Soares Franco family, owners of Portugal’s historic and highly regarded J.M. Fonseca winery. Lancers’s early success dates back to its popularity with American troops returning home from World War II. Lancers is still around for historical reference. I am, too.
Lots of wine has gone under my nose since those days, and many of us have become very sophisticated wine drinkers. We love our after-dinner ports and speak of the many historic houses and all the different styles of these special and noble wines.
Winemaking in Portugal is an ancient tradition, going back thousands of years to Greek civilization in the 7th century B.C. The Romans made a real go of it when western Iberia became an important supplier to the entire empire. Winemaking went into an eclipse during the Moorish occupation, but came back at the end of the 12th century, with much wine exported to England because of favorable trade conditions between the two countries. First, red table wines were admired. To make these wines more stable for shipping, brandy was added, making them fortified. The Brits liked these kinds of wine even better; that’s how sweet ports came to be and why many of the port houses have English names. These wines come from Portugal’s famous Douro district. In the late 1750s, Portugal became the first country to initiate an appellation system with Douro district.
There are well over three hundred native Portuguese grape varieties, but, for the record, most of the important red types are in the Douro, including: touriga nacional, tinta roriz (tempranillo), and touriga franca. A very important white grape is alvarinho, along with the lesser known louriero and arinto. Several French varieties, such as cabernet sauvignon and merlot are also planted in notable areas, which, for me, takes away somewhat from the interesting native types.
Many of Portugal’s white wines come from the northern part of the country and are called vinhos verdes, or “green wines.” The name refers to wines that are young and fresh. These wines have some petillance (sparkle) and are light and acidic. These white wines are low in alcohol and are made from local grape varieties, including the previously mentioned louriero and arinto, as well as trajadura, avesso, and azal. Recently, a separate denomination was given to vinho verde.
Much of the new wave of red Portuguese wines comes from great and traditional port houses. It seems to be a natural evolvement, since these names have experience and capital to go into the table wine category with increasing success.
San Francisco’s Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein, one of the top wine educators in the United States and founder of Full Circle Wine Solutions, has this to say on the subject: “Portugal today isn’t your momma’s Portugal. A contemporary confluence of focused winemaking, diligent vineyard and winery practices, an outward eye towards the present-day wine world, and a deft melding of classic Portuguese varietals with the right mix of international grapes make up a recipe for success in the increasingly complex but curious wine market we live in and drink in today.”
Now, let’s taste some wines.
Vinho Verde Branco Adamado—very, very light in style with a slight effervescence. A little too acidic for me and our tasting group, and, like Gertrude Stein, I found not enough there there.
Gazela Vinho Verde—more like it. A jazzy bright bottle sets the tone; the light-bodied wine offers a froth with white fruit aromas, and delicate citrus and apricot notes. Nice acidity to the finish.
Esporao Reserva, 2007—a very nice white; dry with racy flavors and good citrus elements. From the Alentejo.
Grilos—an excellent dry red, medium bodied, nice acidity for a crisp finish. All in all, well balanced. From the Dão.
Alentejo Herdade do Mouchão Tinto, 2007—lots of bright fruit up front with a very firm tannin structure. This wine, too, was well balanced.
Domingos, 2005—very rich, red ripe fruit, excellent and full-bodied; a world-class wine. From the Terras do Sado district.
Niepoort Twisted, 2007—light, bright, fresh and fruity, and lots of it, with not much oak to contend with. From the Douro.
Quinta do Vallado—one hundred percent touriga nacional; an expansive and gracious wine, with a superb taste and wonderful balance. This was our tasting panel’s favorite, especially because we liked the idea of using a famous and native variety exclusively. From the Douro.
Ports in Petaluma?
I kid you not. Plan a visit to marvel at the superb port-style wines Bill Reading crafts at Sonoma Valley Port Works, 613 Second Street in downtown Petaluma. We were fully charmed by our tasting, which included: his wine, called Deco, with just a touch of chocolate; Maduro, a rich and full tawny-style port; Aris Petite Sirah, amazing fruit and an equally amazing acidity in the finish; Aris Petit Verdot, earthy and rich; Duet, a sherry-style wine with a touch of hazelnut essence for a divine nose; and A3 Muscat. All absolutely world-class sips. Dine at nearby Cucina Paradiso, an equally fine Italian restaurant.
Editor’s note: This marks Ed Schwartz’s five-year anniversary writing for the Gazette. Congratulations Ed, and thank you for never missing a single sip!
Ed Schwartz has been involved in many aspects of fine wine for thirty years and has worked with top wineries in California, Italy, and France. His writings on wine, food, and travel have appeared in the SF Chronicle, LA Times, and Image magazine.
