Pommard Pinot Noir

Pommard is a region in Burgundy, France.

It is in the Cote de Beaune.

Of all the regions in the Cote de Beaune, Pommard is said to resemble the deeper, darker wines of the Cote de Nuits.

Pommard Pinot Noir

Pommard Pinot Noir is a closely held secret among those who love red wine from Burgundy, France.

What is Pommard Pinot Noir?

The Burgundy region of France has been famous for centuries.

Mostly only for two reasons.

Pinot Noir.

Chardonnay.

And there are two key regions in Burgundy, France.

The Cote de Beaune and the Cote de Nuits.

The Cote de Beaune is marked by a lighter style of Pinot Noir.

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Pommard Pinot Noir Characteristics Deeper and Darker

Pinot Noir from Pommard is deeper and darker.

As Volnay is next to Pommard, some people even say that Volnay is the more “feminine” side of Pommard.

Pommard Pinot Noir

Now the red Pinot Noir grape and the white Chardonnay grape in the North and South of Burgundy.

Yet “collectors” and “wine experts” through the centuries have given the highest rankings to Pinot Noir grapes grown in the Cote de Nuit.

But they have praised Pommard in the Cote de Beaune as well.

The reason?

It could be the typically darker, more saturated color of Pommard Pinot Noir.

Pommard for Pinot Noir

Pommard is one of the top regions in the Cote de Beaune for growing the Pinot Noir grape.

When I was first learning Burgundy grape characteristics, I asked one of my less credentialed teachers about Pinot Noir from Pommard.

“That’s tricky …” she said, trailing off.

[socialpug_tweet tweet=”Pommard is not tricky at all.” display_tweet=””] Pommard is not tricky at all.

Pommard is the most full-bodied red wine of Burgundy’s Cote de Beaune

This might be what she meant by “tricky,” since the “stereotype” of the Cote de Beaune is the production lighter red wines with fresh bright red cherry flavors.

We expect wines from the Cote de Nuits to be deeper, darker, and with an aura of mystery.

Taste of Pommard Pinot Noir

Wines from Pommard above others are velvety and round with intense red and dark fruit flavors and ripe tannins.

We know Pommard for substantial wines.

Now just having seen the film “Colette” and also read her biography, if Pommard was a literary character it would be like Colette.

Seductive. Feminine. Yet firm and always in control.

Pommard Pinot Noir Improves with Age

These are wines meant to improve with age.

In time, you will find flavors of leather and chocolate.

Depending on your personal palate and whom you talk to, Pommard wines can have rustic notes on the palate.

Some might call them “classic big Burgundies.”

As contrasted to a delicate young Cote de Beaune Bourgogne wine you might pair with duck, these are wines for braised beef.

Premier Cru Pommard Pinot Noir

The Pommard appellation includes 28 Premier Cru vineyards recognized for producing exceptional wines.

[socialpug_tweet tweet=”Many experts have memorized each of these 1st Cru regions and know the characteristics of them all.” display_tweet=””] Many experts have memorized each of these 1^st Cru regions and know the characteristics of them all.

In this regard, MAPS are very helpful.

You will be able to see how – and why – the specific location of each plot can determine the quality of the grapes.

These include factors like the location on the slope.

Also visiting the producers in the area and tasting the wines from their region can be of enormous help.

For example, Domaine Anne Parent has several top properties in Pommard and elsewhere in Burgundy.

Pommard Pinot Noir on a Road Show

Thanks to the dedication of New York’s French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF), Pommard has come to New York!

And other French wine regions as well.

This French wine program at FIAF is offered several times a year.

[socialpug_tweet tweet=”Each time, a wine theme is presented, along with wines, a discussion of the region, and food from that region.” display_tweet=””] Each time, a wine theme is presented, along with wines, a discussion of the region, and food from that region.

This program was called “An Aromatic Wine Journey Through Burgundy”

I have been to a few of these FIAF programs and the structure is similar.

First, there is a panel of Pinot Noir  producers or representatives.

There is an emcee … for the last few times they have been editors from Wine Enthusiast magazine.

There is usually a set of wines to taste and food such as cheese, bread, or dessert to pair with the wine.

Exploring Pommard Pinot Noir and Other Burgundy Wines

On this night we had a few wines to try before the Pommard Pinot Noir.

Neil Ruane, Export Manager for the USA from Boisset, was the first to speak about the delicious Boisset wines he brought.

The first was the Chateau de Rully 2016.

This is a white wine from Rully in the Cote Chalonnaise.

Rully makes twice as much red wine as white wine.

The wine was fresh, crisp, and delicious.

The second wine was a red from the commune of Mercurey, also in the Cote Chalonnaise.

This was the 2015 Domaine de la Bressande,

Lots of fresh red cherry and very delicious, from a very old domain.

Pommard Pinot Noir :  Chateau De Pommard

The next four wines were produced from the owners of one of the oldest domains in Pommard.

Michael Baum is CEO and Owner of Chateau de Pommard.

He represents the fifth family to own the Chateau since its inception.

And as a master storyteller, he explained the history in a very vivid fashion.

From his name, you might correctly guess he was American.

He made his fortune in a variety of high tech companies in San Francisco.

This is what allowed him to buy, and more importantly renovate, the Chateau de Pommard.

This includes improvements in the vineyard as well as the Chateau itself.

One example of an improvement is that Chateau de Pommard is now in the process of turning itself biodynamic.

Another example is the list of activities and ways to visit you can find on their website.

During the course of his talk, Michael also explained that the winery is very child-friendly.

This means that children have tutored “juice” tastings instead of Pommard wine.

Chateau de Pommard Stories

French Chateaux have many stories to tell.

Drama. Drama. Drama.

In one of the rooms of the Chateau, one of the family owners suddenly fell down dead.

According to Michael, a sister entered the room shortly afterward.

Though startled, she reached for her watercolors/paints and quickly sketched the grim scene.

That work of art can be scene in another chateau in the region today.

Pommard is filled with beautiful chateaux you can visit. One of great interest can be found in Domaine Parent.

Chateau de Pommard Wines

While you might think these are all Pommard Pinot Noir wines, Chateau de Pommard produces an elegant white as well from vines in Ladoix.

We started with the Famille Carabello-Baum Ladoix Premier Cru “Les Grechons” 2015.

Then we moved on to the Chateau de Pommard Vivant 2015.

This was a Pommard Pinot Noir in the classic style, very delicious.

Following was the Chateau de Pommard Clos Marey Monge 2015.

[socialpug_tweet tweet=”This comes from a single vineyard, so it was very intense and concentrated.” display_tweet=””] This comes from a single vineyard, so it was very intense and concentrated.

A Wine to age.

The last wine was the Chateau de Pommard Clos Marey-Monge 2012.

Now these two wines we tasted side by side to study the effects of the vintage on the wine.

Perhaps next year it will be in Gevrey-Chambertin.

Wine Enthusiast EMCEE at French Institute Alliance Française

Wine Enthusiast emcee Matt DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen are the Entertaining and Lifestyle Editors at Wine Enthusiast Magazine. They wrote a fantastic book called Red Wine. 

We also know them as the World Wine guys, and did an outstanding job at moderating the panel.

So when you go to Burgundy, be certain to put Pommard on your list as you travel up and down this gorgeous region.

For more information, check out this video on Pommard from the BIVB

If you like this post you will like:

Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Auction

The post 3 Intense Characteristics of Pommard Pinot Noir appeared first on AWINESTORY.COM.

Pinot Noir in Oregon

As a wine lover, you  know that Oregon Pinot Noir is some of the best in the world.

Many feel Pinot Noir in Oregon ranks equal to top quality Pinot Noir from Burgundy.

In fact, many wine experts sometimes find it difficult to tell the difference between Oregon Pinot Noir and Burgundian Pinot Noir.

Pinot Noir in Oregon: Oregon’s Golden Era

Many agree that Pinot Noir in Oregon burst into the international scene in the 1970s, when David Lett’s Eyrie Vineyards’ 1975 Pinot Noir

South Block Reserve Pinot Noir was ranked 10th in its category in the Wine Olympics held in Paris in 1979.

Then it won another competition in Burgundy.

At that time, the Oregon winemakers of that era were young and raising families.

They were excited about the prospects of showcasing Pinot Noir grown from their terroir.

Now, nearly a half century later, the children of these Pinot Noir pioneer families are carrying on the tradition.

Pinot Noir In Oregon: New Generation

Recently the new second generation winemakers from three pioneer Oregon wineries came to New York city.

Their mission was to give select wine journalists insight into this special terroir.

Individually, the winemakers told stories of their childhood in the 1970s and 1980s.

They spoke of their parent’s struggles.

And they described how the pioneer families had dinners together to share tips about clones, wine making, and grape growing.

These second generation winemakers all knew each other as children.

It was refreshing to see that they – like their parents – are working together and sharing ideas today.

The winemakers included:

Adam Campbell from Elk Grove;

Luisa Ponzi from Ponzi Vineyards;

Alex Sokol Blosser from the winery Sokol Blosser.

As a trio, they were incredibly energetic and really excited to speak about the histories of their family.

They also asked the audience to indulge in their “geeking out” about the terroir, and the audience encouraged them to do so.

After all, the purpose of this Oregon Pinot Noir event is to showcase how the Pinot Noir grape expresses itself in three different vineyards, in wine made by three different winemakers,

Pinot Noir in Oregon: The 2GV Project

Yet another objective of this event was to introduce a collaborative effort between the siblings at Elk Grove, Ponzi, and Sokol Blosser.

Wine experts tasted nine different individual “component wines” representing wines made by each of the three winemakers in the La Boheme vineyard, the Madrona Vineyard, and the Old Vineyard Block.

Each of these vineyards has a different soil type and different age of vines.

Then the individual component wines were blended together to make the 2GV wine, that would be a feature of the Willamette Valley Auction and also be available to distributors.

The La Boheme Vineyard

This vineyard was planted in 1985 and has Marine sediment. It is located in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, which is one of the best appellations for growing Pinot Noir.

The elevation here is 800 feet so you know the resulting wines will have incredible aromatics and high acidity.

Each of the three winemakers took turns speaking about their experiences growing grapes on this terroir.

And each of the wines presented by the three winemakers had a different texture and flavor profile, even though they were all from the same vineyard.

For example, Adam of Elk Grove destemmed 80% of his grapes, used William Seylen yeast, and 25% new French oak.

Luisa Ponzi destemmed 100% of her grapes, performed twice daily punch downs, used ambient yeast fermentation, and then 25% new French oak.

Alex of Sokol Blosser also destemmed 100% of the grapes, inoculated with commercial yeast, and fermented in an oak upright with 20% new French oak.

Madrona Vineyard

Madrona Vineyard was planted in 1985. The soil is Laurelwood and it is located in the Chelalem Mountains.

The elevation is 450 feet and they are Pommard clones.

Adam of Elk Cove uses 85% whole cluster with the William Seylem yeast and 25% new French oak.

Luisa Ponzi uses 50% whole cluster with a 7-day post fermentation and 30 days in the fermenter with ambient yeast and 25% new oak.

Alex of Sokol Blosser uses 100% destemmed grapes, ambient yeast, and 20% new oak.

Old Vineyard Block

This vineyard was originally planted in 1971 but replanted in 2007.

The soil is the famous Jory soil of Oregon. It is in the Dundee Hills AVA and has an elevation of 500 feet.

The clones are Pommard on 420H root stock.

Adam of Elk Cove uses 85% whole cluster, William Seylem yeast, and 25% new French oak.

Luisa Ponzi uses 100% destemmed grapes and bleeds (saignee) 10% of the must on the second day.

As usually, she uses 25% new French Oak.

And Alex of Sokol Blosser destemmed 100% of the grapes, a house yeast for fermentation, and new Mercurey Prestige Barrels.

Pinot Noir in Oregon : Observations on the Component Tasting

This was a component tasting and these were not wines to be bottled individually, though all were excellent.

It was interesting to note how even on the same terroir, the Pinot Noir from Oregon could take on such different expressions.

For example, one winemaker had a more delicate touch no matter what vineyard the grapes were grown.

The last wine to be tasted was the final 2GV blend.

It was an excellent wine characterized by a great deal of complexity and a long length of finish. It should improve for many years in a cellar.

Pinot Noir in Oregon :New World Style

Though there are always comparisons between Burgundy and Oregon, in my view there is a definitive “New World” character to Pinot Noir wines from Oregon.

For me, it is a definitive freshness of fruit and exuberant character to the wines.

Yet more and more, the Oregon winemakers do not even care about being compared to Burgundy anymore.

Though once it was taken as quite a complement.

Just like the three winemakers expressed during the presentation, it is important for consumers to recognize the special soils of Oregon.

Conclusion

These winemakers are to be commended for this excellent collaborative project designed to showcase the diversity of Oregon soils as well as the variety of wine making techniques utilized by three different winemakers.

From tasting the wine and listening to the stories, participants could get a good sense of how winemakers can put their own mark on their terroir.

Check Out These Great Resources

New to Wine? Start Here

Wine Education Resources

Frog’s Leap Winery

Dominus Estate

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Pairing Sparkling Wine with Dessert

I love Champagne.

And as much as I love Champagne, I love dessert even more!

Though I am using the word “Champagne” here, you can apply the same dessert pairing concepts with Sparkling Wine or bubbly from many regions.

This is as long as the signature “Champagne grapes” Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes are included.

The Differences Between Champagne and Sparkling Wine Made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the “Traditional Method”

In trying to think about what dessert goes with Champagne, you have to think about what you will be serving.

There are many differences between sparkling wine made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from regions outside Champagne, and within Champagne.

[socialpug_tweet tweet=”Sometimes the differences are very subtle, others more dramatic.” display_tweet=””]

Sometimes the differences are very subtle, others more dramatic.

It may surprise you that some sparkling wine from England, Australia, New Zealand, and California may be several times the price of the most popular branded Champagne houses.

Mostly, the differences are subtle, and should not affect the result if you replace your sparkling wine with genuine Champagne from the Champagne region from France.

Pairing Sparkling Wine with Dessert – Champagne?

I have many (perhaps too many) diplomas in gastronomy.

One of the “fanciest” is the Heg Diplome from the University of Reims.

While we did not spend the entire 14 days drinking Champagne with dessert, we had many lectures and tutored tasting events with Champagne.

Historical manuscripts point out that historically in France, Champagne was always served with dessert in palaces and at state dinners.

This makes perfect sense.

[socialpug_tweet tweet=”Champagne is crisp, refreshing, and (for me) has an energizing effect.” display_tweet=””]

Champagne is crisp, refreshing, and (for me) has an energizing effect.

This is especially true after a long dinner.

It revives.

So then, what are the best Champagne and Wine Pairing Choices?

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Pairing Sparkling Wine with Dessert : What Dessert goes with Champagne?

The primary consideration when pairing dessert with Champagne or Sparkling Wine (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) is that you will ideally want to contrast the texture of the dessert with the wine, or match the texture.

Champagne and Chocolate Pairing

You may be curious to discover this very personal thing about me, but I NEVER consume chocolate unless I am having it with Champagne.

Unlike many people, I really do not crave chocolate all that much.

Yet when I am at a party or event when Champagne is being served, I’m always on the lookout for a delicious piece of chocolate.

And when I am entertaining at home, I make sure that I have a great selection of the finest chocolate I can find in New York–or whatever city I happen to be in.

What Dessert Goes with Champagne?

Chocolate, of course.

The Reason why Chocolate is a Great Match for Champagne

By definition, chocolate has a silky smooth mouthfeel.

It is also VERY RICH.

And it takes Champagne, with all that intense minerality and high levels of refreshing acidity, to contrast with that rich, creamy, smooth texture and intense flavor.

And interestingly, both Champagne and chocolate have a very long aftertaste.

So pairing Champagne with chocolate uses the principle of “contrast.”

Pairing Champagne with Macarons

To be very honest with you, I have always loved pairing Champagne with macarons.

Yet strangely, I never really thought about the “why” of why I enjoyed the pairing so much.

Now that I am thinking about it, the principle to be applied is the principle of “matching.”

When you think about it, macarons are light … and also crisp!

This is the VERY DEFINITION of a good Champagne!

Pairing Sparkling Wine With Dessert : What an Event at the French Institute Alliance Française Taught Me

I was invited to attend a Champagne (and what I thought to be a Champagne and chocolate pairing at the FIAF here in NYC.)

It turned out to be a pairing of Champagne and macarons!

And even more exciting, it wasn’t just any “generic” Champagne paired with a macaron one would pick up from their local supermarket.

It was ultra-premium Champagne, with many of the brand managers and producers present to explain the story of their Champagne!

And the macarons were not generic either!

They were hand-baked by Thierry Atlan.

**Click Here For the Best Wine Resources**

Pairing Sparkling Wine With Dessert : Contrasting the Flavor of Macarons with Champagne

They presented the macaroons in a variety of flavors (i.e. Foie Gras, etc) and the idea was for each Champagne to accompany the flavor of a specific macaroon.

List of the Champagnes

• Champagne  Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut
• Champagne  Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut Rosé
• Champagne Ayala Brut Majeur
• Champagne Ayala Rosé Majeur
• Champagne  Besserat de Bellefon Special Cuvée
• Champagne Besserat de Bellefon Rosé 

Arriving at my seat, it surprised me to see six beautiful macarons.

The emcee for the evening was the beautiful and talented Susan Kostrzewa, Executive Editor of the popular magazine Wine Enthusiast.

Susan had the job of helping the various presenters explain why each differently flavored macaron, prepared by Thierry Atlan, paired with a specific Champagne.

Presenters

Maude Austrian, Besserat de Bellefon Champagne
Rafaela Fonte, Ayala Champagne
Cedric Lecendre, Laurent-Perrier
Fréderic Goossens, Managing Director at Baron François

 Pairing Sparking Wine with Dessert: The Champagne and Macaron Tasting

For two hours, the presenters explained the history of their Champagne House and their individual philosophy.

During each of the presentations, attendees could taste the macaron intended to match that specific Champagne.

Though we did not receive encouragement to do so, some of us (yes, me!) also took advantage of the opportunity to taste each macaron with all the Champagnes.

Pairing Sparkling Wine with Dessert : Result of the Champagne and Macaron Comparative Tasting 

The concept of pairing a macaron with a specific flavor (notably the inside filling) was fresh, and fun!

Though the attendees by necessity were all over the age of 21, the exercise of contrasting this flakey chewy desert with French bubbly was so much fun it was like being in a room with children.

As it might be difficult for you to recreate this exact Champagne and macaron experience, it encourages you to visit your favorite bakery, choose one or macarons of each flavor, and then buy some Chardonnay or Pinot Noir based sparkling wines.

Invite some friends over and have fun biting into these delicious French cookies and seeing which pairing you like best.

Pairing Sparkling Wine with Dessert: Strawberries and Raspberries

When I was very young, I remember placing a beautiful long-stemmed strawberry into my glass of Champagne.

Looking back now, it was a “cute” romantic gesture, but messy (the strawberry made the Champagne too frothy).

That said, I still like strawberries with Champagne.

Especially if they have a long stem!

And EVEN better if that strawberry had some melted chocolate to dip it in!

Pairing Sparkling Wine with Dessert : Other Ideas

It’s easy to say that “any” dessert can go with Champagne.

Yet I really would stick with dessert ideas involving macarons or chocolate.If you are up for it, you might even want to pair Champagne with this Italian desert called zabaglione. This one involves strawberries

It is like macarons in the sense eggs are involved (though here it is the yolk, not the whites).

Like a macaron (or a Meringue) the egg yolks are whisked until it is light and frothy … so lots of air.

Here is a recipe I found for a zabaglione with strawberries!

Happy dessert and Champagne pairing and be sure to let me know which pairing you like best! **Click Here For the BEST wine resources**

About Author Marisa D’Vari

D’Vari contributes to Forbes.com, Financial Times, World of Fine Wine, Quarterly Review of Wine, Decanter Robb Report, San Francisco Chronicle, South China Morning Post, and more.

She holds the (WSET) diploma, Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, a Certified Wine Educator  through the Society of Wine Educators … to see it all, please click on bio

A Visit to Dominus

Chappellet Winery

P.S. … I wanted to show you this video. It’s not about pairing sparkling wine with dessert, but two of my favorite people are acting as host and guest, Brian Freedman and Charles Curtis MW

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… so when you think of Portugal, you probably think of Port, yes? And it’s true, Port has been the signature drink of the country for decades. Yet in the last twenty years, still (and sparkling) wine from Lisbon has taken center stage.

Recently I accompanied several other wine educators to Lisbon to learn more about the region and the wine. I came away with a respect for the wine and a tremendous bond with the producers, who ranged from self-made millionaires to foreigners falling in love with the region to wine-making families hundreds of years old.

About Lisbon

Portugal’s entry into the EU paved the way for modernization and raised capital for winemakers, improving cellars, equipment, and vineyards. Because of economic grants and the demands of the international market, many producers are blending with international varietals especially Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and to a lesser extent, Chardonnay.

Meeting Producers

Producers visited included millionaires making quality wine from Rhone varietals to wealthy families planning to build hotels in addition to vineyards on their vast amount of land, and a sprinkle of families who inherited the wineries from their forefathers and ex-patriots who make wine and other businesses (wedding services) as well.

All of the producers were passionate about their wine and their region, and keenly aware of the pressures of succeeding in the international marketplace. We enjoyed wine of surprising quality, and as one can imagine, our fair share of inexpensive table wine.

Each producer visited had several quality lines, though after touring their wineries it was clear that even the least expensive wine was produced with great care. One can surmise that for the majority of the wineries, their biggest concern was creating awareness for wines from Lisbon.

Below are snippets from each producer visited
.
Alorna

“Is there any Portuguese wine on the menu,” I often ask when dining in New York City restaurants. From tastings at various trade shows, Portuguese wines often seemed to offer rich, concentrated flavor for a very reasonable price. So tonight starts my sojourn to Lisbon (Lisbon, Portugal), an exotic city that from the air looks like a crowd of hills, beautifully sculptured buildings, and blooming palm trees surrounded by water.
Tonight I am meeting with two key executives from Quinta da Alorna, a company that takes its name from the first Marques de Alorna, who gave his name to the property following the conquest of Fort Alorna in Italy. It is a 2,000 ha property in the Tejo region, planted on the kind of sandy soils best for wine. For the last hundred years it has been family owned, with the owners replanting and modernizing the winery in the last eight years to be in line with the commercial needs of the markets.

With me tonight are two gentlemen, Tiago Macena from the commercial sales department, and Pedro Lufinha, General Manager. We are at one of the most elegant restaurants in the city, Faz Figura, with a two story glass window overlooking the river. It’s just eight-thirty, early by Lisbon time, and the restaurant is just getting started.

The first wine we taste is a white wine made from the naturally acidic Arinto grape, with the aromatic Farnao Pires. The wine has a high but sweet, pleasant acidity, and the finish is like that of the sweet-tart candy though the wine is technically dry with 6 grams of sugar per litre. The other white is made from the Verdelho grape, typical used in the production of port. The wine is deliciously full bodied and goes well with our shrimp starter.
The next two wines are excellent examples of well-crafted red wines from Portugal. The first features the native grape, Touriga Nacional. It is smooth and somewhat floral, with black fruit and vanilla from four months of French oak aging with second year barrels. The next wine is a blend of Touriga Nacional and Cabernet Sauvignon (60/40). The grapes used from this wine were “green harvested” to intensify concentration of fruit, and after fermentation, received twelve months maturation in French oak.

After dinner discussion turned to the commercial market. The addition of Cabernet to the Touriga Nacional is both a good choice in terms of taste, and also for the international market to recognize the more international nature of the Cabernet grape so consumers could get a sense of its style. Perhaps on another trip I will see the property (the manor house is prominently displayed on the label) but from what I can see now, the wines are delicious.

Quinta de Sant’ Ana

“Welcome to Quinta de Sant’ Ana,” says tall, lanky James Frost, the quintessential English gentlemen as he welcomes us to his gorgeous bougainvillea winery, lit up by the sun and expanse of bright blue sky. Sant’ Ana is a seventeenth century structure, a series of charming saffron colored buildings connected by a charming cobblestone walkway. His German inlaws had purchased the property in the 1960s, and today it is a place for growing vines, making wines, and weddings.

First, we tour the vineyards. James explains that he is growing several different varietals, many of them new to Portugal such as Riesling and Pinot Noir. Vine management is rigorous here, with three men employed to work steadily on the vines from February to harvest for there is much to be done. The trellis system is arranged so that the wires holding the vines can be raised as the vines grow. Because of the uncertain weather conditions, workers always need to be managing the canopy. Yet sometimes the weather plays tricks – it could be so cold and rainy in summer that the leaves are thinned and canopy open so the grapes can get sunlight, then suddenly it is blazing hot for a month. Riesling in particular – and surprisingly as it is a German cold climate grape – has difficultly with wet weather, and sunburns easily. Pinot Noir becomes dehydrated if it is left too long in the sun without a shielding canopy.

We tour the winery where some old-fashioned wooden fermentation tanks have been refitted with stainless steel interiors, and there is an old-fashioned lager. For Pinot Noir, the grapes get a cold soak and then three workers (or friends) jump in every four hours for two days to stomp the grapes in Lucy Ricardo fashion from the mid-century television show I love Lucy. Then the grapes are transferred via gravity to the fermentation tank below.

At lunch in a charming reception hall used for wineries, we taste the Riesling and the other varietals produced. The Riesling is delicious, very high in acidity with the signature taste of Petrol. Very little fruit in the 2009 though we are told the 2010 has a great deal of fruit. Weddings are a big business here, with over fifty a year. James and his wife have seven children, from twins of a few months to a twenty year old who calls during our lunch with a question for Dad. The Frosts also sponsor a wine festival to sponsor a local charity. The property is gorgeous, and the wines quite good – you can find them using the wine searcher tool to the right.

Quinta do Pinto

“This is for my son to manage,” says energetic Rita Cardoso Pinto, as we get out of her four-wheel drive and look out at the land she is developing for a new, north-facing vineyard for cool climate grapes. Rita is a woman with a great deal of charm who is managing the enormous property for her father, a businessman from Lisbon who bought it 2003.

The story of how it happened is quite amusing – her father realized he was tired of the city and from a Google map, decided on this location since it was within driving distance of Lisbon. The challenge was that the 120 ha property was not for sale – in fact, an old man with a rifle greeted him at the door.
Yet his five sons were eager to sell, and in the fullness of time did sell the vineyards and gorgeous 17th century property with its enormous oak trees to Mr. Pinto. The vineyards by the house are old vines of a local variety, but Rita has great plans for developing new vineyards and is busy at work putting in draining channels and preparing the land. She is also keen to develop a hotel on the property, which her sister may design as she is an architect.

After the tour of the vineyards we taste the wines with Rita. As is the case with many of the producers, she makes local varieties such as Fernao Pires and Arinto (white grapes, popular as a blend) and the local Touriga Nacional alone and blended with Merlot and sometimes Tempranillo, which here is called Aragonez and has great plans for Syrah as well. A single varietal is also made of the local grape Tinto Miuda. Rita explains her father is a huge fan of wines from the S. Rhone, and presents us with tastes of several wines made from Viognier, Marsanne, and Rousanne. We leave amazed by this woman and her family and wish we could return in ten or twenty years to see how their dreams have come to fruition.

Sanguinhal

“My uncle is arriving just now,” says attractive blond Ana Pereira da Fonseca Reis. Sure enough, as if on cue, her uncle Carlos Joao Pereira da Fonseca pulls up to the driveway and introduces himself. Carlos is a very charismatic and genuine gentlemen who tells us the fascinating story of his winery as he shows us around. His grandfather had found the properties (they have three labels) in 1926. We tour the lager, now a museum of sorts showing how wine was produced a hundred and forty odd years ago, and then the ancient distillery with is black iron pipes. It is in this ancient room with its high ceiling where we have a tasting of all his wines, the region’s typical mix of local varieties and local varieties blended with international varieties.

Carlos is very excited that Gary Vanderchuck, from Wine Library TV, has raved about his wine on his Internet television show (episode 476), causing his agent to sell 100,000 bottles of wine. Here I also taste a new native grape, Castelao, and see that Carlos is also changing from the shorter Bordeaux shaped bottle to the taller Burgundy under market pressures and because Burgundy is easier to stack in stores. I will see Carlos again Monday in New York at the Wines of Portugal tasting.

Quinta de Chocapalha

“I am Swiss by birth,” says attractive blonde Alice Tavares, looking very soignée in an elegant sweater and slacks. “I came to Portugal many years ago and never went back.” I am here at the gorgeous Quinta de Chocapalha estate in Lisbon, just north of Lisbon (formerly known as Extramadura).

This family-owned winery is notable for several reasons. First, the bougainvillea covered stone walls and the modern looking residence (with its shimmering pool) look like a resort from a glamorous lifestyle magazine. Second – and most importantly – a new gravity-fed winery is being built in the hills above.

In the present winery, we see a robotic lagar. Several wineries in this region have actual lagars – whether it is to keep with tradition or because foot-treading improves the wine. We tour the barrel room, with its French Oak barrels, and during the tasting that follows see that this attention to quality pays off. Winemaker is daughter Sandra, who lives in the Duero where she and her husband Jorge Borges run an estate called Pintas. Though the winery uses a combination of local and international grapes that span many price points, my favorite is the 2005 oak-aged Chardonnay that tastes like a Chassagne Montrachet. I am excited to return to see the new winery.

Casa de Cadaval

This gorgeous 5411 acre property has existed here since 1648, and is a winery as well as a  Lustiano horse farm, rice factory, grounds for wild black Iberian boar hunting, fishing,  breeding of Merulengos, a Iberian cattle breed, and a cork-production with1000 cork-oak trees.

Before learning about the wine, our hosts take us on a haywagon tour of the property. The bright sun shines down on us as we bounce along and view the vineyards, the gorgeous brown horses, and the lake.

Our hostess is Teresa Castro Pereira, who descended from the Portuguese General Nuno Alvarez Pereira, conqueror of the Battle of Aljubarrota which took place on August, 14th 1385. In April 2009 he was canonised by the pope.

Teresa is the fourth female head of CASA CADAVAL in a line that stretches two hundred years. Casa Cadaval has been owned by the Schönborn family since 1648 and Lusitano horses have been bread here for 250 years., The estate is located near the old Roman road that runs between Evora and Lisbon and is gorgeously restored. In 1989 the family decided to modernize the winery, create new brands, and replant some varieties to appeal to the international market.The winery has 18 steel vats, two conical tanks, a pneumatic press and three mills of skin maceration, reaching 320,000 liters of capacity for wine production. 

The winery also produces Pinot Noir, which is a particular favorite of its German owner – a very nice one, but our group loved the reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and tried many different vintages of it thanks to the generosity of Madame Teresa. After the extensive tasting of all their product lines, from entry level to reserva, simple traditional whites to expensively made international varieties, we enjoyed some traditional cuisine for lunch.

And the rest …

We visited many spectacular wineries, including Casa Santos Lima with its clay limestone soils from the Superior Jurassic period (a dinosaur bone was recently found here), Quinta do Monte d’Oiro, and Vale d’Algares. As a group, all the winemakers were passionate, some flush with cash, others relying on other sources of income such as weddings, or bed and breakfasts. Lisbon’s wine region is close enough to the city that it can be used by owners as a family vacation resort, and by city-dwellers as a fun “wine country” weekend.

Overall the wines were good. The entry level wines of most producers was acceptable, even good, and at the high end the wines really dazzled. Yet it’s hard to find a bottle of Lisbon wine in New York city, outside of the few Portuguese restaurants. And would one of the many well-crafted delicious wines we tasted “sell” if not hand-sold by a sommelier, waiter, or wine store clerk?

The region has a lot of potential, the wines are already very high quality, with the entry level wines good value for the money and the elegant top wines delicious. Now it’s just a matter of time for the message to reach the international market.
 

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