Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

This week we’re we’re having a great selection of Portugese Reds! Portugal is that smallish country right next to Spain, and really best known for Porto, the fortified wine, and for discovering the New World (and eventually losing control of both). Many people have been requesting Carpe Vinum to do a Port tasting, and that wish will half-come true. I’ll do the Premium Pours as Port, since full flights of Port would require a sponsorship with a taxi company or a bussing service. (Most Porto is about 20% alcohol).

Most people are unfamilliar with the regular red wines of Portugal. Although Portugal has always made wines with their own native grape varieties, it wasn’t until recently (1990) that the Portugese winemakers were finally getting their act together. As a result, winemakers in Portugal are finally realizing the true potential of the Portugese terroir and grape varieties, and are producing unique and ever-improving wines at some pretty tremendous values.

The Porto story is far more interesting, and has a longer history. Long story short, though, a Portugese monk made a sweet fortified wine by mixing brandy with the grape juice during fermentation. The extra alcohol stops the fermentation, leaving a good deal of the sugars in the wine lefto over, resulting in a strong, alcoholic yet sweet wine. The English discovered this in about 1756, and kinda took things over, so now most Porto houses are actually British-controlled. I know I’m leaving a lot out, but we don’t really have all day, do we? Porto has 48 different grape varieties that are allowed in the mixture, and 10 or 11 different styles, of which we will be tasting two.

So Friday, February 6th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Portugese Reds!
Casa Santos Lima 2001 Quinta de Bons-Ventos, Estremadura
Ramos-Pinto 2000 Duas Quintas Tinto, Douro
Quinta dos Roques 1999 Vinho Tinto, Dao
Quinta das Maias 2000 Vinho Tinto, Dao
Cortets de Cima 2001 Chamine, Alentejano

And the Extra 2:
Noval NV Raven, Porto
Graham’s 1997 Late Bottled Vintage, Porto

A good deal at $10 for the first 5, and $6 for the Extra 2 Premium Pours.
Hope to see you here!
Seize the Wine!

Next week is a Miscelaneous Valentine’s Special Selection!

M