Tasting Granja Amareleja Premium

    

Name: Granja Amareleja Premium

Variety: red blend (Moreto, Aragonez, Trincadeira, Alfrocheiro)

Region: Alentejo

Country: Portugal

Year: 2020

Price: €6

Portugal Vineyards review:  Violet colour, complex aromas of tobacco and vanilla, in the mouth is complex with traces of dry fruit, jam and spices, prolonged aftertaste.

Wine Folly: pp 264 and 266 discuss Portuguese wines and state that wines from Alentejo region have many wines that range from elegant to bold. The specific grapes of Moreto, Aragonez, Trincadeira, and Alfrocheiro are not discussed.

        

My Review:  On the nose I smelled dark berries and minerals.  The taste reinforced the dark fruit and mineral taste, however I also found the wine too dry and tannic-y at the start.  I remembered liking this wine in the past, and I felt a bit disappointed.  However, on it's own I thought the wine could have improved with more time (or food, see below).  Had another glass the following night, but it tasted like it was a little beyond it's peak.

Food Pairing:  Although the initial glass was disappointing, this wine later demonstrated that it was crafted to be enjoyed with food.  With hard cheeses the dryness of the wine was eliminated and instead I could taste a sweetness with the fruitiness.  Also, the minerality of the wine added a complexity, and I began to detect a tobacco flavor as well - very pleasing in the end!

Wine & Cheese pairing #1

Wine and Cheese Pairing attempt #1

3 wines:

Robert Mondavi Chardonnay 2023 (California)

Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 (California)

Vinha da Valentine Premium 2021 (Setubal, Portugal)

3 cheeses:

- Asiago

 

- Colby (from a cheese platter)

- Cheddar (from a cheese platter)

Let's get started!

• First on the docket - the Chardonnay
• Initial impressions (pre-cheese): Sweet with hints of apple or pear (or both!).  It had a tart taste and maybe email the smell of lemon if you really thought about it.
• With Asiago: Wow! The sweetness really popped.  The pear flavor was also much more prominent.  Great pairing...!
• With Colby: Yikes... made me think of words like tangy, sour, and even SOAP.  Yuck - avoid this pairing at all costs.  Clash of all the tastes and worst of all worlds.  (This one actually made my wife stop even trying the Chardonnay).
• With Cheddar: much better... Here I tasted candy flavor, not chocolate but other sweet candy flavors.  There was also a softening of the flavors, so the soft pear came through.  After a couple attempts I also started tasting honey.  Sweet and delicious.  This pairing worked.

• Next up - the Cabernet Sauvignon
• Initial impressions (pre-cheese): complex makeup with notes of cherry, currany, and earthiness.  When tasted, we noted a woodsy or mossy flavor.  Also, there was a bit of floral in the taste that we couldn't quite nails down (not roses, but something like that in the background).  The fruit flavor later reminded us of fig and the overall feel of the wine was very smooth.
• With Asiago: Strange dicotomy in this mixture - interesting but kind of sickening.  It was really sweet but with something wrong.  Like a candy with something off.  Hints of sour cherry, but we didn't want to keep experimenting.  It wasn't a pleasant pairing.
• With Colby: Interesting with a smokey flavor.  I liked it, but as a I found out later - it gets better.
• With Cheddar:  Cherry Reese's Pieces.  Not kidding - not sure what got me here, but every time I tried this pairing I landed up Reeses's Pieces with hints of cherry.   Reeses's Pieces might be my favorite candy, so I give this pairing 2 thumbs up!

• Finally - the Portuguese red
• Initial impressions (pre-cheese): chocolate and leather.  My wife said "shoes," but I think she was going for the leathery part and not the stinky feet part.  Also, there were hints of spiciness and dark fruit.  A very complex blend, I'd say.
• With Asiago: Actually delicious with a smoothness to the texture, a subduing of the spiciness and an emphasis on the sweetness we picked up on before.  This pairing worked well.
• With Colby:  Comments were "roller skating rink" and "sap,"  I think the leathery component was emphasized here.  I have good memories of roller skating in junior high school, so it's not a terrible correlation, but we liked Asiago pairing better.
• With Cheddar: The chocolate was still present, but so was "video arcade."  I think the reason "video arcade" popped into my head was the subtle taste of sweaty hands.  It wasn't the best pairing, and luckily it was the end of the tasting and we could revisit some of the better pairings instead!

Drink This Now! Lesson 1 - How Food Alters Taste Perception

 

Wine Name: Vihna do Carmo

Year: 2018

Region: Lisbon, Portugal

Color: Tinto (Red)

Just opened: 

Color: Deep purple color.  The grapes listed on the label were Aragonez, Alfrocheiro, and Alicante Bouschet.  The only one of those grapes listed in any of our texts is Alicante Bouschet, so I'm not sure where this grape scale should fall on the color spectrum, but from observation I would describe it as a wine in the 80th percentile for deepness of color

Smell: My initial impression of the aroma of the wine was very pleasant.  I spent a lot of time sniffing it and warming it with my palms to draw out more scents since the bottle was recently brought up from the basement.  I detected hints of black fruitiness and earthy notes, along with other pleasant smells I am working on ways to describe (nothing floral and nothing off-putting, just other pleasant wine smells).

Taste:  My first sip was a disappointment.  I swished it around my mouth to take it all in, but probably did so a little too carelessly because some splashed the back of my throat before I was swallowing and went down the wrong pipe - triggering a sudden cough reflex.  It was probably foretelling though, because the wine struck me with a dry taste and was highly tannic leaving my tongue scratchy.  I could definitely taste the earth flavors I smelled earlier (almost like licking a clay pot) and while there was fruity flavors (maybe plum or another dark berry), the sharpness was what I noticed most.  I would suggest a slight spiciness.  I did this tasting with my wife, and she didn't want to drink much before deciding to let it rest a while.

Body: impressive, full body with a mouthfeel that (while sharp) lasted for a while.

Comments: In addition to the above, I should note that the wine is 14% alcohol - so middle of the pack and was one that we really enjoyed last year (likely with a dinner although I can't remember exactly - just good enough that we bought a case to save for later).  I was exited to try it again.  Some of the points I made above seem negative, but that's probably because I was expecting to really like it again right off the bat since I knew it was good before.

2-hours later: I decanted about half the bottle for a couple hours for this next portion of the Lesson

Smell:  I could more easily pick out the smells of dark fruit and clay.  I even thought I could detect the sent of olives this time.  I didn't notice much difference in the smell, but was just better able to pick up the scents I noticed earlier (maybe this is just in my imagination?)

Taste: The wine had certainly opened up and the taste was much more enjoyable.  I still could pick up a tartness but it was not nearly as sharp and was balanced by a subtle sweetness I didn't notice before.  The earthy flavor was present, but also not as powerful - and I imagined that taste something more like a river rock than a clay pot.  

Body: Again - impressive, full body with a pleasant mouthfeel that endured until the next sip

Comments:  Letting the wine breath for a couple hours was difficult since I'd opened up the bottle too close to dinner time and was tempted to start drinking and eating sooner.  However, letting the wine open up for those two hours was a great choice!  Much better.

With cheese: I purchased three hard cheese for this Lesson (Classic Asiago, Copper Kettle, and aged Parmesan)

        

Smell/Body: The smell and body were unchanged from above, as this was only moments later.

Taste Comments:  I first tried each cheese individually since I couldn't remember if I liked Asiago and I'd never had Copper Kettle Cheese.  The Asiago was ok on its own, the Copper Kettle and Parmesan were better.  

However... chewing up a piece of Asiago and mixing it with a sip of Vinha do Carmo was great!  The mixture was delicious - there was something about the Asiago smell that initially I didn't love, but whatever that was disappeared when mixed with the wine.  I could taste more sweetness and fruitiness in the wine, and the cheese seemed to melt in my mouth.

Next, it was on to the Copper Kettle and Parmesan cheese.  Both these cheeses are a bit harder and more crumbly than squishy, so the texture and mouthfeel were different.  And both were incredibly delicious with the wine!  The combinations brought forth a very pleasant sweetness in the wine and tasty saltiness in the cheese that I hadn't noticed before.  

In all these trials, the tannic mouthfeel and dryness I noticed earlier were reduced, if not eliminated.  Either I got lucky with the cheese selection, or this wine was just crafted to be enjoyed with food - and I'm guessing it's the latter.

With meat:  Next up, some flavorful meatballs

Smell/Body: The smell and body were unchanged from above.  At least, I couldn't notice a difference

Taste Comments:  The meatballs on their own were very good, but adding in the drink made them even better (as one should expect).  The meatballs weren't spicy hot, per se, but with the wine you could taste the pepper much more pronounced.  Also, like with the cheese test, the wine had a sweetness the balanced the spiciness of the meat perfectly.  This combination was also delicious.

It was hard to stop drinking this wine with the rest of the food, but I had to save some of it for later.

18 hours later:   

Smell: Aroma more subdued than yesterday.  I still smell fruit though, but with a musty smell.

Taste: Not a strong reaction (bitter/sour/dry) when I sip it - this is different from yesterday as my initial impressions were of the dry and tannic feel.  I can still note an earthy taste, maybe a chalky flavor.  I no longer notice the sweetness, but that really just came through with the cheese.  I notice a slight chemically taste I didn't notice before though, and that seems to become more pronounced in the after taste.  Also, I noted a bit of spiciness yesterday, but I don't taste that at all here today.

Body:  Obviously the wine is completely opened up or oxygenated now, so it's a bit softer in the mouth, but otherwise I think the body is about the same.

Comments:  I think this wine yesterday was best with food, and since I still have some cheese left - going to break that out again now.

Overall, I'm happy with my choice to have purchased a case of this wine in Portugal, and I'm going to need to leave a note on the wine rack to enjoy this wine with Copper Kettle, Parmesan, and food in general (after breathing for a couple hours).  See, that's why I signed up for this class!

Tasting Vinha Maria Doc Dão Reserva (Tinto)

       

Name: Vinha Maria Doc Dão RESERVA (Tinto) 

Variety: red blend (Touriga Nacional, Aragonez, Alfrocheiro)

Region: Dão

Country: Portugal

Year: 2019

Price: €7

Grape Kitchen review:  The wine has an deep purple colour to it, reminiscent of ink. This is due to the grapes in the blend being very dark skinned. On the nose it lovely and intense. There’s wonderful dark fruit notes, with vegetal hints and subtle tones of oak from barrel ageing. On the palate it’s ridiculously smooth with well integrated tannins.

Wine Folly: pp 264 and 266 discuss Portuguese wines and state that wines from Alentejo region have many wines that range from elegant to bold.  The specific grapes of Aragonez and Alfrocheiro are not discussed.  Touriga Nacional has a mouth-coating intensity with aromas of violets, bold fruit, high tannins, and a long finish - which is also characteristic of this wine.

My Review:  This was another well-balanced and inexpensive wine quite pleasant to drink. I could smell notes of cherry and tobacco, and the taste was quite tannic with a deep fruity scent.  Had another couple glasses the following night, and much of the tannins and bitterness has subsided.  Smooth mouthfeel.

Food Pairing:  Paired with pasta on night one, and a hamburger on night two.

Tasting Guarda Rios Signature 2020

           

Name: Guarda Rios Signature

Variety: red blend (Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional, Aragonez)

Region: Alentejo

Country: Portugal

Year: 2020

Price: €8

Wine Enthusiast review:  The wine's rich fruit and structure are dense and have potential. This is a solid wine, black fruits foremost with spice from wood aging. The wine will be at its best from 2022. Roger Voss (90)

Wine Folly: pp 264 and 266 discuss Portuguese wines and state that wines from Alentejo region have many wines that range from elegant to bold.  Some of the specific grapes of this Guarda Rios blend (Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, and Aragonez) are not discussed.  Touriga Nacional has a mouth-coating intensity with aromas of violets (which I've never eaten, so can't comment on), bold fruit, high tannins, and a long finish - which certainly is characteristic of this wine!

My Review:  Although this brand is likely a commercial brand in cahoots with the Continente grocery store chain, I've never had a bottle that didn't impress me (for the price!).  I smell blueberries and maybe some oak at first.  The taste is fruity with added notes of raisin, maybe some vanilla, and an oaky finish.  

Food Pairing:  This is one of those wines that is enjoyable all on it's own!

Winery visit - Casa Horacio Simones

 Incredibly unique experience at the Casa Horacio Simones winery in Setúbal!

Grape stomping, Moscatel tasting (straight from the barrel), and a delicious lunch in the winery.

First, when our group arrived at this non-descript winery, we were welcomed in by Teresa, who was a wonderful host and tour guide.  She took us back into the winery and began explaining to us the processes the grapes undergo in her family's small winery as they are converted to wine, some fortified, and set aside to age.

Teresa talks to our group in the wine cellar in front of some aging barrel of Moscatel

Then Teresa hopped right up on top of the barrels and demonstrated how the winemakers dip a venenciador into the uncorked barrel to sample the aging wine inside.  She poured a small amount into each of our glasses (I was tempted to cycle through for another taste, but my blue shirt made me too noticeable and I was sure I'd be caught).   One particular barrel was of the vineyard's BEST grapes and meant to be aged for 20 years.  I couldn't believe she was letting us sample it early!

Then came the highlight of the event - removing our shoes, rolling up our shorts, and slowly stepping into the vat of fermenting grapes to participate in the traditional maceration method of grape stomping.  Of note - there was no foot-washing beforehand... yikes!
The grapes were warm, squishy, and a lot deeper than I expected.

I guess it only came up to my thighs since I'm pretty tall - but I was still worried I'd stain my shorts

                 

Whenever you got your foot up above the top layer of grapes and stomped down, you could feel the CO2 bubble up through the layer, tickling your leg, and then the grapes would squish under your feet and between your toes when you smashed them at the bottom.  

Lots of photos and videos were taken - with all of us being very careful as we handed phones to one another NOT TO DROP THE PHONE!  I can only imaging trying to retrieve one in this vat...

This was definitely an unforgettable day, and fun way to participate in the traditional Portuguese culture.  

Afterwards, we washed off our feet and legs (now we wash!) and were served a wonderful lunch next to more barrels of aging red wines.  I think I need to mark my calendar to come back here in a couple years and buy a bottle of the grapes we stomped.  

(I suppose I just hope no one had a foot fungus that can survive in alcohol!...)

Wine & Dinner Report (13 Feb 2025) The Regency Room at Hotel Roanoke

Occasion: Anniversary dinner with my wife

Location: The Regency Room

Food Selection: 

    Starters: Olives and Ridgeline Cheese platter (paprika coating, ash line, mild, buttery), served with spicy mustard, pickled vegetables, rye crackers and bread/butter

    Main Course: 

    FILET MIGNON with celery root apricot puree, demi glace fingerling potatoes, and kale salad

    JUMBO LUMP CRAB CAKES with spicy grilled leeks and creamy tomato polenta

When approached by the waiter, his first question was asking what we'd like to drink.  As advised by our intrepid professor, I informed him that we would be interested in a wine that paired well with our dinner selections, that generally we preferred red wines that were not too dry, and that we were interested in sticking to a bottle between $40-$50.

    Dessert: Ice Cream

Wine Selection:

The waiter said (although we were ordering both steak and seafood) he could recommend a lighter red, probably a Piot Noir.  There was a cheaper option available on the menu, but (of course) he recommended the Erath Piot Noir from Oregon.  (2021 vintage/ $58)

Pairing comments: (wine uncorked only minutes before consumption)

The wine was a bit disappointing on its own.  It was tart, and dry, with a bitter flavor.  Very little fruit scents or flavor.  Given that it was going to cost over $60 all included, we stuck it out.  

The cheese platter and wine paired better though - the smooth, rich cheese balanced the tartness of the wine and brought out more sweeter flavors in the cheese (and maybe covered some of the flavors of the wine we found less desirable).  The rye crackers and cheese worked well together, and sipping the wine following the food made the earthy, leather flavors of the wine pleasant.

The wine was a little too weak to really pair well with the filet mignon.  I believed this would have been a better pairing than with the crabcake dish, but unfortunately I don't think the char-grilled steak benefitted from the tartness of the wine.  I couldn't find any other desirable flavors in either the meat or wine when mixed.  The meat could also be partially to blamed I suppose.  I don't normally order Filet Mignon at fancy restaurants, but this was a special occasion so I went all out...  Unfortunately, the filet - although cooked medium rare as ordered - lacked much flavor and was dryer and tougher than expected.  The wine improved it not at all.  The saltiness of the potatoes and sweetness of the apricot puree added much more desirable flavors to the mix, and improved the meal overall (but the wine continued to add little value).

With my wife's dish, the crabcakes, the wine offset the rich oiliness of the fried crabcakes and creaminess of the tomato polenta.  Ironically, the red wine worked better with her dish in this regard.  I was able to taste a few bites and, with the wine, could enjoy a multitude of different flavors.  The wine (while still tart) brought forth more oak flavors, which we interesting with the crab.

Overall:  Disappointing attempt at a dinner/wine pairing.  I probably was stuck on the fact that I was paying triple the expected cost of this bottle at the market, and didn't get the type of wine we were looking for.  I trusted the waiter because of his position and sense of confidence, but in retrospect I question if he'd actually ever tasted this wine.  Looking forward to trying this process out again - but next time I'm staying away from the Erath Pinot Noir 2021.

Tasting Casa Ermelinda Freitas Moscatel de Setubal

 

Name: Casa Ermelinda Freitas Moscatel de Setubal

Variety: Moscatel de Setubal

Region: Setubal

Country: Portugal

Year: ~2023 (none listed, but this was not advertised as a 5 or 10 year vintage and was purchased in 2024)

Price: €7

Robert Parker review: A fresh, lively Moscatel with an intense scent and sweet taste. Very full bodied, lovely, sweet and fruity. Aroma: Intense, floral with notes of orange peel and honey. (86 points)

Wine Folly: pg 136 - A rich and honeyed fortified wine grown on the Setubal peninsula.  Amazing alongside Portuguese cheeses or any dessert with a caramel topping.

My Review:  Introduced to Moscatel on my first day living in Portugal, this fortified wine quickly became my favorite - even moreso than Port or Madeira.  I didn't find the Casa Ermelinda Freitas label until near the end of our 3 years in Portugal, but it was one of the best brands the grocery store carried.  Sweet with the smell of honey and oranges, and smooth with the taste of raisin and orange citrus.  I prefer it chilled and enjoy it at the end of any evening.

Food Pairing:  none required, but especially delicious with chocolate chip cookies tonight!

Tasting Vinha da Coutada Velha

 

Name: Vinha da Coutada Velha 

Variety: red blend (30% Aragonez, 30% Trincadeira, 30% Syrah, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon)

Region: Alentejo

Country: Portugal

Year: 2020

Price: €7

Wine Enthusiast review:  A well-structured young wine, this exhibits enthusiastic black fruits and fine tannins. This wine needs to age, so wait until 2023. (92)

Wine Folly: pp 264 and 266 discuss Portuguese wines and state that wines from Alentejo region have many wines that range from elegant to bold.  The specific grapes of this Coutada Velha blend (Aragonez, Trincadeira, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon) are not discussed.

My Review:  This was a well-balanced and inexpensive wine quite pleasant to drink.  I could smell a deep fruity scent with cherry and hints of wood.  The mouthfeel was a good balance of smoothness offset by residual tannins.  Definitely needed to rest in the decanter for an hour to ward off an more powerful tartness.  Only had a couple glasses, so maybe the tasting experience will be different tonight?

Food Pairing:  Paired with a pasta with red sauce and chicken parmigiana.

Tasting Podere Castorani Cadetto

 

 

Name: Podere Castorani Cadetto 

Variety: red blend

Region: Montepulciano D'Abruzzo

Country: Italy

Year: 2019

Price: $25

Vinous review: The 2019 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Cadetto opens in the glass with a dusty blend of dried sage, brown spice and crushed cherries. It sweeps across the palate with ease, soft and round, with juicy acidity that enlivens its core of ripe red and blue fruits. This finishes with medium length and a gentle tug of fine tannin that frames the experience nicely.

Wine Folly:  pp 135 and 250 state Abruzzo offers some of the finest of Italian wines.  Wines are aged in oak and give deep black-fruit flavors with grippy tannins and a smokey-sweet finish.  I agree with the dark fruit flavors, but I mostly found the tannins and tartness overpowering (there was not a smokey-sweetin finish in this bottle).  My bottle's vintage was 2019, and WF recommends seeking out those aged 4 or more years... I think my wine could have improved with more time.

My Review:  I was really excited to enjoy this wine from Montepulciano - a part of Tuscany we visited earlier this year and loved.  The acidity and earthiness of this wine reminded me of other wines we enjoyed in Tuscany, but with every sip of this wine I was kind of overpowered by the tartness.  It was dry and left a sticky sandpaper mouth as well.  Tried to tell myself I was enjoying it, but really, no.

Food Pairing:  Tuscan wine paired with tuna/artichoke/olive in pita pocket - atypical, but my wife is a vegetarian so no meat at this meal.

Tasting Cancellus Douro Premium (2019)

 

Name: Cancellus Douro Premium 

Variety: red blend (Touriga Nacional/Touriga Franca/Tinta Roriz)

Region: Douro River Valley

Country: Portugal

Year: 2019

Price: €10 (normally on sale for half this at Continente)

Vino.com review:  Ruby red in color with garnet hues, aromas of ripe red and black fruit, cherry, currant, blackberry and blueberry as well as hints of spice and vanilla are perceived on the nose. The taste is complex and intense, with soft tannins and a long persistence.

Wine Folly:  pg 266 states Douro red blends have dense fruit and chocolate flavors, both of which are apparent in this wine.  I don't concur that this wine specifically supported robust tannins though.

My Review:  I really enjoy the 2019 vintage of Cancellus Douro Premium.  Intense ruby red color and flavors of dark berry, licorice, and even a little vanilla.  Fairly low acidity, mild tannins, but a bit of spiciness.  Very balanced overall with a slightly dusty finish.

Food Pairing:  Great with an Italian dinner (of carryout pizza!)

Tasting Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon (2022)

 

 

Name: Dark Horse

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon 

Region: North Coast, California

Country: USA

Year: 2022

Price: $14 (on sale of $8!)

Wine Enthusiast review:  This wine is deep, with aromas of blackberry, Olallieberry, toasted oak, dried coriander, and notes of dark chocolate on the nose.  The flavors on the palate are Boysenberry, black licorice, orange zest, black peppercorn layered with dried herbs, and a juicy dry finish.  Pair with your weekday take away - T.P. (91 points)

Wine Folly:  pp 89 and 292, Cabernet Sauvignon from North Coast, CA.  I could definitely taste the acidity and blackberry notes.  I also could perceive the black currant, black cherry smoothness, and minerally character.  I did not note rustic tannins, graphite, cigar box, or mint though.

My Review:  After decanting, I found this Cab both smooth with cherry and chocolate sweetness and a slightly acidic aftertaste.  I could smell toasted oak a peppery flavors, but the taste was mostly dark fruit and chocolate.  Full-bodied with complex flavors made for a quite enjoyable experience.  

Food Pairing:  Paired nicely with a homemade chicken and vegetable dish.