• Lab tested and approved! This Lab is asking to be walked. Hitting all the puns here, only because that is exactly what you will get with this wine. It does what it says on the tin, if not more. This lovely red from Lisbon is full bodied but smooth and is very aromatic with notes of ripe black and red fruits. On the palate, juicy plums and dark berry fruit flavour with plenty of fresh yet fine tannins that take over at the finish, along with flavours of spice and liquorice. It is not top of the shelf but it does punch above its weight.
  • The huge passion of Dirk Niepoort for Baga variety and the fantastic terroir of the Bairrada region led him to look for small parcels of Baga in very old vines, scattered throughout the Cantanhede region, over the past three years. These wines were light in color and alcoholic content, elegant and fine, soon after bottling, but with a huge ageing potential. With the acquisition of the Quinta de Baixo in 2012, it became possible to recreate the Lagar de Baixo brand, moving towards a classically-styled wine which highlights the nobility of Baga grown in Bairrada. The red Lagar de Baixo is the result of a combination of very old vines and younger vines: complex, serious, but with some youth and grip. The 2020 Lagar de Baixo is our most classic wine from Quinta de Baixo and the wine that best reflects the Bairrada terroir. It is fermented in lagares and aged in used barrels. Food Suggestion: Venison dishes (partridge, wild boar), pork and bean stew, baked cod. Vegetarian suggestions: dishes with legumes (red kidney beans, lentils).
  • Luis Seabra is a producer that is at the forefront of the “new Douro” movement. Rather than making table wines that are, for all intents and purposes, “Little Ports,” Luis has taken a more balanced, restrained approach to winemaking in the oldest demarcated wine region in the world. His guiding principles are showcasing terroir and nuance above power and extraction. Bright, mineral driven and elegant, Luis’ wines are typically exposés of soil type. With the Mono C, he is taking a look at a particular variety – in this case, Castelão. While Castelão is a grape that is typically found further south in Portugal, Luis has found a mono-planted plot of the light-skinned grape in the Douro and is working his magic to craft a wine of unparalleled delicacy and elegance. Would pair it with charcuterie, grilled pork dishes, roasted poultry
  • MOB takes its name from the surname initials of the three Portuguese winemakers behind this exciting project. Jorge Moreira, Francisco Olazabal and Jorge Serôdio Borges.
  • Rocim is the owner of Herdade do Rocim and Vale da Mata. Today, this brand  is renowned for the quality of its wine and Cellar. Speaking of its history is speaking of a dream and therefore, it means speaking of the present and future. Because dreams are endless. The “Mariana” Rose is a young and cheerful wine, with generous fruit, freshness and aromatic richness, which reflect the region´s charm. Produced from Touriga Nacional and Aragonez varieties.
  • Quinta do Vale Meao Meandro Tinto is a Douro red wine made by one of the most famous wine estates of the Douro, if not the world. The estate was Bought and established by that legendary lady of Port, Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, in the early 19th Century, it has been the stage for many pioneering feats of winemaking and viticulture in the Douro. Currently Quinta do Vale Meao is still in family hands, with descendant Francisco Xavier Olazabal (Vito), his winemaker son Francisco (Xito) and daughter Luísa all devoted to the cause. This humorous and relaxed team has, since they started making wine at the quinta in 1999, pushed the boundaries of excellence in Douro reds beyond what was imaginable. The vineyards are perched on the Douro River’s most dramatic meander (hence “Meandro”) and consist of some 70 hectares of vines planted on schist, granite and alluvial soils. The vines planted are the usual suspects for the Douro, Touriga Naçional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Barroca, Tinto Câo however they are block planted which ultimately allows more control over the blend (it is common practice in the Douro for the different grape varieties to be planted mixed up). The vineyards are adjacent to a fantastic granite mansion and winery. Quinta do Vale Meao Meandro is the “second” wine but shares a lot of the characteristics of its big brother, the Quinta do Vale Meao, but manages to reveal a character of its own. It is not an ordinary second wine by any means. Quinta do Vale Meao Meandro Tinto 2015 is a blend of 40% Touriga Nacional, 35% Touriga Franca, 16% Tinta Roriz, 5% Tinta Barroca, 2% Alicante Bouschet and 2% Tinta Amarela. The grapes are harvested by hand, cooled down and then trodden in granite lagares, then transferred to stainless steel for vinification, by individual variety, before ageing in 2nd and 3rd year 225L French Allier oak barriques. It is a fruity and spicy wine with real Douro character.
  • Menina d’Uva is a small winery located in Uva, a remote village in the quiet and desolate countryside of the Northeast of Portugal. Female winemaker Aline Domingues moved from Paris to this area from which her parents had emigrated to Paris to give their children better opportunities. A controversial move within the family but one that I wholeheartedly support. Aline clearly is a talented winemaker crafting beautifully pure wines. Made from 70% red grapes (including Bastardo, known in the Jura as Trousseau) and 30% white grapes including Malvasia and white Bastardo. It’s still a hearthy red that’s crispy and refreshing; cherries, pomegranate with a beautiful smell of the forest. Highly recommended.
  • This project was born from the will of three winemakers, Jorge Moreira, Francisco Olazabal and Jorge Serôdio Borges, to make a wine together. The chosen region was the Dão, a region for which there is a common admiration that was born in the tasting of older wines, from the 60s and 70s that surprise for their elegance and freshness. The identity and complexity of these wines is indeed remarkable and serves as an inspiration for MOB wines.  
  • It is in the heart of the genuine Alentejo, with its unique aromas, flavors and textures, nature, silence and immensity, that the 80 hectares of vineyards at Herdade Monte da Cal, located in the municipality of Fronteira, in the parish of São Saturnino, extend over 80 hectares of vineyards. about 40 km from Portalegre. Surrounded by the tranquility of the northern Alentejo plain, it is part of the calm environment of nature characteristic of this part of the country, surrounded by an infinity of vineyards, which we can only see, far away. Here, the red varieties Trincadeira, Syrah, Aragonês, Alicante Bouschet, Alfrocheiro and Touriga Nacional are planted. The architecture and decoration of the estate reflect the Arab influences, so present in the Alentejo culture. The estate’s modern winery is a fundamental pillar to reinforce the visibility of the wines of this house, and a wine tourism project is already planned for this property. Suggested pairing with dishes from the Mediterranean, Chinese, Indian and African cuisine.
  • Casa Ermelinda Freitas

    The warmth of the Portuguese sun is tempered at Casa Ermelinda thanks to the breezes blowing in from the Atlantic that lies close by. Located at Palmela on the peninsula of Setubal, close to the Sado estuary south of Lisbon, there are currently 440 hectares of many different kinds of vines across the domain, with grapes supplied locally from a further 500ha or so. Head of the company Leonor Freitas has worked tirelessly to make many improvements out in the vineyards and in the winery where modern equipment goes hand in hand with traditional values under the skilled guidance of winemaker Jaime Quendera. Casa Ermelinda Freitas has been run by a long line of dynamic women, celebrating its 100 year anniversary in 2020.
  • Herdade do Mouchao is a historic winery in Portugal’s Alentejo region that specialises in producing excellent red wines from the local Alicante Bouschet grape. The estate’s roots date back to the 19th century when Thomas Reynolds first moved from Porto to Alentejo to enter the prosperous cork-making industry. Later his grandson, John Reynolds saw an opportunity to start making both wine and corks and purchased the 900 hectare Herdade do Mouchao estate. Vineyards were planted, in 1901 he built a high-ceilinged adobe winery (or “adega”) and a distillery was added to the winery in 1929, where until today Mouchão's pommace brandy is produced. Unfortunately the estate was seized in 1974 by order of the powerful military government ruling the country at the time. The Reynolds were only able to regain the estate in 1985 and today the family works around 38 hectares of vines. Today, the Herdade do Mouchão continues to be run by the descendants of the original family whose cellar and vineyard workers have been with them for generations. The process is, as it always has been, unhurried (There is alway Manana). The grape varieties are local, picked by hand and foot-trodden. In the ever-changing world of winemaking, Herdade do Mouchão, remains a traditional, family-run winery.  
  • This fortified wine has been produced in Mouchão since the winery was built in 1901. The best grapes from Alicante Bouschet were harvested by hand and trodden by foot in traditional stone presses. The grapes are gently macerated until the fermentation process begins in order to develop a round, subtle and soft mouthfeel.  After 120 years, this fortified dessert wine continues to be essential in the homes of Alentejo families at Christmas time. Sold and consumed young, mainly at the beginning of December of the same year of production. Nowadays its popularity is growing outside the festive season and is served in restaurants, very cold after meals. A very traditional and forming part of the tradition of the Northeast Alentejo.
  • Although beehives have existed in Mouchão for over a century, honey was first commercially sold in 2011. In the expansive and natural surroundings of the estate, bees craft this wild honey with pollen from native shrubs, trees, and wild meadows.  Beekeeping intervention is limited almost exclusively to harvesting. The honey, due to its purity, tends to thicken over time and can vary both in consistency and in its darker golden hue. Usually with a thick but smooth texture, it has floral highlights of orange blossom, wild lavender, and jasmine, with undertones of biscuit, butter, and dried fruits.   As this is a raw honey, over the months it tends to thicken and can vary both in consistency and in darker golden hues.
  • Monção e Melgaço has been producing wines and recognized for it since Roman occupation times, but was with Afonso III, 5th King of Portugal(1210-1279) that signed a ''Foral'' that conceded Monção e Melgaço habitants the owners of the local wine and therefore they produced it with pride as they do today. The wine is made from the Alvarinho (predominant) and Trajadura varieties, indigenous to Portugal and the region, more specifically. The dry Muralhas de Moncao Vinho Verde never seems intrusive, but is soft, elegant and harmonious with no wood whatsoever. The wine goes well not only as an aperitif, but also with salads, seafood, fish dishes and white meat.
  • It’s from grapes of the Alvarinho variety that we produce our Muros de Melgaço. Coming from south-facing hillside vineyards and exclusively produced in Melgaço, the selected grapes provide high maturation as well as high acidity levels. A complex and exuberant wine, it ferments and ages in 225L French oak barrels for 6 months. Muros de Melgaço was the first wine and throughout these 25 yearsit has firmly accompanied our journey in imposing excellence and elegance. A reference in Portugal that makes us proud by demonstrating the class and elegance of this grape variety so enriching.
  • Nat Cool is naturally “cool and funky”. It represents an innovative concept initiated by Niepoort, in which various producers came together to create light, easy-to-drink wines. In the Vinho Verde region, we produced a wine typical of the region – a wine which references the “cloudy” wines of the past which were bottled with some residual sugar and fine lees, and therefore re-fermented in the bottle. Welcome to the Nat Cool world! This white wine was produced using a minimal intervention winemaking approach and is naturally turbid as it fermented in the bottle. It is intentionally not clarified and its aromas are reminiscent of the wines that used to be produced in the Vinho Verde region long ago. This is an intentionally uncomplicated wine: lightly shake the bottle before opening and enjoy with traditional Portuguese snacks!    
  • Nat Cool is an innovative, naturally “cool and funky” concept initiated by Niepoort in the Vinho Verde wine region. The movement later expanded into Bairrada and the Douro Valley and is now represented in various Portuguese as well as international wine regions. Nat Cool is not just about producing low-intervention wines – it embodies a movement uniting many different producers striving towards a shared goal of crafting uncomplicated, light and easy-to-drink wines. In 2020, the Nat Cool “family” grew, with its foray into Portugal’s Dão region. It is here, on the slopes of the Serra da Estrela Mountain Range that the DrinkMe Nat Cool is created and where we explore the region’s potential for elegant, fresh and straight-forward wines. Pair it with Light and simple dishes as well as comfort food
  • Another excellent wine from Niepoort. Charme is all about elegance and balance, achieved by taking special attention to the smallest details during the entire wine-making process. Made in traditional stone lagares with 100% grape stems, Charme’s elegance is achieved using grapes from very old vineyards in Vale de Mendiz, on the banks of the Pinhão river. Pair it with mushrooms and game dishes, such as partridge or pheasant  
  • Gift for good friends , perfect for an evening in front of the chimney , Gift for customers , Picnic , Romantic Dinner , winter wine.
  • The Nat’Cool project is an innovative concept initiated by Niepoort, in which various producers came together to create light and easy-to-drink wines. This is the original Nat’Cool wine, from the Bairrada region where they are showcasing the elegant side of the Baga grape variety. Hands off wine making, Carbonic Maceration, soft, light expression of Baga. Baga is a touch grape which is very high in tannin and generally needs time to mature and express its delightful floral aromas and fruit character. However, here in the Bairrada with 80-100 year old vines and hands off wine making including carbonic maceration (which generally extracts less tannin), the astringent elements of the Baga grape are tamed and the resulting wine is pure juicy, fresh red with delicious wild berries, floral notes and light body. This wine is great fun, on opening there is a note of spritz but this vanishes quickly, I reckon it is just the wine's youthful spirit leaping from the bottle on its re-acquaintance with oxygen. What follows is very easy, juicy red which can be enjoyed chilled in the summer with a BBQ or at room temp in the autumn with some field mushrooms. The litre bottle and 12.5% abv is fantastic as between two, you have enough wine and not enough booze to make you suffer for it. A great addition to Niepoort portfolio, the wines go from strength to strength.

Title

Go to Top