#PTWineInvasion

Ahh, Portugal. The word itself, for me is wrapped in layers of vivid memories. Scholastic details from my time as a student in Political Science, poetic and aural representations from two weeks traveling within its borders, and sensory particulars that have built up over the years tasting wine. I have a small place in my heart for the wines and people of Portugal that traces back to some of my very first experiences in the wine industry; I interned for an importer during my final semesters of College and spent my weekend evenings behind a tasting bar educating people about unique Portuguese wines while my peers were out getting inebriated on god knows what.

Recently I welcomed Portugal back into my life in the form of the Portuguese Wine Invasion.

In short summary, A Midwest-born-wine-loving expat who now lives in Portugal wanted to spread the love of his new(ish) home and its wines in his former home. So, he gathered a few Portuguese cohorts and embarked on the ‘All American Roadtrip’ around the Midwest, a region that all too often gets left out when it comes to important wine events. Ryan Opaz, the aforementioned expat, curates a killer blog with his wife Gabriella called Catavino.net. I’ve been a fan for years now. It’s quite possibly the first wine blog I started following and I’d be willing to bet it was one of the first comprehensive wine blogs in general.  Needless to say, I was pretty stoked to meet Ryan and amazed at how small the world, particularly the wine world can become.

They came prepared

The itinerary for their trip did not include a Madison event (where I now call home) but with a few tweets and email exchanges we were able to throw something together last minute. En route from Chicago to Minneapolis, Madison proved to be a perfect spot for a lunch and informal tasting at a friend's wine store, Square Wine Company.  The food from famed Madison deli Stalzy’s made for some interesting pairings, even inspiring a twitter hashtag #delimeetsduoro. Few foods represent American culture more for me than a greasy Reuben and potato chips so it was fun to share and see how the Portuguese wines stood up. 

Andrea Hillsey of SquareWineCo

I was humbled by the positive energy and kindness of the group who was on day 5 on the road in a cramped van. Julia, Pedro, Vitor, and Oscar, the four Portuguese natives, filled the wine shop with smiles and stories upon arrival. Almost with no introduction we found ourselves in a tasting that felt more like a gathering of old friends than a wine showcase by mere strangers. Each wine had a story, it wasn’t just juice in the glass; the history, innovation, family and tradition involved in each and every wine was shared by the very people responsible for producing it.

Pedro Poças Pintão and Ryan Opaz share a laugh

Besides the fact that it was an all around casual and fun event, I took a few important things away that I think are worth sharing:

In Portugal, Blends are King

There are hundreds of different indigenous grape varietals, most all of which are nearly impossible for a native English speaker to pronounce. Many winemakers are forgoing single varietal bottlings and instead focusing on blending unique wines that harness the different characteristics of the grapes in a particular region. The still wines of Poças were a fine representation.

Pedro Poças Pintão

Vinho Verde Can Age

A surprise that shouldn’t be, given the acid content and structure of the finest of these wines. Ryan spoke of a recent experience drinking a 15 year old Vinho Verde that tasted as if it was just coming into its prime. The young wines of Quinta de Gomariz were incredibly complex with stunning aromatics, worlds away from the $5 ‘Vinho Verde’ that most of us are used to from the bottom shelf in the grocery store. I’d surely love to taste some of them in ten years time.

Vitor Mendes of Quinta de Gomariz gets serious with
Madison's Ruben Mendez of L'Etoile

New World in the Old World

Not a single wine I tasted was flawed or ‘dirty’ and it seems a high standard has been set for ‘modern’ winemaking techniques across the board. Julia Kemper is lawyer by trade who took over her family’s estate because there was nobody else to do so. She was enthusiastic in describing the technology and investment that go into her winemaking, while preserving the heritage and tradition of the land that she has inherited. Julia deserves a nod for her wines of balance that don’t scream heavy oak, high alcohol, or obscene fruit concentration.

Julia Kemper

We Need More White Port

Somewhat of a rarity in the American market, white port is much like its red counterpart, only made with white grapes. When Oscar Quevedo presented his white port to the crowd, he needed relatively little explanation. Insanely sweet-herbal aromatics preceded a strikingly dry-ish finish. Need a summer cocktail? Mix it or any other white port 1:1 with tonic water on ice. It’s what the Portuguese drink on the regular, Portonic!

Oscar Quevedo shares his white port

GO TO PORTUGAL!!! 

The #PTWineInvasion extended a big-fat wide-open invite to anyone and everyone to visit and seemed more than willing to help out in making it happen. If there was one message they stressed more than any other, it was how much they wanted visitors to come experience Portugal and its people, wine, food, music, art, history, and culture.

Vitor was all smiles

Thank you to Ryan Opaz for taking the time to stop in Madison with your wonderful crew. Thank you Vitor, Oscar, Pedro and Julia for sharing your wines and your stories. I hope that you felt your time was well spent and that maybe this will turn into a (semi)annual event. Thank you to Andrea at SquareWineCo for hosting the gathering at her shop, Emily for hand washing all the stemware when it was over, Andre Darlington for wrangling the troops. Thank you also to Eric Baillies for capturing the smiles and intrigue in each and every photo.

Check out the website www.PortugueseWineInvasion.com for a wealth of information and dispatches from their time on the road.

The aftermath

Cheers to Portugal!

Beer with your burgers?

Wisconsin is a beer state, Milwaukee the BREWCITY, and Madison, definitely a beer town. Considering Spring is officially here, based on the fact that tonight was the first time we could grill and sit outside all evening without donning a sweater, the grill is fueled and fired. What to drink with grill fare you ask? A pre-barbecue trip to the liquor store to stock up on thirst quenchers and conversation lubricants will, naturally, end in the purchase of a six-pack showcasing the local, tastiest, or rarest new brew. I've been guilty as any other. Lately, however, my mind has been busy coming up with showstopper wines to bring to gatherings from here on out. I guess they call me the Wineguy for a reason. Rose is a natural fallback, but tonight I chose a different gem:

 2012 Pewsey Vale Dry Riesling, Eden Valley, South Australia.
Without much thinking at all, it fit seamlessly into my grand scheme of wine drinking, learning, educating, and enjoyment.

The nature of today's wine-press, ratings and advertising often leaves casual wine drinkers little room to think for themselves. My last post on Tempranillo-Moscato is a prime example. Apothic Wine's 'limited release' Rose is another, and Adam Carolla's 'Mangria' is the nail in my coffin. Attractive endcaps, eye-catching labels, disgustingly low prices and truth-streching shelf talkers pretty much place a bottle in your hand whether you like it or not (if you're not shopping for wine at a small retailer who has the time and willingness to help you choose a bottle suited to your needs). The rare wines, the real wines of the world, the ones with a story, and the ones with the most interesting flavors become all but inaccessible. I keep saying it over and over, but for a generation so keen on local and crafty food, we should not relegate our wine to any less of a playing field.

Riesling has gotten a lot of press and love the past few summers, thanks most to Mr. Paul Grieco of NYC and his whole 'Summer of Riesling' phenomenon. Considering the reputation (stateside) Riesling has garnered as a sweet and uninspiring wine, I'm humbled by the hype that Summer of Riesling has churned out, and I'm excited to see where it will go this year. I'm not surprised, however. Riesling kicks ass, plain and simple. Usually fresh upon release, it's often better with age. I've had bottles of Grand Cru German Riesling from the 1970's that have brought me close to tears. The ways that sugar, acid, and flavor jive blissfully with food can write new pages on wine pairing. It only makes sense that sommeliers push so hard for the public to respect this not-so-respected grape. Riesling is not only for wine-geeks.

The Pewsey Vale tonight was stunning. The color, a tinge of yellowish green in a chilled glass sitting on a seasoned deck. My nose was tickled with what felt like an endless flow of floral and herbal notes weaving themselves deep into my senses. Prickly at first, the acid kicked my taste buds into awareness. In a blind tasting I would have never called it a Riesling, but I've also little experience with such wines from Australia. Lemon and lime came to mind on the palate, but I really, honestly was thinking more about how darn great this wine tasted than anything else. There's a time and place for analyzing a wine in all of its parts and pieces, but a back porch is not one of them. Friends loved it, even the ones who said they don't like Riesling. Bam! If you can't find this wine at your local retailer, try and find something similar. If you can't find something similar, ask for help. If you can't find help, then pick something else and let me know how it turns out.

Cheers to Spring!

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Don't FEELtheWINE

I saw something that boggled my mind today. Something so original, so unique, so cutting edge that it left me speechless. It was not a good feeling. It was very bad:

Tempranillo-Moscato

#WTF?!?!

As a member of the 'Millenial' generation I feel, quite frankly, shat on by the most powerful people in the wine industry. I guarantee this wine, at a $6.99 retail, was not marketed to the Benz driving 40 somethings, or the 70 somethings grabbing for their classic Lambrusco. No. This wine was crafted to draw in the person (under the age of 35) who's heard of Tempranillo, as well as the person who so gladly enjoys a bottle of Moscato from time to time. For a generation who, more and more, puts emphasis on healthy and locally grown food with a story, there's no reason we should hold our wine to any less of a standard.

Yes, I get that Moscato is (or maybe was) the hottest category in wine sales. When I was a wine buyer it was a running joke that each week a distributor would surely bring along a different color of Moscato to sell. Even today, I heard that Barefoot Wine(ry) is releasing a 'NEW' Red Moscato. Barf. If I sourced Moscato from somewhere, added blue food coloring, attached a straw to each bottle, and came up with a mediocre ad campaign, I think that moving a few thousand cases would be a simple business transaction. It makes sense in our Fast Food culture, but unhealthy Fast Food is dying, right?

I'd like to think it's my responsibility to voice some opposition. You guys, the ones in suits laughing at your quarterly meetings about how your 'outcome based wine' actually succeeded. You guys, the ones who have no connection to, rather no care for family estates or grower-producers. You guys, the ones who don't even drink wine, only endless dry vodka martinis or Bud Light, but somehow attach your name to a corporate wine label. Enough is enough! Tempranillo has already been watered down and stripped of it's regional character in Spain. Why in the hell would you even, in a million years, try and add it to Moscato, THEN sell it for $6.99 a bottle?

I'm Pissed. Millenial wine drinkers will not fall for your garbage (I hope). And if they do, it will only be once, because there's no way that the piss you put into bottle will dazzle them enough to go back and buy a second.

On a more positive note, It's supposed to snow here in Madison this weekend. I'm going to stock up on Rose', from small, family run producers in France, Spain, and America. I'm going to fire up the grill and fill the fridge with fresh produce and cheese. I'm going to surround myself with great people, and drink REAL wine, with REAL food. We're going to welcome Spring to Wisconsin once and for all. And no, my nose isn't always pointed skyward, only when I get fired up about things like freaking Tempranillo-Moscato.

Cheers!
and don't forget to
#feelthewine