The Good Wine Guru » Portugese Wine

The Mulled Port Experiment

April — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:00:47 +0000

You all may recall The Guru’s post from last month about Fall Sangria and how much while we enjoyed the fall recipe we couldn’t help but think that as it continued to get colder outside it might be even better served warm. Since we only used half the bottle of the Sandeman Founders Reserve Porto for that last recipe this weekend I did a bit of experimenting and here is my modified recipe:

Sandeman Mulled Port

Ingredients

1/2 bottle of Sandeman Founders Reserve Porto

12 oz apple cider

1 oz bourbon

1 oz maple syrup

1/2 red delicious apple

1/2 orange

1 cinnamon stick

2 tbs. mulling spices

Directions

I sliced the apple and orange into rounds and saved half of each (partly because that much wasn’t needed for only a half volume size of the recipe and so I had leftovers to use as garnish later). Mix all liquid ingredients together in a slow cooker set on low. Add in apple and orange rounds, and 1 cinnamon stick and 2 Tbs. of you mulling spice of choice. (My spice is loose and I typically put it in a tea ball for easy retrieval later it contains: cracked cassia, cloves, allspice, cardamom seeds, and mace) Let sit for about 2 hours. I served it in an Irish coffee mug that I garnished with an extra orange slice.

Overall this experiment was definitely a success. The cinnamon stick and mulling spices came through but didn’t overwhelm the port itself. The orange was also a nice change up from the pear in the previous Fall Sangria recipe because it held up really well to the heat and added a nice fresh citrus note in the background that I think needed to be there to balance the spices. I love mulling wine during the winter and I think this is a recipe that will probably be repeated by us very soon. This would also be great for upcoming Holiday cocktail parties.

A Fall Sangria

George — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:00:55 +0000

One of the things that my wife always laments about the end of Summer and the beginning of Fall and Winter (besides the cold weather) is that it just doesn’t seem appropriate to drink Sangria anymore. Fortunately, I recently received a sample of Sandeman Founders Reserve Porto with a recipe for making a Ciderhouse Sangria. Here’s the recipe:

Sandeman Ciderhouse Sangria

Ingredients

1 bottle of Sandeman Founders Reserve Porto

24 oz apple cider

3 oz rye whiskey

1.5 oz maple syrup

2 Granny Smith apples

2 pears

Directions

Dice apples and set aside. Mix all ingredients together in pitcher. Add in apples. Let sit for at least 12 hours.

I cut all of the ingredients in half, as it was just my wife and I trying out the recipe, and I did substitute some bourbon I had in the house for rye whiskey, but all in all I was very impressed with the drink. It was refreshing and had just a hint of sweetness, but the apple and pear flavors definitely made me think of fall, and I don’t know that I would have enjoyed this drink as much in June as in November.

One thought that my wife and I did have was trying the recipe but warm, and as we still have half the bottle of Sandeman I think that’s exactly what we’re going to do in the near future, so stay tuned. That being said, as a bulk drink you could put out during a fall party or even around Thanksgiving as a cocktail to enjoy before dinner and wine, it was easy enough to make and certainly made me think of fall.

Bartend Your Way to Portugal

George — Thu, 26 May 2011 14:00:26 +0000

Have you ever wanted to try your hand at bartending? Having been one in the past I can tell you that half of what you believe is true, and the other half is only half true. That being said, if you do want to give bartending a try, there’s a new contest just for you, and the winner gets a trip to Portugal. The Sandeman Mix It Up Challenge wants you to create a cocktail using the Sandeman Founders Reserve Porto, take a picture and send them the recipe along with a photo. Here’s the press release I was sent:

There are few things as satisfying as creating a perfect cocktail—but sitting on a beach in Portugal has to be one of them. With this in mind, the Sandeman Mix It Up challenge is looking for cocktail enthusiasts to create an original cocktail that includes Sandeman Founders Reserve Porto, for a chance to win a trip to Portugal and a visit to the world-renowned Sandeman Cellars.

The submissions will be judged by Sandeman representatives and Dalio Calado—an acclaimed Portuguese mixologist and cocktail expert—based on taste, creativity and originality. While port has been an aperitif and high-end bar staple for years, it is experiencing a dramatic resurgence in the world of mixology, due to its rich color and perfect flavor profile, and we are excited to see what fans of the drink come up with.

To participate, simply visit the Mix It Up tab on Facebook.com/SandemanPorto, and click “Enter Here” to submit a recipe and a photo of the original cocktail by June 15th (11:59:59 PM EST).

Having never been to Portugal, I for one plan to try and track down a bottle of the Sandeman’s Founders Reserve Porto and see how rusty my drink making skills are. Good luck and advanced congrats to whomever wins.

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Christmas Wine Selection

George — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 18:14:39 +0000

So I know there were plenty of websites and blogs just like this one giving advice on what to drink during your holiday dinner plans. However, I wanted to share with you what I opened up for my family on Christmas day to enjoy with my wife, my parents, and my in-laws.

We started out with the 2008 Antigal UNO Malbec (second bottle from the left), a great malbec full of bright fruit flavors and that I look forward to reviewing later by itself (I have another bottle for that). Next up was the Paradise Springs Cabernet Franc. I had visited Paradise Springs Winery here in Virginia some months back and really enjoyed this light, peppery wine.

The third wine opened up was the 2009 Chamine, a Portugese wine I had picked up at the recommendation of my local wine shop. Being of Portugese heritage, I’m always game to try out a wine from there, and this wine was bright and tart.

Finally, we opened the 2007 Azura Pinot Noir. Light and bright, with great fruit flavors and a smooth finish that complimented our dinner perfectly.

Well, now you know what I had for dinner on Christmas day. I’d love to hear what you had as I’m always looking for more recommendations on this to try. Hope everybody had a great Christmas weekend, that you didn’t get snowed in or out of where you were going, and that you have a great New Years.

Grilos Red Wine

George — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:37:26 +0000

Varietal: Red Table Wine
Region: Portugal
Cost: $15

Deep red color with just a hint of ripe fruit and alcohol on the nose. Very smooth on the palate with a touch of oak and a mix of tannins and alcohol on the finish.

Recommendations: I had actually bought my father this wine for his birthday as his family is originally from Portugal, and this wine is actually imported into the town he grew up in (New Bedford, Mass.). Not getting to enjoy it with him, but hearing that he and my mother liked it very much, the wife and I decided to pick up a bottle for ourselves.

The first thing I noticed after taking a sip of the wine was how smooth it was. Just a hint of oak on the palate gave it just enough flavor, but it’s not bursting with flavor either. A touch of tannin and alcohol on the finish is actually welcome, especially when paired with a sauce-heavy dinner of pasta like we had. There’s a bit of fruit on the nose, though to be honest I couldn’t pinpoint it.

My only real complaint with this wine is that it may be too mellow for somebody that prefers their wine to have big, bold flavors. If that’s what you’re in the market for, pass on this wine. But, if you’re looking for a nice mellow red that you can pair with a lot of different things, this is definitely worth the $15 you’ll spend on it.

Grayhaven Winery Sojourn

George — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:32:52 +0000

Varietal: Blended Red Wine (Touriga and Cabernet Franc)
Region: US – Virginia
Cost: $24

A popular blend of a Portugese and Virginia grape, this red wine offers light garnet coloring, rich aromas of plum with balanced acidity and just enough soft tannins to make it an excellent pairing for pasta or red meat such as veal.

Recommendations: If you’ve been reading this blog at all, you know that I’m a big fan of Grayhaven Winery. The Sojourn is no exception to that. Light in color but with great flavors, this medium-bodied red pairs well with various foods, but is just as enjoyable by itself. The light tannins on the finish make it a good pairing for pasta, but as they’re not overwhelming you can pair this with somewhat lighter fare and it will still compliment whatever you’re eating.

If you’re a fan of either Touriga or Cabernet Franc, or just looking to try something new, the Sojourn from Grayhaven is definitely worth trying. Go visit them too, everybody there is incredibly nice and they have a great winery to spend an afternoon at.

Alandra Red Table Wine

George — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:11:54 +0000

Varietal:  Red Table Wine
Region:  Portugal
Cost:  $8

A moderatly dry red wine with ripe fruit flavors and just enough tannins on the finish to balance the fruit flavors without overwhelming them.

Recommendation: I’ve been in search of a red wine that could be my table wine at home, something I could buy by the case…and I think I’ve found it. I had thought my search would lead me to Italian wine, but this Portugese red has a perfect blend of fruit and tannin to pair with a number of different meals (I had it with chicken curry and rice) or to just be enjoyed by itself.

Medium-bodied but with a good tannic finish, the price on this alone makes it suitable for a table wine, and the fact that it’s good is icing on the cake. This is easily one of the best values I’ve found in a really long time and I encourage everybody to give this a shot. A definite must buy.

Grayhaven Winery Touriga

George — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:23:15 +0000

Varietal: Touriga
Region: Virginia – USA
Cost: $20

A Portugese grape being grown in Virginia, the Grayhaven Touriga is made from 100% Touriga grapes, which are often used to make Port wines. Hints of vanilla and pepper on the finish follow a flavors of cherry and grapefruit for this medium to full bodied red wine. Pairs well with steak and other rich dishes.

Recommendation: I love Grayhaven Winery for their tasting room and surrounding area alone, but their wide ranging selection of wines, which includes being one of the few wineries in the state to offer a Touriga wine. My wife and I paired this wine with a dinner of grilled bbq chicken and roasted red potatos. I was worried that this somewhat more bold red might overpower the chicken at first, but after a generous basting of bbq sauce while it was grilling, the pepper and vanilla on the finish of the wine were a great compliment to the smokiness of the meal.

Being one of the few wineries in Virginia, if not the only, to offer a 100% Touriga, I almost want to recommend this wine on that fact alone, but the great flavors and ability to pair with more than just red meat means that this is a great wine to pick up when you’re in the area. I also recommend visiting the winery if you’re ever close as everybody there is incredibly friendly and welcoming.