Portuguese Style Counsel

Portuguese winemaker Luis Duarte is a sought-after winery consultant
The Alentejo is a vast arid region, historically best-known for growing wheat and cork oak trees

First published in The Irish Times:
Sat, Jun 27, 2015, 00:00

Portuguese winemaker Luis Duarte jokes: “I have three lives.” Originally from the Douro, he began his winemaking career in Esporao, a well-known estate in the south of Alentejo. The Esporao wines, once popular with Superquinn customers, are available again through independents. Duarte moved on and now has relationships with no fewer than 10 wineries, almost all in the Alentejo, as consultant, proprietor or managing director – hence the three lives. One of only two people to be voted Portuguese Winemaker of the Year twice, he is recognised as one of the finest winemakers in his country.

The Alentejo is a vast arid region, historically best-known for growing wheat and cork oak trees (and the black pigs that feed on their acorns). More recently the construction of reservoirs has allowed a huge increase in olive oil production and viticulture, both with notable success. The Alentejo only received D.O. status in 1989, which may have retarded marketing efforts, but the lack of regulation meant winemakers were free to plant whatever grape varieties they wanted. It has certainly made the region one of the more varied and exciting in Portugal, although, by and large, native Portuguese (red and white) varieties hold sway. The wines tend to be forward and full of ripe fruit. After 18 years in Esporao, Duarte was on the point of setting up his own business when he was approached by a German insurance company that had bought an old farm in the Alentejo and wanted to turn it into a luxury agriturismo hotel and winery. They asked him to set up and run the operation and agreed he could keep his own project, Luis Duarte Vineyards, as well as running his consultancy.

Duarte has been manager of Herdade de Grous since its beginning in 2004. This, like Malandinha and Sobroso, has a small hotel, restaurant and spa, complete with swimming pool (infinity pools seem obligatory) and is very popular for weddings, weekend breaks and holidays with Portuguese and foreigner visitors.Regular travellers to the Algarve may be familiar with the Malandinha labels. Brothers Joao and Paulo Soares, with their families, own a chain of 15 wine shops in the south – unsurprisingly, their wines feature alongside other Portuguese and foreign wines. When I met Joao and Rita Soares they were still enjoying the afterglow of several awards for their wines. The estate is beautiful, set in the rolling hills, with a boutique hotel and restaurant. They produce their own olive oil and rear black pigs, horses and Alentejo cattle.

Both white and red wines reds are very good (they find it difficult to make sufficient white wine, frequently running out after six months) More expensive than the Monte Peceguina below, the claret-like Maladinha 2012 red is excellent and well worth the extra cost. Quinta do Sobrosa is one of Duarte’s more recent clients. This is a 1,600 hectare estate, although vines take up only 52 hectares. Filipe Teixeira Pinto and his wife, Sofia, began production in 2006 with a mix of Portuguese and international varieties.

Wine consultants are not always universally liked. Critics argue they impose the same winemaking techniques and produce similar wines wherever they work. If Duarte has a style, it is wines with rich, smooth fruit and good ripe tannins for the red wines, and plump, textured whites. However, the three wineries I visited all had a very distinct identities.

“Wine is a great international emblem for Portugal,” says Duarte. “If the government had spent money over the last 15 years marketing our image as a green country, instead of building motorways, we would be in a much better place. We produce fantastic fruit of all kinds. They may not always look perfect but they taste great. The Alentejo has great potential. The crisis is finishing and the future will be good.”

Herdade dos Grous Red 2013
13.5%
€18.95

A very moreish medium-bodied wine with rounded plump dark fruits.

Stockists: La Touche, Corkscrew, Fresh, O’Donovans, Donnybrook Fair, Deveney’s, Fallon & Byrne, Sweeney’s, Nectar, Redmonds, Mortons; D Six, Listons, Whelehan Wines, Red Island, Power & Co. On The Grapevine, Baggot St. Wines, Green Man Wines,Terenure, Mitchell & Son, The Wine Shop,Perrystown.

Sobro Red 2013, Herdade de Sobrosa
13%
€14.95

An attractive blend of Aragonese and Alicante Bouschet with a little Syrah and Cabernet, this has light elegant blackcurrant and plum fruits, with a good dry finish.

Stockists: Stockists: La Touche, Corkscrew, Fresh, O’Donovans, Donnybrook Fair, Deveney’s, Fallon & Byrne, Sweeney’s, Nectar, Redmonds, Mortons; D Six, Listons, Whelehan Wines, Red Island, Power & Co. On The Grapevine, Baggot St. Wines, Green Man Wines,Terenure, Mitchell & Son, The Wine Shop,Perrystown.

Mte de Peceguina Red 2013, Herdade de Malhadinha Nova
13%
€ 20.95

A lovely inviting wine with smooth fresh strawberry fruits and an easy finish.

Stockists: La Touche, Corkscrew, Fresh, O’Donovans, Donnybrook Fair, Deveney’s, Fallon & Byrne, Sweeney’s, Nectar, Redmonds, Mortons; D Six, Listons, Whelehan Wines, Red Island, Power & Co. On The Grapevine, Baggot St. Wines, Green Man Wines,Terenure, Mitchell & Son, The Wine Shop,Perrystown.

Light Summer Reds

Light summer red wines
Demand for wines lighter in body and alcohol steps up in summer

From the Irish Times, Sat, Jun 20, 2015

In recent years, there has been a slow but perceptible trend towards wines that are lighter in alcohol and in body. The two are different, although they often go hand in hand. For many it means drinking more without ill effects and once the sun comes out, it becomes an imperative. I might drink a glass or two of a full-bodied red with barbecued red meat, but otherwise I head straight for a more refreshing wine that will feel less heavy in the mouth.Thankfully these are becoming more common; there was a time when every red wine seemed to be 14 per cent or more, and packed full of rich fruit and ripe tannins.This style of wine often won medals and trophies at competitions, but were a little too powerful to actually drink. Over the past five years, producers in the New World have realised the consumer is turning away from these wines and have tried to lower alcohol levels – not always an easy thing to achieve. It may actually lead to increased sales, as it can be hard to drink more than a glass of a 14.5 per cent monster, whereas a wine tipping 13 per cent slips down all too easily. A number of companies have released lower alcohol wines and I want to like them, but barring German Riesling, most taste incomplete. White wines at 12-13.5 per cent or lower are relatively easy to come across. Reds are more difficult.

The two best-known light red wines are Gamay and Pinot Noir. Gamay generally means Beaujolais although you will find some good versions elsewhere; the Loire Valley is one place to look (see below). The 10 “crus” of Beaujolais are variations on a theme, markedly different in taste, but almost always light in alcohol and sometimes the nearest thing a red wine can get to white with its delicate fruit and elegance.These wines are often best served cool – chilled is too much, but left in a cool unheated room or in the shade outside (in Ireland) those mouth-watering succulent fruits comes alive.

Further north of Beaujolais lies Pinot Noir country – the great red wines of Burgundy. These are light in body, but often 14-14.5 per cent in alcohol. I would include most of the red wines from the Loire valley in this category, Cabernet Franc in particular. These tend to be light in alcohol with crunchy redcurrant, blackberry fruits and an attractive sappiness. Some wine lovers find them a little too herbaceous but I love them. They are a brilliant foil for cold meats, charcuterie as well as oily fish such as salmon or tuna. Beyond France, Austria is now producing some very good light red wines from the Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt grapes, and the north-west of Spain offers some very good light sweet-savoury reds that are generally low in alcohol. The Italians are very fond of lighter wines generally and the north of Italy produces a huge range of fragrant fruity reds, often made from obscure local grape varieties. Look out for Teroldigo from Trentino (Mitchell & Sons and Supervalu both stock one) as well as Bardolino, some Valpolicella and the fascinating wines of Emilia-Romagna, such as the Sangiovese.

New World reds tend to be bigger and higher in alcohol, although several countries, including Chile, New Zealand and Australia produce very good Pinot Noir. Chile and New Zealand can also make very good Cabernet Sauvignon, a grape that can ripen properly at 12.5 per cent alcohol.If you like red wine, but suffer from headaches after just one glass, it might be worth trying lighter, less tannic wines. The causes of red wine headache are still unclear; some believe they are caused by the high levels of histamines in red wine, others by the tannins. Wines that have been macerated for shorter periods and are less extracted seem less likely to cause headaches. jwilson@irishtimes.com

Frappato 2013 IGT Terre Siciliane
12%
€12.29

Juicy light easy summery strawberry fruits – a great seasonal quaffing wine.

Stockists: Marks & Spencer

Sangoiovese Rubicone Medici Ermete
11.5%
€12.95

Charming, dangerously moreish wine with light ripe cherry and raspberry fruits. Amazing value for money.

Stockists: Sheridans Cheesemongers

Gamay Le Bois Jacou 2014, Jean-Francois Gamay Mérieau
1§2.5%
€14.95

Free-flowing fresh cherry fruits with a nice earthy edge.

Stockists: Terroirs, Donnybrook