Paula Maia's Wine blog

Romeo and Juliet were lucky to have had so many good wines on hand. Being from Verona, a beautiful Roman city in the Veneto, the two had Soave, Bardolino and Valpolicella within 5 miles or less. Pioneer in implementing the first wine road, or strada del vino, and to open Italy’s first wine school, the Veneto has more DOC wines than any other wine region in Italy.

This time around we decided to stick with sigh seeing and not visit any producer as we barely had a weekend. The first night we spent in Verona and the second in Lake Garda, another famous tourist destination in the Veneto, and one I was looking forward to visiting. Now I know why it attracts so many people. All tackiness aside, the place is magnificent.

We climbed Monte Baldo, not on foot or on bicycle like most people, but embarrassingly by car. Nonetheless, we got to the top and enjoyed the breath-taking view of Lake Garda just like everyone else, without breaking a sweat. I just wish we had a bottle of the local Bardolino to enjoy while up there.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Ciao Bolzano! or should I say Halo Bozen?

Bolzano or Bozen is one of the two provinces that make up the region of Trentino-Alto Adige, in the northernmost part of Italy. Südtirol as it is known in German, has a long history. The south of the region around the city of Trento has always been Italian, while Alto Adige, in the north around Bolzano, was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Since 1918 the whole region has been officially Italian, but 75% of the population still speaks German.

Alto Adige is mostly in the Alps, where only 15% of the land is suitable for cultivation. Wine-making is limited and challenging, and yet, it is the region that exports the highest proportion of its production. Such conditions reflect in the price, but the quality is generally worth it. The style is usually light, dry and high in acidity, with varietal labels of native and international varieties.

On the southern counterpart, Trentino is a major source of commercial Pinot Grigio from much less challenging slopes. Both regions also produce small amounts of reds from local black grapes. On our way to the Veneto we had lunch in Bolzano, or Bozen, in a nice traditional ristorante. It was my first time in Italy, but it didn’t feel like it until we crossed Trento.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Our last night in Portugal was well spent in Lisbon. First things first: before hitting the town we relaxed in the hotel’s courtyard in the company of a sparkling Vinho Verde, 100% Alvarinho grape. Super nice and crisp, it helped us to come up with the plan.  We would start with drinks at Chiado and then have dinner at Bairro Alto, both in Downtown.

Cervejaria Trindade- Portugal’s oldest brewery and  Lisbon‘s Cultural Heritage- is housed in a gorgeous 13th century monastery. The building had been nearly totally destroyed by a fire in 1708, and again by an earthquake in 1755. In was only in 1834 that the Cervejaria was built within the remaining walls of the monastery, where murals depicts the 4 seasons and the 4 elements in hand painted azulejos.

Next morning I rushed through Alfama, the Se’s Cathedral and the St. George’s Castle, but with so many options and so little time I decided that another trip to Lisbon is the way to go. Next time I’ll stay at Praia de Caparica, a beach town across Lisbon and work my way south towards the Algarve. I wonder if I mind as well buy just a one way ticket.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Lunch in Tomar was bucolic, the city though, surprisingly pretty. Founded as headquarters of the Knights Templar in the 12th century, Tomar is home to some of the most significant monuments in Europe. The best example is the The Convent of Christ of Tomar- part of Unesco’s World Heritage since 1983.

**

Capital of Portugal during the First Dinasty, Coimbra was another pleasant surprise. Although a bit too hilly for me, the university town is really, really beautiful. Founded in 1290, Coimbra’s University is one of the oldest in Europe and famous for its monumental architecture and vibrant cultural life.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Waking up at Quinta Nova Nossa Senhora do Carmo and seeing the Douro first thing in the morning was one of the highlights of this trip. Swimming in their pool amidst the vineyards was dream like or movie like. In fact I did feel like a celebrity drinking a bottle of their 3 Pomards white blend in a crystal glass between dips. That didn’t last long as we had to get ready to go to the next wine region: the Dao.

The mesmerizing scenery inspired us to drive through the Serra da Estrela and not take the main road.  Little did we know that the Serra da Estrela is not only Portugal’s highest mountain range at 1993 meters of altitude, but also a stunningly beautiful Natural Park famous for skiing and for its cheese, which recipe date from medieval times.

As we approached the top of the Serra, the road was almost inexistent, and besides the lights coming from the car, it was pitch black and cold up there. Nearly 7 hours later we made to our hotel- off the beaten path and away from all the wineries I wanted to visit-  I was trilled to simply slip under the covers. For the first time I didn’t even think about wine.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Quinta do Crasto sits atop one of the thousand mountains that shape the Douro valley, facing the Douro river and surrounded by the never ending rows of Schist terraced vineyards. I never imagined it to be this beautiful. I supposed no one would, for its magic really kicks in once you are there. If I were Buddha, I probably would’ve sought enlightenment under a Crasto’s Maria Teresa old vine- preferably sipping it too to aid the process.

Viticulture in the Douro date back thousand of years, with the first trade being documented in 1367. In the 18th century, Marques do Pombal- he was the equivalent of a prime minister today- demarcated the winemaking region with 335 stone markers carryring the Feitoria designation, which guaranteed the best quality wine and the only one allowed to be exported to England. One of these marks, called marco pombalino, still stand right at Quinta do Crasto.

Another old tradition still found at Quinta do Crasto is the foot treading method in granite tanks, called lagares. Believe it or not, this old vinification technique is the best way to extract color and tannins from the grapes, assuring a great ageing potential. It seems like anyone could do it, but it’s actually hard work and those guys stay in there for at least 4 hours in a scientific sequence before they can take a break. How’s that for a work out?

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Portugal has over 340 local grape varieties, but only about a dozen make quality wine. The ones used in the Douro wine region for the production of Port and still wines are Touriga Nacional,  Tinta Barroca, Tinto Cao, Touriga Francesa and Tinta Roriz- the Portuguese name for Tempranillo. In Porto, the city that gives name to its wine, there’s an institute and a museum dedicated just to Port wines- the Port Wine Institute and the Port Wine Museum, respectively.

The port wines are actually made in the wineries located in the Douro valley, and travel through the Douro river to Vila Nova de Gaia, across the city of Porto, where they are stored in the winery’s lodge. One can easily spend a day or two there, tasting Port and visiting the area, which is really beautiful. The view from either bank is gorgeous, specially at night. There’s great food and Fado on both sides, not to mention the wine, of course.

Oh, and the beaches… Right in the city you can go for a dip on your lunch break, or suntan while munching on a cod fritter. I wish I had more time to visit the Minho, a white wine region above Porto, where the Vinho Verde comes from and where the best surf beaches in Portugal are found. I always had a thing for surfing, but maybe it’s not a good idea now that I’ve developed a bigger thing for wine, or at least not the two combined…

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

La Mancha happens to be the largest demarcated wine region in the world and it lies just 200km south of Madrid. I spent a whole day at Pago del Vicario, in its beautiful organically designed complex that blends in with the landscape and its surrounding vineyards. The region is so flat that anything would stand out, but the winery’s hotel and restaurant rather integrate with nature and cannot even be seen from afar.

Pago del Vicario is denominated Vino de la Tierra, the equivalent of Vins de Pays in France, which theoretically is one step below the DO wines, but allows the producer greater freedom, so experimentation runs wild. Having that said, it was Susana Lopes, the winemaker at Pago del Vicario who came up with the first Blanco de Tempranillo, a white wine made from the black grape Tempranillo- what the French call a Blanc du Noir- and I call heaven.

A delicious, refreshing, 100% free run juice with a delicate and yet racy palate. I brag on the fact that I was the first person to carry this wine in NY and having tasted every vintage since its release, I must say that its evolution is remarkable. The wine is leaner and elegant, which makes it a great afternoon wine or aperitif, not to mention a perfect sea food pairing. I could have had an entire bottle by their pool on that 104F degree afternoon, but a swimsuit wasn’t an option.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

The first wine region I visited in Spain was Toro, one of the DOs found in Castilla y Leon, located around the Duero river west of Ribera del Duero and northwest of Rueda. The Duero crosses the region from east to west, becoming the Douro as it drifts through Portugal. Toro wine history dates back to before the Romans and, as the name evokes, has always produced big and bold wines from pre-philloxera vines. Legend has it that it was Toro wines that accompanied Columbus on his journey to discover America.

In the last twenty  years Toro has experienced a complete revitalization, with many high-profile wineries such as Vega Sicilia investing in the area. It was in the year 2000, almost a decade before the giant group Louis Vouitton Moet & Chandon recognized the region’s potential, that Bodega Dos Victorias was born. Headed by Victoria Benavides, the winery carries its prior proprietor name, Elias Mora. Today Elias Mora is one of the best examples of traditional wine making in Spain.

Victoria Benavides with enologist Vanesa Perez Martinez produce wines from 100% free standing, very old Tinta de Toro bushes that grow on sandy soils covered with rocks. Hard to imagine that anything would thrive in this near-desert environment, but the native grape- a local variant of Tempranillo- loves it. That along with the altitude, harsh winters and short dry summers, yield a concentrated potion of ripe dark fruit, beautiful complex balance and eternal finish. No wonder every wine has achieved over 90 points from all critics and publications.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Before heading to Madrid I regarded Tapas Bars as a heaven of food and wine. Always  comforting, the expected Croquetas de Jamon, Tortilla Espanola, Gambas al Ajillo,  Jamon Serrano, and the fancy Jamon Iberico, were the perfect match to my Crianza, or better yet, to my year-long waited Xakoli. As with so many cliches, the tapas in Madrid soon deflated the romantic idea I had, and I quickly became used to the Pinxtos, the Basque Tapas reminiscent of a bruschetta, found and consumed all over at all times.

Cava Baja, in La Latina, is Madrid‘s home of Tapas. Filled with many great destinations, Casa Lucas stands out for its excellent quality and value. Elected one of the best 50 tapas bars in the country, the tiny place is packed daily with locals and tourists wanting a piece of history. A few very old-fashioned tapas bars can be found in Huertas, where La Casa del Abuelo has been serving their famous Gambas al Ajillo since 1906 to notorious patrons such as Andy Warhol.

Near the Palacio Real lies the gorgeous Mercado de San Miguel. Established in 1835, it recently went under a major renovation to house some of the best purveyors of Madrid. In a historical monument- the only steel market to survive to this day, one can feast on an array of Mediterranean specialties. I favored some fresh oysters with a chilled Cava while watching strangers in pursue of the same heavenly grub. That’s what made Mercado de San Miguel my favorite place in Madrid.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]