Paula Maia's Wine blog

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]

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]