A fine article on the value of Portuguese wine

For Discussion of Table Wines from all regions of Portugal

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Roy Hersh
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A fine article on the value of Portuguese wine

Post by Roy Hersh »

Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com
Moses Botbol
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Re: A fine article on the value of Portuguese wine

Post by Moses Botbol »

Several people on this forum can spit out a list of iconic Portuguese wine brands, no problem. We are a minority though.
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John F. Newman
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Re: A fine article on the value of Portuguese wine

Post by John F. Newman »

I find that most liquor stores, as noted in the article, relegate a few bottles of PT wine at the end of the Spanish section (and before the Eastern European section). There is an obligatory Casal Garcia and/or Aveleda vinho verde, a Borba and either a Dao or Douro wine, and nothing usually over $15 USD. There are notable exceptions of course. But most consumers are only aware of what their local shop stocks, even if they read an article or two on a different wine producing region, they simply can't get their hands on something new. So Portuguese "value" will continue to mean "cheap" until that advocate/importer "sells" the region to the store ... which hopefully consumers will buy if they can find it at the end of the Spanish section and beginning of the Eastern European section.
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Re: A fine article on the value of Portuguese wine

Post by Alan McDonald »

It is the same in the UK. Portuguese wines are always in the Spanish section. The last time I was "home" in 2010 for my son's wedding some school friends arranged a dinner for a few of us who knocked about together 50 years ago. It was a small party, and there was one who considers himself a bit of an expert, and another who I believe is considered quite knowledgeable. 5 of the other 6 were wine drinkers. I took a 2004 Baga and a white (I forget which one because I had one suitcase full of bottles for various people) for my hostess to keep for drinking later. Edit: I have remembered. They were both Lar de Forno. The white was a Bical 2006.

On arrival I was offered a south of France red and during the conversation was told by the expert that no table wine will keep more than 5 years. Nobody else (except my wife) had ever had a Portuguese table wine and only two had had Port. Unbelievable.

To cap it all somebody decided to open the Baga that had flown from Lisbon to Newcastle, involving a flight change, 3 days before. How to put somebody off Portuguese wine! It was much better than I feared.

I have to admit though that I have had quite a few freshly purchased wines here that I would go so far as to say are unsound.
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