Last Tuesday, during a very hectic and busy day tasting wines, we had scheduled a lunch with Cortes de Cima, a winery located in the Alentejo. And typically, when you schedule a lunch like this, you are met with an export manager who is so professional that each crease and fold is perfectly starched and ironed without a wrinkle to be seen. Trust me, I’ve looked. But today was different. What stood before us shaking our hand was one of the winemaker’s of Cortes de Cima, António Cláudio. António is a large man, standing 6 feet tall with broad shoulders, curly black hair and a sweet boyish smile. He packed us in his little blue car and rushed us off to Solar dos Presuntos, a fabulous seafood restaurant complete with air conditioning that we desperately called for after two days of 40 degree heat. Relaxed, while feeling our body core come back to a normal temperature, we leisurely listened to António’s experience of the winery, his journey to being a winemaker and his overall impression of his wines - which of course, were his pride and joy.

Cortes de Cima began in 1988 after Hans Kristian and Carrie Jorgensen traveled the world by boat in search of a home for their winery. Although fond of California, they eventually found themselves in the southern Alentejo region finding both the culture, the people and the land ideal for their project. With a little elbow grease, they renovated the house, installed both a dam and irrigation to help with the desert like conditions of the region, and planted 50 ha of Aragonez (Tempranillo) vines along with Trincadeira, Periquita and Syrah. Since then, however, they have decided to change Periquita for Touriga Nacional, as a result of Periquita’s …

To be honest, we never planned on eating at Sacramento. Having walked past it earlier in the day as we were leisurely meandering through Lisbon enjoying a relaxing Sunday, we had seen the brightly colored windows far different in both style and feeling than its adjoining neighbors. Strips of varying hues of red marked the top of the window, with delicate and ornate bottles of gourmet Portuguese products sat at varying heights behind the glass. Upon closer inspection through the front door, you see a long and sultry looking entryway, creating an ambiance that has a strange but inviting tone of both order and chaos. Traditional Portuguese architecture complimented with deep red and brown walls changing in hues one side of the room to the other, spotted with random spiritual artifacts such as African masks and Hindi Gods, and ending with an industrial brown flooring more appropriate for a diner than a hip restaurant, this place was complete eye candy!

Having had our dinner plans canceled, we decided to stroll in for a quick bite before heading back to hotel. However, as most foodies can attest to, it is difficult to merely experience a quick bite when a menu entices you and the service is “strangely” friendly – a far different experience than we’re used to in Spain. Although we have to admit that throughout our stay in Portugal, it was rare to find poor service. Even before someone discovered our hidden identities as bloggers, we were treated with the utmost respect and always greeted with a warm and inviting smile. To us, there is nothing more delicious than a knowledgeable server who is willing to give you a memorable experience.

We finally settled upon two appetizers, two entrees, two desserts and …

As a result of our recent trip to Portugal, we figured the best way to start off the month is by offering a basic road map to Portuguese wine. We have given you several articles in the past on the grape varietals, the Portuguese wine label and some specific wineries, but as a result of this trip, we are interested in describing the Portuguese wine demarcation in layman’s terms.

Portugal’s wine demarcation is laid out in a similar manner as the Spanish system, divided by quality wines, regional wines and table wines. Put side by side, both country’s wine demarcations look like this:

Quality Wines:

Spain: 67 quality wine regions
Portugal: 33 quality wine regions

Regional Wines:

Spain: approximately 8 wine regions
Portugal: 11 wine regions

Table Wines

For all wines that don’t fall into either of the two categories above are listed as a Table Wine in both Spain and Portugal.

One can safely say that both Spain’s and Portugal’s wine demarcation system are generally the same. The one difference being the way in which we relate to them. When we shop for wines in Spain, we can assume that a demarcated Quality Wine (example: DO Rioja) will be the best way to search for a good wine. This is why Catavino has spent so much time doing profiles on each of the 67 Spanish Quality Wine Demarcations (or DO), and not on Spain’s Regional Wine Demarcations. In Portugal, we have recently learned that most people talk about their wines in relation to the Portuguese Regional Wine Demarcation. Therefore, we feel that for the month of August, we will do our best to break down each of the 11 Portuguese Wine Regions by Tasting Notes, Bodega Profiles, Regional Profiles and Grape Profiles. Although I doubt we will …