Last night, having put an entire chicken on the grill to accompany our mixed green salad topped with toasted gooey goat cheese rounds, we tasted a brand new range of wines from *Sogrape Vinhos called Pena de Pato. What we found most interesting about these wines, beyond their name “quill” for which I am still curious to know the story behind, is that they cover 4 different regions - Douro, Dao, Vinho Verde and Alentejo. Sadly, I can tell you very little about the wines. Through deductive reasoning (a phrase I so rarely get to pull off in a wine article), we can assume that these wines are not available on the market as of yet as a result of our inability to find them in any retail store, and because their brand website is just now being put together. However, just to be sure, I attempted to gain more information this morning through a handful of phone calls to Sogrape’s main office, which didn’t turn out so well. When my call was answered, I was promptly transferred and hung-up on. So, I made a second attempt, which ended the same. By the third attempt, I finally gave up when the guy just picked up the phone and transferred me without even a hello. Note to self: hanging up on a journalist is bad juju, but hanging up 3 times on a blogger is just asking for the red pen to come out of its deep, dark chamber.

From what we can tell though they appear to be a line of wines made for the retail grocery and most likely are not ones to lay down. All very …

Quinta do Zambujeiro
D.O. / Region: Alentejo, Portugal
Address: Monte do Zambujeiro, Rio de Moinhos, 7150 Borba, Portugal
Telephone: +351 268 801 431
Fax: +351 268 801 233
Email: quintadozambujeiro@sapo.pt
Web: www.zambujeiro.com
Founded: 1998
Hectares of Vines: 30 hectares vines between 2 and 32 years of age
Wine maker Nuno Malta (General Manager) assisted by Luis Lourinho and the reputed Globalwine oenologist Alain Bramaz.
Total Production liters: 64,500L
Wines Produced: Zambujeiro, Terra do Zambujeiro, Monte do Castanheiro
Exporters in the UK and USA:: Almost all exports go to Switzerland through www.globalwine.com though a lengthy list of distributors can be found here: Zambujeiro Global Distributors

I was lucky to have arrived at Zambujeiro on a rainy day back in January. You see coming down the main road to this winery the turn off to the small village where it is located is not marked, nor paved, nor really a road. More like a vein that that cuts through the rural landscape with a demeanor more fitting a mouse than a highway. In fact I drove right past it and into a town that happened to not be located near the winery, thus prompting me to go back and see what this strip of pothole laden earth might lead me to. Thank god for rental cars as I was already late for my appointment and thus sacrificed my suspension to make it through the battlefield of potholes that led me to my meeting.

Zambujeiro is located in the town of Rio de Moinhos a town that time has seemed to have forgotten. Consisting of what I found to be 3 inclined hills it won’t be bother with road signs or other modern connivances, and thus I again had a chance to try out my failing Portuguese as I asked the first old man I came upon where the big winery was. A look of confusion slowly crept across his face as he upon hearing the word “Quinta” quickly directed back to the last turn in the road and up the other hill to the first big yellow and white building on the right.

2004 Quinta do Zambujeiro Monte do Castanheiro - Portugal, Alentejo (2/22/2006)Light bright red color. The nose has spice, blackfruit, and pepper, Medium acidity with light to medium tannins. The palate is rich and fruit driven with pepper, raisin, plum and a nice minerality. Good table wine bargain.

D.O./Region: Alentejo, Portugal
Address:Quinta do Mouro 7100 Estremoz, Portugal
Telephone:+35 126 8332 259
Fax:+35 126 8337 585
Email:luís.louro@sapo.pt
Web:
Founded: 1990
Hectares of Vines: 22
Wine maker: Luis Louro, Luis Duarte (consultant)
Total Production Liters:70,000
Grape Varieties Grown:Aragones, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional, Cabernet Sauvignhon, Merlot, Petit Shyrah
Wines Produced: Quinta do Mouro, Zagalos
Exporters in the UK and USA: Eric Solomon in the US

Have you ever gotten directions from a friend like this, “Yeah! Two lefts, a right and then call me from your cell phone and I’ll tell you the way from there.”? So, being a good friend, you trusted their directions and followed every ‘right’, ‘left’ and ‘straight’ only to find your cell phone out of minutes and your pockets completely empty of change when you needed to call him. Well, I just explained my exact situation arriving in Estremoz - one of the more beautiful walled cities in the Alentejo, which is somewhat like saying that sunflower in front of you is the most beautiful amongst the field of flowers that it rests in.

I had been given the name of Luis Louro, the son of the owner and winemaker at Quinta do Mouro, as a contact to visit during my trip, and the one to give me the ever so vague instructions that would lead to close enough to the Bodega that I could call him upon my approach and be directed the rest of the way. Unfortunately, being out of both minutes and change, I found myself driving down a remote vine-lined road that sat just on the outskirts of the city wall which, just so happened, to take me directly in front of the gates of Quinta do Mouro!

Getting out of my car, I noticed above the white arch …

2003 Quinta do Mouro Alentejo Reserva Casa dos Zagalos - Portugal, Alentejo, Estremoz, Alentejo (4/20/2006)Light reddish purple. The nose is a barnyardy mineral aroma with hay, earth, and cherry fruit. Firm medium weight tannins with a medium overall acidity. Flavors of cherry, raspberry, minerals, charcoal, and light vanilla.