Over the course of the three years we’ve lived in Spain, I really don’t know if I’m any closer to having a solid grasp on the indigenous grape varietals now than I was when we first arrived. The moment I feel confident in a varietal, the rug gets pulled out from underneath me and I’m lost…again. I wish I could say that this is a temporary state of being, but I fear it’s not. Everyday I am swimming in a waterfall of new information, typically finding myself with more questions than answers. And with the vast number of grape varietals that exist on the Peninsula, I find that I’m typically hounded with questions like: I know that Tinta Roriz is also Tempranillo, but did Tempranillo come first or did Tinta Roriz, and is one an alias for the other or are they two different strains of the same grape? Yeah, it’s really confusing! So when I came across the grape Castelão when tasting wines from Quinta da Bacalhôa, I figured I’d best tackle my curiosity from the get go.

I would assume that there are very few of you who know the grape Castelão, but your ears would ring with familiarity if I said Periquita. Prior to Jose Maria da Fonseca’s creation of the internationally renown wine, Periquita - made primarily with Castelão grapes - this varietal hung out with his poor brethren waiting to be discovered. But in 1870, when Jose Maria created Periquita as of the first wines sold ready bottled to avoid adulteration, its name spread like wildfire. And consequently, so did Periquita’s name in reference to the Castelão grape.

Physically, this little grape is tough, pooh poohing fertile soil in …

I’ve been meaning to put this bodega profile together for ages, simply because the representative I met last summer in Lisbon was not only unforgettable with his dashing appearance and remarkable confidence, but because he seemed ridiculously impressed with his wines. Brilliant blond hair parted meticulously to right, perfectly ironed white button down shirt, and a cool relaxed demeanor, this man appeared impenetrable until he discovered that I didn’t know his winery. Understandably, I knew very few wineries in Portugal until our major investigation last year. And once we dove into the subject, I felt like I was drowning in a multitude of interesting bodegas I wanted to research but couldn’t find the time to write about. And then came the 2005 Palácio da Bacalhôa. When we opened this wine a few nights ago, Ryan and I turned to one another with big toothy grins and said, “we need to share this adega with our readers!”

The winery acquired its name from the Renaissance palace of Quinta da Bacalhôa , which sits directly on the winery estate. The palace is located just south of Lisbon, in the region of Azeitão. Commissioned in 1554 by the son of the famous Portuguese mariner, Afonso de Albuquerque (a Portuguese fidalgo, or nobleman, and a naval general officer who conquered and established the Portuguese colonial empire in the Indian ocean), the palace was influenced by both Italian and Indian design which were renowned for their extensive gardens and open-air balconies. From the pictures I’ve seen, which include extensive labyrinths crafted in a filigree like style, an enormous two foot high reflecting pool that mirrors the majority of the palace onto into its waters, and a jaw dropping …

Do you ever have those nights when you just want something simple? When anything other than opening a package of meat and putting it directly on the grill sounds too complicated and annoying. A few nights ago, we had this exact experience, debating whether ordering Chinese food wasn’t a bad option; but instead, we opted for a simple dinner of chili lime marinated grilled chicken with a tossed salad and a white monovarietal Portuguese wine made with Verdehlo. Simple. Good for watching the full moon. And ended up being one of the best no brainer meals we’ve had in awhile. Funny that!

The white grape varietal, Verdehlo, is primarily known for its elaboration in Madeira wines, but is rarely talked about as a table wine varietal. I, actually associated it with the Spanish Verdejo when we first looked at the bottle, quickly learning that I wasn’t even the ballpark. It does, however, go by two other names in the Douro, Gouvieo and Vidonia, and as Madeira outside of the Iberian Peninsula. It is said to have been cultivated in Portugal since the 1400’s, but with the outbreak of Phylloxera in the 1900’s, what was once a prominent grape in Portugal was destroyed and had to be later revived by the Madeira authorities in early 1970s. Nowadays, you can find these small, acidic, oval berries with a hard golden skin in the Douro Valley, Terra do Sado region and Western France where they make dry, fruity white table wines. New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia are also experimenting with this varietal in both blends and as a monovarietal wine.

The Domingos Soares Franco Coleccao Privada 2006 Verdehlo from Jose Maria da Fonseca was fabulous and really surprising. Although, we’ve both had our fair share …

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 …