Come for the Wine

The Lagare Collection--What Hipsters Wear to Tread

Part 4: A Visit to Sandeman & Vini Portugal

Part 5: The Douro & Visit to Quinta Nova

Part 6: Croft Vineyards & Portrait of Adrian Bridge

Part 7: Foodie Feast at Rui Paula's DOC on the Douro

Part 8: Quinta da Pacheca Lodge and Cellars

Videos in the Annex:

Slow Travel in Portugal

The Tiles of Portugal

Wine Pleasure Participant Posts:

Grantoursimo --

Wine Pleasures Conference

Vihno Verde & Mihno Valley

Douro Part 1

Douro Part 2

Aneesh Bhasin-

Putting the Port in Porto

Messina Hof:

Home from Portugal

Friday, May 6, 2011

Portugal Part 8: Quinta da Pacheca Lodge and Cellars

The last night of the Wine Pleasures tour in the Douro was spent at Quinta da Pacheca near the town of Lamego.

Quinta da Pacheca looks like a traditional manor home, but inside it has a sleek modern look. The dining room was one of the most elegant yet relaxed rooms I've ever dined in. Painted a crisp apple green with plush console chairs, it featured an ornate carved wood display case, and large windows overlooking the vineyards and river.

The cellars at Pacheca were like something out of a spread for Vouge magazine. The setting so romantic it's become a hot spot for weddings and receptions. If I ever get married again er...I mean renew my vows...I'd like to do it here.

Our host, winemaker Jose Serpa Pimentel, led us through the cellars and the lagare room that was over 100 years old with 11 largares for lots of stomping action. Mr. Pimentel (who Mr. Terrence Carter pointed out resembles Francis Ford Coppola) was a relaxed and genial host. After a tour of the grounds Jose poured us samples of the wines. My personal favorite was the Quinta de Pacheca 200o LBV Port bottled by Jose's father Eduardo in 2002. Love at first sip. A lush spicy port with notes of dried cherry and sweet plums.

For another perspective on the final days of the tour and some wonderful photos, check out Grantourismo's account of it here.

Links to Previous Portugal Posts:

The Lagare Collection--What Hipsters Wear to Tread

Part 4: A Visit to Sandeman & Vini Portugal

Part 5: The Douro & Visit to Quinta Nova

Part 6: Croft Vineyards & Portrait of Adrian Bridge

Part 7: Foodie Feast at Rui Paula's DOC on the Douro

Videos in the Annex:

Slow Travel in Portugal

The Tiles of Portugal

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Portugal Part 7: Foodie Feast at Rui Paula's DOC on the Douro

One of the most enjoyable aspects of Portugal was the cuisine, both rustic and haute. And hardcore foodies will find a plethora of places to make them happy in Portugal. During the Wine Pleasures tour we were treated to dishes featuring the best local ingredients inventively presented. One of the most impressive meals by far was the eight course, ten wine lunch at DOC, one of the top rated restaurants in Portugal under the direction of Chef Rui Paula.

DOC is perched on a pier above the Douro river with expansive views from every seat in the house. But trust me you won't be looking at the view if you dine there, all your attention will be riveted to your plate.

Filipe José Carvalho, Lara Dunston, Me

Ms. Dunston pictured above is an experienced professional, a Goddess of Perpetual Indulgence, able to clean every plate and empty every glass placed before her. Here she smiles, and offers to school me in her ways.

My pictures were taken with my phone camera so not the best representation of the artistry of the dishes. But you can visit GranTourismoTravels for some excellent photos of this meal.

First up: A flatbread with a foam of parmesan vegetable cream in a shot glass. Wine: Alvarinho Vinho Verde

2nd: Pomegranate & octopus carpaccio salad. Wine: Rose Quinta da Revolta

3rd: Blood sausage on olive oil cake with a red wine reduction

4th: Sea Bass with wild rice and asparagus. Wine: Atalya Branco

5th: Bisaro Pork Neck slow cooked for 12 hours at 72 degrees celsius with a chestnut reduction. Wine: Rui Paula Grande Reserva

6th: Emulsion of Mango and Strawberry

7th: Apple and almond Gratin cake with honey apple, cinnamon vanilla ice cream. Wine: Rozes 10 year Tawny

8th: Goat Cheese Samosa with Honey and Cottage cheese ice cream and Pumpkin jelly. Wine: Ruby Niepoort Port

I gave Lara's complete indulgence approach my best shot, but I was no match for her prowess. Pacing was my strategy. We'd already tasted over 20 Ports, wines and moscatels before arriving at DOC and in less than three hours time, we would be off to yet another wine pairing. So I wanted to savor the DOC experience and linger in the warm glow of a fine meal as long as possible.

Next year I will seek some intensive one-on-one indulgence training and coaching prior to the conference in Umbria!

Links to Previous Portugal Posts:

Part 4: A Visit to Sandeman & Vini Portugal

Part 5: The Douro & Visit to Quinta Nova

Part 6: Portugal Part 6: Croft Vineyards & Portrait of Adrian Bridge

Part 7: Foodie Feast at Rui Paula's DOC on the Douro
Part 8: Quinta da Pacheca Lodge and Cellars

Videos in the Annex:

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Portugal Part 5: The Douro & Visit to Quinta Nova

Like I said in the Portugal Part 4 post, visiting the Port cellars in Oporto without a trip to the growing region in the Douro, would be like visiting a museum of flight and aeronautics, but never flying in an airplane. You miss a huge part of the experience if you don’t go to the Douro. Sure there are pictures and videos of the harvest in the port houses, but nothing compares to seeing the steep vineyards up close and personal.

The Douro wine region has some of the most astounding scenery in the world with stacked terraces of granite and schist that form undulating curves as they follow the contours of the river. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It’s humbling to realize the amount of work it takes to get those grapes off the vines and into the wine on your table.

But there’s more than grapes in those hills and valleys along the Douro—there are 5 star hotels, guesthouses and some top-notch restaurants too. One stand-out for both wine and hospitality is Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo located just outside of Pinhão on the north bank of the river. Click on the slideshow below for a little taste of Quinta Nova.

The Lodge:

The property offers spectacular views over the vineyards and across the river. The original 18th century manor house has been converted to a hotel. A chapel on site across from the lodge dates from 1764, and honors Nossa Senhora do Carmo--the patron saint of the original riverboat crews.

The 11-room lodge has a relaxed family atmosphere and although we were there in the winter, the pool and hiking trails top my reasons for plotting a return visit in warmer months. But my number one reason to return would be for the wine. It’s literally “Come for the wine--and stay for everything else!"

The Wines:

The table wines at Quinta Nova were my favorite of the entire trip. Quinta Nova sold their port wine business a while ago, and now focus on table wines. There are so many great wines coming out of the Douro, but I ended up ordering Quinta Nova selections each time I found them on wine lists during the rest of my stay in Portugal.

A remarkable part of the program at Quinta Nova is the all woman crew. The harvest is carried out completely by hand and on foot in the narrow terraces where no machines can pass. Men assist during the harvest to transfer the heavy baskets of grapes to containers and trucks, but women harvest the grapes and do all the hand sorting as well. The Quinta Nova philosophy is that the women have a finer sensibility for detecting the quality of the fruit and do a better overall job in these tasks.

At the crush pad, the juice is cooled before pressing to avoid shock in temp changes. Everything is handled with a gentle touch and Quinta Nova is one of the only wineries in the entire region to have a Portuguese designed treading machine that simulates foot crushing by the vignerons. The machine is fully adjustable and can be programmed to recreate the precise treading tempo desired for each stage of the crush. As it becomes harder to find people to do the treading work, the machine enables the process to be replicated and ensures the continuity and consistency of the crush.

Quinta Nova is also part of a new tourism alliance called alltodouro, in partnership with Greengrape, that is working to develop integrated programs with the restaurants, vineyards, hotels and museums in the area. You can check out the tourism packages at www.greengrape.pt. or by contacting Alberto Chaves of Greengrape directly-- albertochaves@greengrape.pt

Previous Portugal Posts: