Brands of Portugal: Vinous Delights

There's so many reasons why you should drink Portuguese wine! At the recent Boston Wine Expo, one of my favorite tables belonged to Brands of Portugal, a relatively new importer and wholesale company which sells only Portuguese wines and spirits. The company was founded in 2021 by Chris and Nelly Saraiva, a husband and wife team who are both of Portuguese descent. They're based in Rhode Island although their wines and spirits are available in Massachusetts as well.   

They currently represent over 25 wineries and distilleries, generally which are smaller boutique operations, from many different wine regions in Portugal. The above sign indicates some of the types of wineries and distilleries that they represent. I tasted more wines at this table than I did at any other table, finding many delicious and worthy wines. I also spent some time speaking with Chris as he led me through the tasting. He was very personable and obviously passionate about Portuguese wines. 

You can taste some of their portfolio as well at any of their upcoming events, in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts. 

The 2021 Quinta de Curvos Superior, with a 12% ABV, is a blend of 75% Loureiro, 15% Trajadura, and 10% Arinto. This is a family owned winery, in the Vinho Verde region, and they possess about 27 hectares of vineyards. The wine was bright and crisp, with a mild effervescence, prominent citrus flavors, some floral notes and a mineral backbone. Quite tasty and priced under $15, it's a very good value as well. A perfect summer wine. 

The 2020 Quinta de Santiago Alvarinho, with a 13.5% ABV, is made from 100% Alvarinho. Also located in the Vinho Verde region, in the Monção and Melgaço sub-regions, the history of the vineyards extend back to 1899. For three generations, the winery has been woman owned, with women winemakers, although it wasn't until 2009 that they decided to form this small winery. The impetus for this decision was Grandma “Mariazinha,” aged 86, who pushed for the winery. This is a low intervention wine, priced under $25, and is intriguing and complex. With an alluring aroma, the wine is dry and crisp with a rich mouthfeel, and a melange of flavors, including citrus and passionfruit, with earthy undertones and a strong minerality. A lengthy, pleasing finish.  

The 2020 Caminhos Cruzados Titular Reserva Branco, with a 13.5% ABV, is a blend of Encruzado, Malvasia Fina and Bical. The winery owns about 30 hectares, and their new winery was created in 2017. The winery has a female winemaker, and the Titular collection is "a range of elegant, structured and complex wines, with great potential for a positive evolution in the bottle." At under $25, I found this to be an exceptional wine, one of my personal favorites of the tasting. Complex and compelling, the wine well delivered from an appealing nose to its lengthy, satisfying finish. On the palate, there was a complex melange of fruit (citrus, pear, and a hint of tropical fruits) and savory herbs, with great acidity, brightness, and structure. Everything was very well balanced, and I'd drink this both with or without food. Highly recommended!

The 2021 Hugo Mendes "The Wizard Apprentice" Rosé, with a 12.5% ABV, is made from 100%  Touriga Nacional. Hugo Mendes was originally a biomedical engineer, but in 2004, after working his first wine harvest, he had an epiphany, deciding to change careers. In 2016, after working for a number of other wineries, he chose to strike out on his own. The grapes for this wine are from the Tejo region, and only 2900 bottles, a tiny amount, were produced. Priced under $40, this was another impressive wine, complex and elegant, with subtle red fruit flavors, streaks of minerality, and hints of savory herbs. Dry, crisp and bright, with a long and lingering finish. Yes, it's priced higher than many Rosé wines, but it presents an exceptional wine. 

Canned wine??? They might not get all the respect that they deserve, but there are some canned wines which truly stand out, like this 2020 Defio Baga Clarete, with an 11% ABV and produced from 100% Baga. The wine is produced by two woman winemakers, Sara Matos & Ana Sofia Oliveira, in the Bairrada region. The word "defio" translate as "challenge," and represents "the steep learning curve, and the many 'ups and downs' Sara and Ana have been through in realizing their joint dream." They don't own any vineyards, and work with a variety of different people. 

This wine was produced from organic grapes and made with minimal intervention. Only 2600 cans were produced, and a 4-pack generally costs $40-$50. I've become a big fan of the Baga grape, and feel that it has so much potential. A small group of winemakers, especially in the Bairrada region, have been showcasing Baga in so many interesting and delicious ways. And the Defio fits within that group. The wine is light and fruity, with a bit of a funky aroma and the flavors intrigue and delight the palate. This isn't the simple wine you find in many cans, but a wine of quality and depth, but still easy drinking. 

The 2020 Monte Cascas 1808 is made from a blend of organic grapes, including Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, and Rufete. This company was founded in 2008 by Hélder Cunha, a famed Portuguese winemaker. This is a vegan wine, from the Beira region, and is an easy drinking red wine, with lush black fruit flavors, plum and blackberry, with a touch of blueberry and chocolate. Restrained tannins, a moderately long finish, and some spices elements. 

The 2020 Quinta da Alorna Lutra Tinto, with a 12% ABV, is a blend of three native grape and is priced at less than $12. Quinta da Alorna, with almost 300 years of history, has been owned by the Lopo de Carvalho family for five generations. They own about 160 hectares of vineyards in the Tejo region. This wine is dry and dark, with rich black fruit flavors and a touch of minerality. Easy drinking, this would be a fine choice to accompany grilled meats this summer. 

The 2020 Quinta do Piloto Touriga Nacional, made from 100% Touriga Nacional, is made by a winery that uses 0% electricty! The winery has been family owned for four generations, and their main winery was quite large, with about 500 hectares of vineyards, and produced 3-4 million liters of wine annually. In 2008, they embarked on the Quinta do Piloto project, to make more high quality and small quantity wines. From the Península de Setúbal region, this was an intriguing wine, with rich, black fruit flavors, spice notes, and hints of anise. This is a wine that's best paired with hearty meat dishes. 

Two very different Castelão wines! Castelão is a native Portuguese grape, and one of the most planted grapes in that country. It can produce a variety of different wine styles, which was clearly evident by two different examples at the tasting. 

The 2021 Hugo Mendes Lisboa Tinto, with a 12% ABV, is made from 100% Castelão and priced under $30. Only 4750 bottles were produced, and the wine was made in a lighter style, bringing to mind a tasty Pinot Noir or Beaujolais. Bright red fruits flavors, good acidity, and hints of floral and spice. Easy drinking but far from simple. 

On the other hand, the 2017 Quinta de Alorna Reserva das Pedras Castelão, also made from 100% Castelão, was closer to a Syrah. It was a much bigger wine, more tannic and with deep black fruit flavors and more prominent spices notes. So very different from the Hugo Castelão. This was a deeper, darker wine, one best paired with hearty dishes. It was so much fun to see how Castelão can be produced in such varied styles. 

The 2019 Dona Graça Reserva Douro, with a 13.5% ABV and priced under $25,, is made from five native grapes of the Douro. Strong acidity, moderate tannins, and a pleasant melange of ripe black fruit flavors, hints of savory spices, and a touch of herbal notes. Another very good red wine, especially paired with grilled meats. 

Another of my top favorite wines was the 2016 Quinta de Alorna Abafado Vinho Licoroso, a fortified wine, with a 17.5% ABV, made from the Fernão Pires grape. This isn't a wine category commonly seen locally, so it's a welcome addition. With a fascinating, alluring aroma, with notes of caramel and toasted nuts, the palate was complex, compelling and elegant. Each sip brought something new, including touches of honey, roasted nuts, figs, caramel and citrus. With excellent acidity, the sweetness was well balanced and the finish was lengthy and pleasing. This is a wine to slowly sip, tasting how it evolves over time. And priced under $25, this is also a great value. Highly recommended.

The Oppidum Ginja da Obidos, with a 19% ABV, is a traditionally made cherry liqueur, produced from simply sour Morello cherries, alcohol and sugar. It's produced in Obidos, a village in the Estremadura province. The morello trees extend back thousands of years, although their origin is disputed, some believing they are native to the region, while others feel the ancient Greeks or Romans imported them. This liquor also has a lengthy history in the area. This was a well balanced and delicious  liqueur, not overly sweet, which was smooth and delicious, with bright cherry flavors and some underlying tartness. Definitely something unique. 

The wines of Brands of Portugal showcase the diversity and quality of Portuguese wines, including some of the excellent values that can be found from that country as well. Many of these wines also have some great stories behind them, which I'd like to explore more in the future. Brands of Portugal may have only been around for two years, but they have already created an excellent portfolio, and I'd highly recommend you seek out their wines, attend their wine tasting events, or ask your local wine shop to stock their wines.