Portugal

• Alentejo
• Bairrada
• Dao
• Douro
• Madeira
• Pico
• Ribatejo
• Vinho Verde

This is a blend of 50% Alicante Bouschet, 30% Touriga Nacional, 10% Syrah, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon from Portugal.  Garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is lighter with cherries, some spice, and a slight chocolate note.  Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  Fresher on the palate with cherries and black cherries.  Moderate finish.  This drinks well on its own and will work nicely with meat or fowl dishes.  A nice choice with Chili.  Drink over the next three to five years.

This is 100% Alicante Bouschet.  Purple in color with ruby and some blue swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with boysenberries, black cherries, spice, and slight vanilla notes.  Medium to firm tannins.  Full bodied.  Well balanced.  On the palate, black raspberries, black cherries and char.  Long finish.  This is a robust wine that drinks well on its own and can hold up to big (and spicy) foods.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  

40% Aragonez, 30% Alicante Bouschet, 20% Trincadeira, and 10% Castelao.  Purple/ruby/blue in color, mostly opaque although slightly flat.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, spice and slight char.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, black raspberries, anise and char.  Good finish.  This is a very solid wine that is drinking well now.  It is a great value.  Drink over the next five to eight years.  A nice mid-week pizza wine, this should work well with meats or fowl or even roasted veggies.  

This is a blend of 58% Grand Noir, 22% Trincadeira and 20% Aragonês (Tempranillo) made in amphora from Portugal.  Purple/ruby in color, flat and partially opaque.  The nose has some red fruit qualities with spice and tobacco.  Light to medium bodied with lighter tannins.  On the palate, a bit more alive.  Tart cherries with a bit of a cough drop finish.  I have had this wine before and it seems this wine or at least this bottle is just past prime at this point.  Probably best to look for younger vintages as this is usually a nice wine and a great value.  

This is a blend of 75% Arinto and 25% Verdelho.  Light golden in color with  yellow hues.  The nose has citrus (tangerine?), wax and slight floral notes.  Light bodied.  Crisp acidity.  On the palate, tangerine, pith and slight peach.  This is nice on its own but better with food.  It would go well with lighter foods and sea food.  Scallops would work well.  Drink over the next five years.  

This is 100% Antão Vaz grapes from Portugal.  Yellow-gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is tight but opens to show some apple.  medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, light apples with an herb note.  Clean.  Good finish.  Overall, a very refreshing wine that is nice on its own and will work with lighter foods and most sea foods.

This is drinking younger than 24 years.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is very nice with chocolate covered cherries and raisins.  Full bodied.  Viscous.  On the palate, this is showing some complexity.  Good acidity.  Sweet but not overtly.  The chocolate covered cherries and raisins carries thru to the palate.  Long finish.  Tasty.  This is nice on its own and would be nice with a chocolate dessert.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years. 

This is another offering from the Rare Wine Company's Historic Series.  These are a great way to identify grapes and styles of Madeira for a reasonable price.  This is iced tea/brown in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is great with roasted peanuts, figs and orange peel.  Medium bodied.  Dry as a bone.  On the palate, figs, walnuts and slight oranges.  Deep and complex.  Long finish.  This is a great way to end a meal, perhaps with some biscotti or other dry, not sweet cookie.  This bottle will last forever.  even after opening it will easily go for months.  19.5% abv.

This is a single vineyard wine from Portugal.  It is only made in the best vintages. Garnet in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is expressive with black cherries, black olives, spice and a bit of dark chocolate.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is tasty.  Deep with some complexity.  Black cherries, cherries, slight anise and spice.  Good finish.  This is nice on its own, but better with food.  It worked well with a "Mexican" pizza.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  

Dow has a long history with Port wines, but over the last few decades they have been making great strides with still red and white wines. They have consistently produced quality still wines that I have reviewed for several vintages. Their “everyday” red and white wines from Vale do Bomfim - line priced at a mere $15 - are terrific quality for the price. This red, a blend of traditional Port grapes not made into a sweet wine, includes Touriga Nacional (40%), Tina Roriz (30%) and smaller amounts of Tinta Franca and Tinta Barroca.