Join us from 6:30 on Wednesday the 14th of May, for a Tasting of wines from Portugal hosted by Ben mason and Anna Niepoort.
Portugal is a land of huge wine contrasts. From the bright, fresh, green wines of the extreme north-west to the rich ripe wines of Alentejo in the south. Fantastic fortified wines from the islands of Madeira, volcanic influences wines in the Azores and of course the wines the country has become most famous for Port.
It is most likely that wine-making was introduced to Portugal by the Romans and the other Mediterranean peoples at first in the south of the country but spreading throughout as the years progressed. Their wine was subsequently exported to the city state of Rome during the reign of the Roman Empire. Modern exporting began with the Methaun Treaty and trade with England. From this start, trade expanded and a wide variety of wines began to be produced in the following years.
Keen to protect the quality and reputation of its wines, in 1758 Portugal was one the first countries to classify a wine producing region with the Regiao Demarcada do Douro. This predates the similar system used in France by nearly 200 years. Currently 2 of Portugals wine regions are protected as UNESCO Heritage Sites, the Douro Valley and the Pico Islands.
Portugal is blessed with an abundance of native varietals, over 250. This combined with a wide spectrum of soils types and climatic conditions, means that there is a immense variety of wines produced, expressing the distinctive personality of the regions that each wine comes from.
Join us on Wednesday, 14th of May as we explore these wines and the regions of Portugal that they represent.
Tickets non refundable.
