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Wednesday, August 9, 2023

REPORT ON THE WINES OF PORTUGAL trade show, June 2023...

REPORT ON THE WINES OF PORTUGAL trade show, June  2023...
The Date and Time: Thursday June 1, 2023, 1PM to 5PM
The Event: Wines of Portugal: food & wine experience in Toronto
The Venue: ROM
The Target Audience: wine trade
The Availability/Catalogue: it was a full book of some 60 pages, containing 32 wineries and over 300 wines. There was a description of the ten most widely used grape varieties (out of 250 grape varieties in total) plus some indices. The table numbers ran in accord with the page numbers of the producers in the book. Each entry had full contact deets of addresses, phone numbers, agents, local names, and the like (plus a small map indicating regions). Each wine was listed by name, with year, region, and grapes. Prices were not available.
The Quote/Background: the book was excellent, except for the lack of prices.
The Wines: I did not taste all the wines, missing most of the reds. Agents are listed in parentheses.

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Vicente Faria Vinhos Animus 2022 Vinho Verde
-Soito Encruzado Reserva 2021
-Niepoort Redoma Reserva Branco 2021 Douro $61 (Le Sommelier)
-Azores Wine Co. Arinto dos Acores 2018 and 2021 $60 (Le Sommelier)
-Sao Luiz Winemakers Collection Folgazao & Rabigato Branco 2018 Douro (Wineworld)
-Sogevinus Veedha 2020 Red Douro +31197  LCBO $15.95 (Amethyst)
-FitaPreta Palpite Branco Reserva 2021 $44 VR Alentejano (Le Sommelier)
-Macanita Vinhos Tinto Reserva 2020 $45 Douro  (Le Sommelier)
-Quinta do Mondego Branco 2019
-Quinta do Mondego Munda Encruzado Branco 2020
-J.Portugal Ramos Family Duorum Colheita Branco 2021 (Sylvestre)
-Cartuxa EA Bio 2021 (FWP Trading)
-Casa Relvas Herdade Sao Miguel Colheita Seleccionada Branco 2022
-Casa Relvas DOC Vidigueira Branco 2022
-Boas Quintas Opta Dao Encurzado 2022
-Adega de Cantanhede Marques de Marialva Arinto Branco Reserva 2021
-Adega de Cantanhede Marques de Marialva Colheita Seleccionada Branco 2021
-Adega de Cantanhede Marques de Marialva Baga Blanc de Noir Cuvee Brut 2014 [my fave]

***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Obra Prime 2022 Vinho Verde (Perigon beverage)
-Soito Espumante Blanc de Noirs 2019
-Adega de Cantanhede Marques de Marialva Baga Blanc de Noirs Brut NV
-Adega de Cantanhede Marques de Marialva Blanc de Blancs Brut NV
-Adega de Cantanhede Marques de Marialva Baga Rose Brut NV
-Enoport Caves Velhas Romeira Chardonnay 2020 Lisboa
-Enoport Cabeca de Toiro Reserva 2022 Tejo
-Quinta do Casal Branco Falcoaria Colheita Tardia 2016 Tejo  [late harvest]
-Sao Luiz Branco 2022 Douro (Wineworld)
-Sao Luiz Reserva Branco 2021 Douro (Wineworld)
-Dialogo Branco Snow 2021 Douro, $19 (Le Sommelier)
-Dialogo Tinto 2021 Douro, $21 (Le Sommelier)
-NAT'Cool! Primata 2021 Douro $29 1 litre (Le Sommelier)
-Drink Me Nat'Cool Dao 2020 Red $23 l litre (Le Sommelier)
-Fresh from Amphora Nat Cool Branco 2022  (Azureau)
-Falua Reserva Branco 2020
-Churchills Estates Grafite Douro Branco 2021
-Casa Santos Lima Blend Portugal Branco 2022 Lisboa
-Boas Quintas Gandarada Encurzado Branco 2022
-Boas Quintas Fonte do Ouro Branco 2022

The Food: there was a paid event coming up in the evening starting at 6, so we were treated to some awesome food in the afternoon – Four chefs provided excellent samples, in addition to the charcuterie (nice to have smoked duck breast back again) and cheese platters.
-Chef Manuel Vilela (Chiado) gave us some fresh pan-seared cod and porcini, on a bed of lemon risotto;
-Chef Dave Junek (Salt) gave us a large wagyu slider with chimichurri aioli with a side  manchego-jambon croquette;
-Chef Martine Bauer (Restaurant Pompette) presented us with a chicken and duxelles vol- au-vent AND a salmon citrus gravlax.
-Chef Rafael Covarrubias (Hexagon in Oakville) gave us a scallop crudo with buttermilk, melon and tarragon and jalapeno, PLUS a salted cod empanada, preserved tomato, nduja, and preserved lemon.
The Downside: it got crowded really fast after the masterclass finished, further antagonized by low lighting from the ceiling.
The Upside: quality food matching quality wine samples.
The Contact Person: www.winesofportugal.com; marketing@viniportugal.pt;
Lumir JARDAK <ljardak@sopexa.com>
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 94


Dean Tudor,  Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism
Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.com
http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures

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