Navarra by Susan Hulme MW

These are some of the highlights of a whirlwind 2½ day press trip to Navarra. I was pleased to be going there, having been to the more famous Rioja a few times recently but never having had the opportunity to visit its somewhat Cinderella-like neighbour. We managed to cram in nine wineries in our short flying visit so below are only some of the highlights.

Fact or fiction?

Before going I had a few ideas about Navarra in mind – Atlantic influence, champion of rosado-style wines and much more innovative and export market driven than its more famous neighbour, Rioja. It also freely promoted the use of the international interlopers Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Would these stereotypes be challenged or would they prove to be true?

Pilgrim’s way

Our first stop was Bodegas Irache, founded in 1891, near the town of Estrilla. Just beside the winery is a beautiful old church and monastery. This latter building is shortly due to be converted into a parador and has already been designated the second best in Spain. It is just a few paces away from the famous Camino de Santiago di Compostella, the historic pilgrimage route that goes across the top of Spain and finishes in the eponymously-named town. Bodegas Irache had the brilliant idea of establishing a font for pilgrims that dispenses drinking water through one tap and their wine from another. I thought this was such an excellent idea that I just had to try some of the wine myself. It was a light, lively and refreshing red, a bit like Beaujolais Nouveau at its best and probably just what weary pilgrims need to aid their flagging steps.

Pilgrim's font at Bodegas Irache Photo © Susan Hulme MW 2007	Bodegas Irache Photo © Susan Hulme MW 2007	Conchi Roig, Export Manager, Bodegas Irache Photo © Susan Hulme MW 2007

 

Rosé future?

Here and along the way at other wineries we discussed the role of rosé. I was surprised to hear that contrary to the trend in the UK, rosé sales were decreasing on the Spanish domestic market. We were told several times and by different people that consumers were drinking it less, considered it old fashioned, and were more interested in drinking red wines and even whites. Another argument put forward as to why Navarra made rosé a speciality was that it wanted to distinguish itself from Rioja rather than from any deeper love of this style of wine. Well that’s one myth dismissed then!

 

The beauty of older wines

After a brief tour of their museum and wine cellars, we moved on to the tasting room. The first two wines tasted were the Irache 2006 Chardonnay and Rosé Castillo Irache 2006. The owners were very proud of their ‘modern’ Chardonnay but for me it was a little simple, with pear-drop, estery aromas and a too heavily-oaked palate for the fruit to support it.

We moved on to the Crianza 2004 and Reserva 1999 matured in 100% American oak. I liked both of these wines. The Reserva had good weight and balance without being hefty, was soft and seductive marked by bright acidity and delicate warm strawberry fruit. Then came a really exciting wine – the Irache Gran Reserva 1996 – 24 months in oak, approximately 60% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon with a ‘touch’ of Graciano. This wine was still a youthful ruby in tone, with no overt signs of ageing; on the nose, some vanilla and pastry-shop aromas followed by faded roses and soft red fruits. But the palate stole the show – smooth and silky with excellent weight and texture, punctuated by a vibrant acidity and some firm, spicy tannins giving grip and backbone. It had great vitality and vibrancy for a wine more than 10 years old; indeed it seemed decidedly youthful.

As a grand finale, we were given the privilege of tasting the Real Irache Gran Reserva 1973. The colour, though tinged with garnet, was still youthful overall. On the nose there were lovely complex aromas of wood smoke, spice, cream, dark cherries and leather. It was silky-smooth and beautifully-textured with fine, gravelly tannins, vivid, refreshing acidity and a long, savoury finish. It was a beautifully integrated, supple wine yet still fresh and vibrant with plenty of life left. What a joy to taste!

The tasting was followed by a delicious lunch of local specialities such as jamón serrano, croquets, red peppers and cheese accompanied by the wines we had just tasted. We were also generously given two wines to take home, one of which the 1996 Reserva will definitely be on my Christmas drinking list.

Bodegas Nekeas

Bodegas Nekeas Valley, owned by a consortium of eight producers, was our next stop and it was just what we needed after the slight stupor engendered by a long, leisurely lunch. It was quite literally a breath of fresh air as we were taken up to a high point for a bird’s eye view of the valley below. The valley is only 4 km long yet there are big differences between the northern end at 650 metres high and the southern end at 430 metres; the southern end is one degree warmer for a start and there is a huge difference in rainfall of 150 mm in just the 4km distance. Bodegas Nekeas has vineyards scattered all across the valley so there are many differences in the various plots of each variety, making for good blending complexity. When we visited in mid-October, they were in the middle of harvest. They are usually one of the last to harvest in the whole of Spain due to the Atlantic influence felt here. That’s one belief confirmed then!

Windy valley

As the five of us stood and admired the contours of the valley below we could hardly hold our own against the cold wind called the Cierzo (a cold, dry, north-western wind that blows across this part of Navarra) and our eyes streamed as we swayed at an angle against the hillside like figures in a Lowry painting. The Cierzo is welcome here because of the humidity in the area and the wind helps to dry out the vines and prevent rot. They had yet to harvest the Cabernet and Garnacha but we were told that this vintage is going to be the best for a long time.

In this valley the day and night time temperatures differ hugely by between 10 and 20 degrees. Last week for example, we were told it was 25 degrees during the day and only 6 degrees at night. Here we were in the middle of Navarra physically but very much in a Northern Spanish climate. As if to reinforce this point they told us that they had had hail this year in the Southern part of the valley. We finally ended our King Lear-like encounter with the wind, coming down from our high vantage point to look at the vineyards themselves. At the southern end of the valley lies the San Juan Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard  The landscape is more rolling and warmer (by 1 degree) and the vineyard has heavy, clay soils, giving some water stress and low vigour.

Interestingly, from next year they are going to irrigate here when necessary. Working closely with the local university, they will test vines for water stress in the belief that irrigation at critical times of high water stress gives earlier phenolic ripening and better balanced grapes. Going back to my current bug bear of overly alcoholic wines, this is one arguably natural way of keeping alcohol levels down and producing a more balanced wine by encouraging earlier phenolic ripeness. There is a strongly held belief that a stressed vine produces a better quality wine, but like many beliefs in the world of wine they do not always hold true; not all water stress is good and too much of it is detrimental to quality. In spite of all the controversy about irrigating vines within the EU, I think I would rather water the vines when they really need it than water the must when it is too late. In an arid country such as Spain, water is at a premium; Bodegas Nekeas have ambitious plans to get irrigation water by means of a huge canal project to bring water from the Pyrenees, 40km to the west and North of Navarra.

We then continued our ramble across to the Merlot vineyard with a different soil type and then to the old vine, bush trained Garnacha vineyard with a very red soil. Coonawarra eat your heart out – there is so much red soil in Spain!

Nekeas Valley Photo © Susan Hulme MW 2007	Nekeas Valley Photo © Susan Hulme MW 2007	Nekeas Valley Photo © Susan Hulme MW 2007

 

Bodega Nekeas tasting

We then tasted through a range of their wines. All of the wines tasted were good, clean, fresh and well made but the ones that really stood out for me were those below:

 

Odiaza 2006 a characterful white wine with white flowers, acacia, and honey aromas. Warm pears and spice on the palate with a rich texture and good depth of flavour combined with a long, minerally finish.

 

Olazari 2002 ( 50% Garnacha, 50% Syrah blend). This was a very smooth, very well balanced wine with very lively acidity & intense cassis fruit, followed by a long finish. The tannins were firm but not rustic.

 

El Chaparral 2006 (Old Vine Garnacha  - approx £9.00 to £10.00) violet and floral notes combine with sweet, dark cherries on both nose and palate. Again wonderfully smooth initial attack and texture punctuated with vibrant acidity. The elegant, perfume violet, note to fruit on the palate was at the core of this wine. This was a delicious combination of sweet fruit and vivid acidity, encased in silkiness. I gave it my highest mark here. 

 

It was only day two and yet we had done so much but this day was a real challenge, with five winery visits in one day. The most I had attempted before was four! Edited highlights only follow below.

 

Bodegas Ochoa

The highlight of this day for me was our visit to Ochoa. This was a name I had known for a while and whose wines I had sold in my days at Wine Rack. I was very much looking forward to this visit and I was not disappointed. We were met by Adriana Ochoa. Ochoa are a family owned bodega and one of the smallest sized companies in the whole of Spain, but one of the largest owners of vineyards with 145 ha in Navarra. Adriana was one of those bright, open-minded young winemakers who had travelled and worked on vintages abroad before coming back to take on the winemaking side of the family business.

She did the 2004 vintage side by side with her father, then she made the 2005 whites, but the 2006 and 2007 wines are all her own. Previously, she had worked with Louisa Rose at Yalumba (whose Viognier in particular had impressed me at a tasting a few years ago) and she also worked for the Mouiex family in 2000 and did a study on ripeness there.

We had a brief tour of some of their vineyards while we chatted about methods. Grapes here are mostly picked by machine except for white grapes because the most important thing is to harvest at the right time. Their Moscatel however, is always harvested by hand. It takes 40 pickers 3 days to harvest 23 ha of Moscatel whereas it takes 3 weeks to pick the rest by machine. Like many others they were in the middle of harvesting when we visited. This year’s vintage had a particularly long ripening season and was a month later than usual. Normally, acidity in Tempranillo here is very low and pH is high but this year is very different and exceptional. The acidity on the Tempranillo is 5.5 TA while the potential alcohol is 13 %.

Biodyamics cropped up again -  Adriana likes the idea and is experimenting with a small parcel of Tempranillo using these methods but she thinks it is probably impractical for 145 ha!

All of their investment goes into the vineyard.  

They use oak barrels for four years and 80% of their barrels are made from split (not hand sawn) American oak coopered by Murua, a local cooper from Logroño.

New varieties

In the vineyards they have a little parcel of Viognier (Bodegas Nekeas also have some) but at the moment it is not allowed in the DO although they would like it to be. Adriana’s father, Javier Ochoa was a director of Oenology at Evena (Estación de Viticultura y Enología de Navarra) from 1981 until 1992 and although he chose Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon to be accepted by the DO at the time, he always told Adriana that lots of other varieties would work well here too. Apart from all the usual varieties they have parcels of Syrah, Graciano and Moscatel. Graciano is very clone-dependent and they have both the good and the poor clones here. Apart from their other classic wines Ochoa are famous for their Moscatel. In fact they grafted Moscatel onto 10 year old Merlot rootstocks in the vineyard to have a ready source of more mature vines in this variety. They use ‘mass selection’ to select the best vines and have developed their own Moscatel clone.

Some of their vineyards near Traibuenas are near desert soils so they have to irrigate to survive. They lie in former riverbeds and are very stoney.

Ochoa wines tasted

We again tasted a whole range of Ochoa wines but the ones that impressed me the most were the Ochoa single vineyard rosé, Rosado de Lagrima 2005. It was a more serious style rosé with some depth of flavour which Adriana aptly described as ‘rosé with a red soul’. In spite of the trend away from rosé, they sell well on the home market.

The Ochoa Crianza 2004. Really lovely balance of cream, vanilla and strawberry fruit.

The Ochoa Vendimia Seleccionada 2000. fine, silky texture while still retaining purity of fruit.

I also thought the M de O Moscatel de Ochoa 2006 was a really fun, lively wine. Aimed at the younger market it was light, grapey and uncomplicated Moscatel at its best. The final wine Ochoa Moscatel 2006, made from Muscat á Petit Grains, was a delicious example of sweet Muscat. It combined honey, spice and musky notes with a sweetness and richness on the palate that was intercut with flavours of lemon zest.

Chivite (Señorío Arínzano Estate)

Our last stop (and probably the real highlight of the trip) was the most famous bodega in Navarra, Chivite, and their super-modern and expensive winery Señorío Arínzano. Designed by Rafael Moneo, a famous architect and friend of the family, this was lavish even by modern winery standards. The stainless steel tanks came complete with blades at the bottom to press the grapes and make press wine. There was a special low-ceilinged room for malolactic fermentation which we were not allowed to enter for fear of disturbing the temperature and even a bridge high up over the barrel-room to avoid vibrations from people passing through. It was clear that no amount of expense had been spared and it reminded me in places of a James Bond set.

But great wineries do not always mean great wine and I find it difficult to be impressed by vast amounts of money alone. However I am pleased to say the wines did not disappoint.  They were very excited about our visit as the site was due to receive the first pago designation for Navarra within the next few days. To be given this status, the producer has to prove that there is a special terroir and all of the grapes must come from the estate. In addition all of the vineyards must be within the Navarra DO. Chivite's Marife Blanco describes their philosophy as ‘terroir wines’. 

 

Chivite facts The Arínzano site covers 700 ha but only 350 ha are under vine. They started planting here in 1988 - before this it was it was farm land. The capacity is 1 million bottles but so far they only produce 200,000. Chivite hand-harvest all 350 ha but do have machine harvesters in case rain sets in. They choose to grow grapes organically as long as the quality of the grapes are not impaired and they recycle water. One excellent idea they have is to convert one of the small houses on the estate into a small 4-roomed hotel to encourage wine tourism. Left: Views from the Chivite Señorío Arínzano Estate © Susan Hulme MW 2007

New president - new beginnings

One theme that recurred throughout our trip both here and at other bodegas was that there was a real feeling of excitement and opportunity because of the newly appointed president of the Navarra Consejo Regulador, Pilar Garcia-Granero. Everyone we spoke to was enthusiastic about their new president as not only someone who was an experienced winemaker but someone who had a good understanding of the market. This was seen to be something that was sadly lacking in the previous president of the DO who many felt had outstayed his welcome, holding on to the position for 10 long years. In the past the DO was seen by many to have hindered and hampered the progress of Navarra, not least because little or no funds were allocated to export marketing. So Navarra has been languishing in the doldrums a little when it comes to innovation though not for the want of trying on the part of the best producers.

It’s now or never for Navarra

Finally Navarra’s producers have a chance to work together through the DO to achieve the quality changes they want with freedom from some of the  legal constraints that have held them back. The new DO president has requested suggestions and opened the lines of communication with the producers. Among the things being discussed are which new grape varieties if any, should be allowed in the DO. Also to be discussed is the possibility of the DO re-tasting wines before release in order to give the final seal of approval and the DO designation; currently they are tasted after the vintage only. If it gets accepted this would be a strong stance to take and very much a move towards ensuring only the better quality wines are released onto the market, ultimately improving the image for all of the wines of Navarra.

So what has Navarra got going for it as a wine region? It has a stunningly beautiful landscape providing a variety of different terroirs and an Atlantic-influenced climate (a huge boon under the current threat of climate change) enabling it to produce elegant wines with freshness and vitality. It has some great grape varieties and some very passionate and committed winemakers. It now also has a new DO council who want things to change, so if any time was the right time for Navarra to take a giant step forward I’d say the time was now.

With huge thanks to David Lindsay at Lindsay May PR and the Navarra Consejo Regulador.

© Susan Hulme MW 2007 

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IMW GEISENHEIM TRIP 2007 (Friday Sept 28 – Sunday Sept 30)

An organic/biodynamic demonstration in FA Geisenheim vineyards by Susan Hulme MW

Late morning on day two of an MW trip to Geisenheim.

After a long morning of lectures on topics such as organic and biodynamic viticulture, the ORWINE EU funded project and yeast populations in organic & biodynamic vineyards, we now had our first chance to get out into the vineyards at Geisenheim. We were here to look at the specifics of organic and biodynamic viticulture, so what turned out to be a very large group of MW’s, MW students and Austrian Wine Academy graduate students stood in a field with Georg Meissner, PhD student at Geisenheim, next to the three experimental plantings of vines cultivated by conventional, organic and biodynamic means.

Initial findings

The plantings are part of a three year project. So far only one year has passed so Georg was naturally very reluctant to talk about results even when he felt there were some clear differences so far. Results are measured in terms of many parameters such as soil life (microbial activity, enzymes, nutrients etc), ripening and phenolics (differences in sugar, acid and pH) and of course the quality of the wines at the end. The early differences between conventional, organic and biodynamic cultivation show the latter has much more flavour in the grapes and better concentration in the wines. The vines themselves have better root systems. Blind samples of wines and grape juice have been sent to Bonn University where they are able to identify which samples are from biodynamically cultivated vines. The results have been 100% accurate.

Delicate cycle

In biodynamically cultivated soils especially, the plant itself is feeding the soil. In a process known as the endocytose cycle, the vine is able to derive nutrients from material too big to be absorbed directly by first enveloping this matter in a sac, then breaking it down with acids and enzymes. The dissolved substances are thus accessible to the vine and the enzymes are passed into the soil. Georg commented that if you add fertiliser to this subtle mechanism, you are ‘force feeding’ the vine and it won’t release these substances because it does not need to. In fact you break this delicate cycle.

Had we been a smaller group we were to take part in planting a cow horn as part of the biodynamic method of cultivation, but being too big a group for that Georg answered our questions about the basics of biodynamics instead.

Cow horn

The cow horn itself acts as a container for either a mixture of yarrow, chamomile, nettle, oak bark, dandelion and valerian or for cow manure (called green gold in Africa). The filled horn is buried in soil for between four to six months during which time it ‘ferments’. The plant material preparation is added to compost to help make the nutrients more readily available to plants. The cow manure preparation is dissolved in water for spraying onto the soil (the dissolving itself must be done in a specific way for full effect). The result of this is to improve soil crumb structure, the ability of the soil to absorb and retain water and increase bacterial, fungal and earth worm activity.

Ideally the cow horn should come from a cow which has had calves and which has been reared organically. We were told that our visit was an optimum day (29th of September) for burying the horn because it was St Michael’s Day and the start of autumn. In addition to the changes of the seasons, and the rhythms of each day, the rhythms of the moon are central to biodynamics and particular significance is paid to the periods of waxing and waning, ascending and descending, apogee and perigee.

We were told, that between 1-3 cow horns per ha per year was considered enough. Similarly with silica horn (fine ground crystal) only 1-4 grams which has been diluted in water per ha is needed. “Biodynamics is not about quantity” Georg commented. This aspect of biodynamics seems to be very like homeopathy for vines - a little goes a long way and it is meant to stimulate the vine’s natural tendencies to protect itself and achieve optimum conditions.

© Susan Hulme MW 2007 

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Rioja By John Ducker

To visit La Rioja after the 2006 harvest is one thing, but to accompany a whistle-stopping group of eight very sophisticated ‘millionaire’ oenophiles whose regular tipple is of top classed-growth Bordeaux and Burgundy in all the most exclusive vintages is quite another.   This group of friends had chosen specifically to visit the region, and may have been hoping that Tempranillo would perform in equal measure to its classic Bordelais counterparts.    True, we did light upon a bottle of 1964 Marques de Riscal Gran Reserva (recorked in 1996) which had more than a little affinity with a well developed classed growth from the Haut-Medoc, the cépage being 50/50 Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Brilliant in its maturity, but nowadays, under DOCa rules, an unrepeatable phenomenon.

Lopez de Heredia

Whether by luck or design, the tour organizer had started us off at the venerable bodegas of Lopez de Heredia in Haro, an unmissable place of pilgrimage for those seeking Rioja in its most traditional style – arguably ‘Rioja as it used to be’  - attested by the serried ranks of mould-covered bottles and spidery webs covering the cellar ceilings.  “The spiders catch the moths that otherwise lay their eggs in the crevices of the corks”  - or so we’re told.  A chance, too, to buy some really old white Rioja, the Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco 1964  for an evening tasting:

Clean star-bright appearance.  Colour of 24-carat gold. Nose offers sweet caramel with hints of some slight oxidation.   Lightweight  on the palate, with a dry, ‘raw honey’ note of exceptional delicacy.  Good acidity, a little expected oxidation as the style dictates.   Long persistent finish.   Old-fashioned white Rioja, 100% Viura.  Much enjoyed.   12% abv.

Marques de Riscal

At the other end of the production scale, a bus ride away and viewed a couple of days later was the startling contrast of the computer-driven futuristic Marques de Riscal bodega – the ‘city of wine’ in Elciego, graced by the undulating roofs of its Frank O. Gehry designed hotel which presides like a mother hen over the vineyards and winery beyond.   Here the concept of winery–as-visitor-centre is absolute, with uniformed guides to make one appropriately brand-aware and to accompany one every step of the way around the huge and gleaming facility.   

Bodegas Muga

However, were brand-awareness a virtue in itself then the palm must surely go to Bodegas Muga back in Haro where everything in sight was stamped with the family name except, perhaps, our host Jorge Muga whose very parentage may have excused his need to be stamped with a badge!  Prior to our arrival there he had invited us to a ‘brunch’ of chorizo sausages cooked over vine twigs at the edge of one of the vineyards overlooking the Ebro, with a Muga ‘metodo tradicional’ and a delicious Garnacha Rosado to help wash everything down. 

Two climates

He explained the geological complexity of the terrain and the fact that tectonic shifts had completely altered the course of the R. Ebro over the millennia; that the area was subject to two climates, ‘atlantic’ on the hills and ‘mediterranean’ further down the seven valleys that make up la Rioja Alta.  Satellite technology was on hand in the vineyard to keep track of weather patterns, but everything else was left as close to nature as could be, with cover crops of sorrel and wild geranium between the vines and, perhaps surprisingly, some virus-infected vines retained in order to moderate the speed of the overall growth in the vineyard.  He didn’t seem fazed by the depradations of wild deer, nibbling at the vine shoots in the Spring, neither by the wild boar who have a penchant for ripe grapes in the autumn: “After all we shoot them and eat them, so at one time or another we get our own back”.    

Sustainability

When, back at the bodega itself, Jorge was asked for his views on cooperage – a significant issue in Rioja production - he stressed the importance of a three-year pre-order period for oak.  No fewer than eighteen forests worldwide are called upon by Muga, with sustainability seen as the key: “We need to know that a forest will still be there ten years from now”.   So, at Muga, with 2,500 small barriques crafted by their toneleros for each vintage the oak ‘split’ is between 60% French; 30% American; and 10% from central Europe, particularly from Hungary.

Viñedos Contino

Given the importance of differential microclimates in the Rioja, a visit to the Rioja Alavesa and the château-style property of Viñedos Contino was particularly revealing.    Here, under the ample shelter of a conveniently placed hill, harvests usually finish well before those in the rest of Rioja begin.   The vineyards lie within the arm of a wide loop of the R. Ebro and boast three distinct types of soil: alluvial, clay and limestone ideally to suit individual plots of vines, including those in the warmest part of the estate planted around a thousand-year-old olive tree – a legacy of Moorish settlement in the region.  The concentration of the young (2003) vintage of the ‘Viña del Olivo’ was astonishing – and I look forward to seeing it at its peak at around 2010.    

"Gracia –no"

Here, too, we tasted a 100% Graciano – a rare experience in Rioja.  Winemaker Jesús de Madrazo Mateo tells us that this tricky varietal is synonymous with the Morrastel of the Midi, and that Brown Brothers have been experimenting with it in Victoria.   The vine’s usual place in Rioja is as provider of a little acidity and backbone for the more delicate Tempranillo. Seen tout court it showed as firm and a little earthy on the palate, and in Jesús proffered example of the 2004 vintage it certainly belied its wider reputation as being colourless, fruitless and thin...“Gracia –no” - the ‘no thank you’ grape, roughly translated, brilliantly vindicated here in expert hands.

End of the trip

A straight run of five more than acceptable vintages in the Rioja had to end somewhere I suppose, and the thirty percent higher rainfall of the 2006 vintage seemed perhaps to have dampened the spirits of the rather dour and earnest townsfolk of Haro where, primarily, our group was based.   At the end of our study trip the well-heeled group I had been accompanying appeared to be beginning to suffer from Bodega fatigue, and passed up the opportunity of yet another tasting lecture at the wonderful ‘chateau’ of Torre de Oña, surrounded by its own pago of vines below Laguardia.  At least they were all now fully conversant with the basic parameters of what Rioja of whatever age and distinction tastes like, and doubtless they flew off to their respective homes in their respective tax havens for a little change of scenery and, who knows, possibly a touch of Iberian variety in their drinking.   Me?  Whether accompanied by millionaires or not I hope to be heading back independently to catch up with the 2007 vintage in Rioja … which may offer quite a different story.

Text and photos ©  John Ducker 2007

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The Wine and Food Lover’s Guide to Portugal By Charles Metcalfe and Kathryn McWhirter - INN HOUSE PUBLISHING  2007 - review by John Ducker.

No, not just another book about the wines of Portugal – not that you’ll find many to choose from in the first place - but a brilliant and thoroughly comprehensive working document which eclipses anything seen so far on the subject. Charles Metcalfe and Kathryn McWhirter’s “the Wine and Food Lover’s Guide to Portugal” deserves the title of a magnum opus, and deals in thorough detail with the regional wines, major wineries and individual winemakers of mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores as they underpin the Portuguese wine market today. 

The picture that emerges of Portuguese wine in its transformed state is firmly embedded within a broader context of local and traditional gastronomy and of modern Portuguese restaurant eating, the latter as suggested by the Portuguese wine industry itself where we are light years away from ‘365 ways with salt cod’. 

Although primarily a ‘wine’ book with all the authority of Charles and Kathryn’s dedicated tasting research behind it, this smartly produced volume radiates a natural encouragement to explore, and travellers to Portugal in general will find it an invaluable general guide to markets, food shops, churches, and places to eat and stay, many of them well off the beaten track – helpfully written-up, the latter with ‘michelin-style’ symbols aplenty for easy reference.  

Importantly, there is also a wealth of detail on ‘visitable’ wineries.   The offshore islands aside, the book is divided into the mainland regions that were originally designated for Vinho Regional wines, and contains the best maps so far seen of the specific wine producing areas, many of them marked in relief to give one a general idea of local topography. 

Maps aside, a wealth of jewel-like colour photographs adorn most of the book’s pages.  There is a customary – and necessary - Portuguese grape variety guide and even a ‘vital vocabulary’ of useful words and phrases to help non-Portuguese speakers oil the wheels of hotel or restaurant service.   

The astonishing wealth of dedication and research by Charles Metcalfe and Kathryn McWhirter that has obviously gone into this exciting book places them as creators of what must surely become the standard reference work on the modern Portuguese wine and food scene for many years to come. 

© John Ducker 2007 

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