Wine with Leslie: Portuguese wine is great value — here are my top picks
All of these wines are best served chilled
Portugal does holidays brilliantly, as many tens of thousands of Irish people will attest. They also do holiday wines well and are one of the world’s best value wine producers.
One warm weather thirst quencher you already know is vinho verde, the crisp fresh wine from the northern “Vinho Verde” wine region, usually with a touch of spritz. Twenty years ago these were sometimes rather bitter and simple but these days expect floral and citrus aromas and riper fruits. I’ve recommended GuiGas recently (No. 21, Bradleys) but most are worth a try.
We love our peachy salty-dry albariños in Ireland well, but don’t forget that the grape is originally alvarinho from Portugal and similarly tasty and zippy — Aveleda is one I’ve featured often (JJ O’Driscolls, Vintry).
Besides alvarinho, watch for other white grapes from Portugal; arinto and antão vaz, oupeiro, fernão pires and others. If you were to pick one grape to watch for on holiday look for antão vaz, which can have viognier-like fragrance but with more acidity; arinto would be my second choice for its texture and balance of fruit and acidity and in fact arinto-antão vaz blends are quite common.
Many Portuguese reds can be served cool or even chilled, particularly the riper reds from Alentejo and Lisboa. Reds from Bairrada make fine summer drinking as the baga grape is Portugal’s answer to pinot noir, fragrant, light-bodied but always interesting. Douro and Dão reds are among the more serious wines from Portugal so they probably should not be chilled but I would still serve them on the cooler side.
And don’t neglect the fortified wines of Portugal; White and Tawny Port work brilliantly chilled as does Madeira. Three great value Portuguese suggestions below, all best served on the cool side.
White port and tonic is the perfect summer drink but I also love this chilled or on ice.
Kopke are the oldest port house and this is as fine a white port as you will find but you don’t have to be precious about it. Pouring a light straw colour with melon, lemon curd, and citrus aromas, a rounded textured palate, light tangy spirit notes on the mid palate, layered and complex.
- Matsons; Bradleys; Vintry; Donnybrook Fair; Martins
This would go nicely with some barbecued or slow cooked lamb from Fitzgeralds butchers and will also work served cool.
Dão is just south of the Douro and this is a blend of touriga nacional, tinta roriz (tempranillo) and jaen (mencía) — bright and ripe and packed with black cherry and blackberry fruits, balanced acidity and a touch of structure.
- Bradleys; Fitzgerald’s Fermoy; McHughs; Mitchells; Drinkstore; Jus de Vine; Baggot St Wines
The label says: ‘Drink Me!’ and ‘Serve Cool’, just what you need for warm summer days and barbecues.
Niepoort’s Nat’Cool range is non-interventionist, natural, organic, and works straight from the fridge.
From 100% old vine baga this is juicy and ripe with pomegranate and floral aromas and a bright lively palate — the perfect summer red. There is also a red label Nat’Cool from Dão, which is similarly juicy and bright.
- 1601; Bradleys; Lilith; GreenMan; DrinkStore; Deveneys; Fallon & Byrne
Warm weather means it’s time again for Radler and this classic from Salzburg has not featured before. A blend of grapefruit lemonade with Stiegl Goldbräu (60-40), originally aimed at cycling enthusiasts.
Cloudy with grapefruit and citrus aromas, a crisp grapefruit soda tang followed by a classic Austrian lager on the mid palate and finish. Refreshing and delicious, the lemon version is also recommended.
- Matsons; Martins; Tesco; Selected O’Briens; McHughs.ie
