An American in Portugal - Fruit of the Vine

Nice story, albeit with a somewhat misleading headline. But it is good to find alternative uses for things.

In fact, perhaps winemakers in Northern Portugal could do with a little brainstorming. A recent article in The Portugal News quotes João Rebelo, a researcher at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro as saying, there are “changes in the habits of consumers who are looking for lighter and fresher wines (whites, rosés, and sparkling wines), to the detriment of wines with higher alcohol content and sweeter ones (Port wine).” What’s next? Port and Port Salut in your gas tank?

Like those referred to by Rebelo, I too enjoy whites and rosés, but mostly in the summertime, and only if they are chilled enough. It did not take long for me to stop asking flight attendants if the little bottles of Chardonnay on the beverage cart were cold, realizing it was the least of their concerns. So right here I would like to give a universal shout-out to all the lovely airline folk who were so gracious in the face of such traveler temerity.

Perhaps my most dramatic white wine temperature moment occurred when I attended a private luncheon for eight at oenologist Robert Mondavi’s Winery in Napa Valley, California in the 1980’s. Each of the many courses was impeccably paired with an exquisite wine. The weather was warmish and so—to me—were the whites. Naturally, I did not say a word. When Mondavi himself explained the proper temperature for a wine in order to savor it properly, the case closed.

Vindima

In our early years in Portugal, my husband and I participated in the annual vindima of our friends in Cruz at their home, Casa de Pindela. Those grapes (Alvarinho, I think) were destined to become vinho verde, a beverage I often find too fruity and fizzy. With descriptions like “lemonade, white melon, gooseberry, grapefruit, and lime blossom, and pear,” I know why. Throw in a possible “green almond bitter note” and I am heading straight to the Alentejo. The description alone of some reds there are delicious, like this one for Comenda Grande Reserva, 2014: “A brooding blockbuster of dried red cherries, coffee, and ripe plums with a luscious minty core; lavish and rich with lithe tannins, a gorgeous dollop of sumptuous caramel oak and a lengthy cocoa-dusted finish.” Sold!

When we owned a small Quinta in the Castelo Branco District, my husband and I tried our own hand at winemaking. Keith, who conducted wine tastings at our Nevada restaurant years ago, set about resurrecting the neglected vines on our property. He studied the leaves in an attempt to determine what varieties of vines we had. His best guess was a combination of Trousseau (or “Bastardo”), Tinto Roriz, and Tinto Cão.

Our harvest took place on a sunny September day. With just the two of us, we were unable to bring all the grapes in. That was the first lesson: how misleading the bounty was. On the same day, all the grapes were destemmed and juiced. For two weeks they were fermenting in tubs, and then went into steel vats for four months. Keith preferred to process the grapes over a longer period, more in the French manner, rather than the shorter period of time usually done in Portugal, and added wood chips of oak, cedar, and cherry. He also bought an alambique, and using the most from the wine-making process, made eau de vie flavored with pomegranate, blueberry, and juniper.

Bottling

By February the wine was ready for bottling. The effort had produced more than 100 bottles in all, which we enjoyed, gifted to friends, and set aside for the (short-term) future. It was a great deal of work, but a superb learning experience, and created lasting memories for us.

When we lived in Sweden we discovered that the Swedes drink more wine than beer and more boxed wine than bottled. And of course, boxed wine is hugely popular here in Portugal, as well. It’s easy to take it for granted, a beverage in a humble house of cardboard instead of gleaming glass. But once you personally have gone through the process from start to finish, it’s impossible to look at wine in the same way ever again.

“Wine to me is passion. It’s family and friends. It’s warmth of heart and generosity of spirit. Wine is art. It’s culture. It’s the essence of civilization and the art of living.” - Robert Mondavi

Native New Yorker Tricia Pimental left the US in 2012, later becoming International Living’s first Portugal Correspondent. The award-winning author and her husband, now Portuguese citizens, currently live in Coimbra.

Tricia Pimental