Are you interested in promoting Portuguese Wines, organising a tutored tasting, offering a Portuguese Wine by the Glass, or offering a discounted case to your customers at a reduced price? If so, please present your ideas to us. ViniPortugal will finance up to 75% of the cost of wine for your project.
For the fourth year, ViniPortugal is running a hugely dynamic promotional activity offering bursary schemes to restaurants, hotels and independent merchants throughout the UK. Our objective is to encourage as many consumers as possible to taste, understand and enjoy the Wines of Portugal.
For more information or to apply for a bursary please e-mail sarah@jkmarketing.co.uk
Win £50 worth of FREE tickets to the Taste of Gold Tasting
We have 5 pairs of tickets to give away
The most influential and prestigious wine competition in the world, the International Wine Challenge has awarded Portugal 35 Gold medals, and for the first time ever, consumers are able to go along and taste the award winning wines at the IWC Taste of Gold and Discovery Tasting at Lords Cricket Ground on 30th June 2010 from 6pm-9pm.
Simply answer the grape variety question below, e-mail your answer to sarah@jkmarketing.co.uk and the first 5 correct entries will win a pair of tickets for the event
Known as Tinta Roriz in northern Portugal, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ is rich in tannins and produces fruity (redcurrant, cherry, raspberry), dark and aromatic wines.
You can also buy tickets online, (£25 per person)
Come along and meet the UK’s foremost wine critic Oz Clarke and his fellow IWC co-chairmen, Tim Atkin MW, Charles Metcalfe, Sam Harrop MW and Derek Smedley MW.
Want to know even more about Portuguese wines? Get your copy of The Wine & Food Lover’s Guide to Portugal at a special price of £11.87 (rrp £16.95)
The Wine & Food Lover’s Guide to Portugal by wine writers Charles Metcalfe and Kathryn McWhirter is a 446-page hardback travel guide to the whole of the country and its islands, specially designed for people who like to drink and eat well. It recommends wineries to visit (and points out their best wines), the best restaurants (traditional as well as new-wave modern), unmissable tourist attractions, and characterful hotels and places to stay. No one paid to be included – reviews are independent and critical. Highly illustrated and beautifully designed, with 19 specially-commissioned maps and 1,600 colour photos, it’s meant to be used as you travel, but it makes a great coffee table book, too, and a perfect present. For more info and a sample chapter, visit www.innhousepublishing.com but for the promotional price, order your copy on Amazon.
Why not visit Luso Restaurant and sample their new lunch time petiscos menu. Petiscos are like Spanish tapas, smaller plates for you to share with friends. Choose three dishes from the petiscos menu plus a glass of wine, beer or a soft drink JUST £12 per person. Available Monday to Saturday, 12pm until 7pm (5pm Saturday)
63 Bridge Street, Manchester, City Centre, M3 3BQ – Tel: 0161 839 5550.
The Alentejo is a vast, rural area of flat plains speckled with cork oaks and olive trees. It is really hot in the summer, requiring irrigation for the many and large vineyards. The Alentejo was the standard bearer for Portugal’s wine revolution, adopting modern winegrowing methods.
The region is best known for red wines which are generally full bodied, fruity and suitable for aging. It also grows one of the ‘big five’ grape varieties for port, Aragonez, also known as Tinta Roriz in northern Portugal. White wines are not traditional to the region but with help of the temperature controlled fermentation tanks some very good whites are appearing.
We interviewed wine maker João Portugal Ramos to find out about life in the Alentejo…
Which is your favourite wine that you make in Alentejo?
“My favourite wine would have to be Marquês de Borba Reserva as it’s a elegant wine, but most importantly completely fresh and beautifully balanced.”
3 words to describe this favourite wine?
“Vinosity, complexity, balanced.”
What international food would you match with it?
I love to eat Carré d’Agneau, a lamb recipe roasted with a mustard, rosemary and thyme sauce.
Finally, what do you do when you’re not making wine?
“I spend time with my family and enjoy hunting.”
You can purchase João Portugal Ramos wines from Adnams; log on to www.adnams.co.uk
Why don’t you have a go at making this dish and matching it with Ana’s favorite wine, Marquês de Borba Reserva? Click here for a Carré d’Agneau recipe:
Carré d’agneau a la Provençale – Lamb Provencal
A lamb recipe from Provence for Rack of Lamb roasted with a mustard, rosemary and thyme crust.
Ingredients
• 3 lb. (8 ribs) rack of lamb, frenched
• 3 Tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, very finely chopped
• 1/2 -1/3 cup of soft dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground rosemary
• 2 Tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 Tablespoons of Dijon mustard
• Salt & freshly ground pepper
Preparation
1). Preheat oven to 525F.
2). Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet and add the shallots and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, do not allow the vegetables to color.
3). Remove the skillet from heat, add bread crumbs, thyme, rosemary, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.
4). Stir in egg then mustard. Stuffing should hold together in soft mounds.
5). Spread the remaining oil in a roasting pan, add the lamb and turn to coat on all sides.
6). Roast for 9 minutes, turning once so that the lamb browns on both sides.
7). Remove from oven.
8). Spread the stuffing over the fat side of the meat.
9). Return to oven and roast for 8 minutes for rare (internal temp: 130-135). Cook for an additional 5 minutes for well-done.
10). Remove from oven, turn broiler to med-high and broil for about 3 minutes or until crust turns golden brown.
11). Transfer to a warm platter and let sit in 200∞ oven for 5 minutes before carving.
To serve:
Carve roast into 8 chops and arrange on a platter to serve. Goes very well accompanied by tomatoes provenaal. To make the tomatoes: make a another batch of the stuffing, cut 2 tomatoes in half, arrange in an oiled baking dish. Spread the stuffing on the tops and bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes, then broil for 1 minute. They may be served at room temperature.
Join us next Monday and Wednesday to taste Sarah Ahmed’s 50 Great Portuguese Wines selection. Sarah, ‘The Wine Detective’ and Portugal’s Journalist of the Year in 2009 has traveled and tasted her way through the length and breadth of Portugal to educate and surprise us with her personal selection.
It’s not just the wine press that loves Portugal. The trade is pretty keen too… Just look at the feedback from Sarah Ahmed’s recent unveiling of her 50 Great Portuguese Wines.
“Selections of this kind are usually an opportunity for sniping and facetious backbiting, particularly in the snarkier corners of the blogosphere. But try as I might, I couldn’t find anyone with a bad word to say about Ahmed’s list.”
The reviews from her peers were nothing short of raves.
“All in all an excellent tasting and a great job done by Sarah Ahmed” said Anthony Rose on his blog.
“Sarah’s selection was excellent” added Jamie Goode – Harpers Wine & Spirit April 9th 2010.
So come and find out what all the fuss is about in Manchester on Monday 14th June at The Lowry Hotel, and Edinburgh on Wednesday 16th June at The Balmoral Hotel (from 10.30am – 5pm).
Sarah will give a short presentation about her wine choice at 12noon and 2:30pm and a light lunch will be served at 1pm.
To register simply click here or call us on 01829 720130.
High Douro producer Conceito Vinhos has appointed Portugal specialist Raymond Reynolds Ltd to look after its award-winning wines in the UK. Initially, the Contraste Branco 2009 and Bastardo 2008 will be available from UK stock.
Winemaker Rita Ferreira brings a wonderfully light touch to her wines, and her experience in New Zealand as well as at Niepoort in the Douro brings an exciting new producer onto the scene; albeit a property with old vines and a long family history! The Bastardo is a revival of an ancient variety, which received much attention since last year, not least as the first vintage was selected as one of the “50 Great Portuguese Wines” by Jamie Goode.
The Vinho Verde estate of Quinta da Raza has appointed Raymond Reynolds Ltd to distribute its wines in the UK. In the first instance, just the Raza Vinho Verde 2009 will be available. Expected to retail at around £6.99, it should prove popular.
“We are very lucky to represent two of the greatest Vinho Verde estates already, Soalheiro for Alvarinho and Ameal for Loureiro,” remarked Raymond Reynolds, “but this will fill a slot for outstanding value for money.” For further information, please contact info@raymondreynolds.co.uk.
Bovey wines have recently launched their new website which also shows information such as their retail outlets and up and coming events. Visit www.boveywines.co.uk to find out more
