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Friday, April 23, 2010

March 29/10: Portuguese Winemakers' Dinner at Chiado

The Time and Date: Monday March 29, 2010  6:30PM to 11 PM
The Event: Winemakers' Dinner showcasing a wide variety of new
Portuguese wines, matched to the dishes of Chiado Restaurant.
The Venue: Chiado Restaurant
The Target Audience: wine writers and agents.
The Availability/Catalogue: most of the wineries here were looking for
agents. Ten producers were making their Ontario market debut.
Principals were in attendance.
The Quote/Background: We began with a tasting in the wine cellar, where
we could talk to the wineries and to the agents. There were about a
dozen wines available.
The Wines:
 
**** Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-ETC Colheita Seleccionada 2007 Alentejo
 
***1/2 Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Mateus Muxagat Tinto 2005 Douro - $35
-Paolo Laureano Jaquim Madeira Chardonnay (blend) 2006 Alentejo - $27
-Vale d'Algares Guarda Rios 2008 Tejo
-Soberanas XS 2006 Terras do Sado
-Ferreira Malaquias Vinha Dourada 2005 Douro
-Douro Family Estates Signature 2007 Douro
 
*** Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Afros Loureiro 2008 Vinhos Verdes
-Herdade do Sobroso Colheita Tinto 2006 Alentejo
-Apegadas Reserva 2002 Douro
-Quinta da Cassa 2007 Douro
 
The Food: we began with Loridos Blanc de Blanc (Filipa Costa). This
great tasting sparkler joined an appetizer selection of gravlax salmon
on points, codfish cakes, rissoles of shrimp, empadas of salted pork,
and other goodies. After that, we began the wine cellar tasting. At
dinner, we could have any of the wines previously tasted. Writers and
agents and principals were strewn about, so we all had a chance at
various conversations. Wines were mixed. Someone would get up and fetch
a bottle, and then pour for us. There were five courses, slightly
larger than tapas or apps size, followed by a mixed dessert platter and
coffees (which I skipped since it was late). Here's the menu – fresh
cheese, tartar of tuna and a grouper carpaccio, pan-seared sea
scallops, grilled sardine, grilled tiger shrimp, pan-roasted salted
cod, tile fish, roasted rack of lamb, organic Ontario pheasant, and a
wild mushroom risotto.
The Downside: quite a lot of food, even if small portions.
The Upside: a chance to taste wines and foods together without
speeches.
The Contact Person:  william.delgado@portugalglobal.pt
The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 93.
 
 
 
 

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