Sheree’s Top Five Portuguese Wines for Spring & Summer 2020
Written by Sheree M. Mitchell
I was recently invited to join an Instagram “Live” chat with Chevonne Ball, another colleague in the bespoke travel space. Ball, the founder of Dirty Radish Travel, and I met a few years ago at a tourism conference in New York City. We reconnected earlier this week over a glass of wine as we caught up on life, work, and the future of our industry. The conversation was public so members from our communities could join in. Afterwards, she asked me to provide a list of my top five Portuguese wines to share with her group. I thought that this was an excellent idea and decided to do the same.
I’ve listed my top five wines for spring and summer 2020 below, but before you go there, I think it’s important to note these three things: (1) I’m not a wine critic, journalist, or blogger. Everything that I know about Portuguese wines comes from my own exploration as an enthusiast as well as what I’ve learned over the years interacting with many talented Portuguese winemakers. (2) All of the opinions are my own. None of the wineries represented below have provided or offered compensation (or even product samples) to influence what I say. (3) Portugal has over 250 known grape varieties. This basically means that even after five years of exploring local wines, I’ve only scratched the surface. Cheers!
Sheree’s Top Five Portuguese Wines for Spring and Summer 2020
#1 Esmero Branco 2016 & 2017: My (new) favorite crisp, bone dry, minerally white wine. This is my European substitute for the earthy South African Sauvignon Blancs that I’ve been drinking for years. This particular white blend is a great getting-ready-for-a-night-out wine as well as a pre-Sunday brunch warm-up. It has a lot of personality without being overwhelming. If you love dry with a hint of acidity, I think you’ll really enjoy it. Please note that you must mind the temperature with this wine. If it warms up just a few degrees, it loses its charm. Fast. (Also note that at the time of publishing this, Esmero Branco 2017 was out of stock.)
#2 Real Companhia Velha Espumante Bruto 2013 & 2014: This is my favorite Portuguese sparkling wine. I like to serve it as the “welcome drink” at dinner parties or sometimes as the precursor to the digestif…or both. The bubbles are crisp, tight and long-lasting. The color and intensity will slightly hint to a rosé on the front end, but then go into a completely different direction towards the finish. I never thought I would fall in love with a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blend, but it happened. As an added plus, the sexy bottle and designer packaging make it easy to present this wine as a gift. (On the less positive side: it’s sometimes difficult to find it outside of Northern Portugal.)
#3 Soito Encruzado 2016 Reserva: This is my go-to full-bodied white wine when I have company. It works as a great conversation starter because most people are surprised by it. It’s elegant, powerful, well-rounded, and exciting, all things that are not normally not associated with white wines from Portugal’s highly underrated central region. Encruzados, in general, can stand alone or pair well with mild to slightly intense flavors. In addition to the light oak notes, some people have also reported picking up a hint of vanilla, butter, and lemon zest. Regardless if you detect these flavors or not, if white wine with personality is your thing, you’ve found a keeper.
#4 Outeiro Tinto 2014: The absolute perfect red wine. It’s well-balanced, memorable and easy enough to be your staple wine yet special enough to share with other oenophiles. It holds its own when paired with intense flavors and is smooth enough to enjoy as an aperitif. I’ve successfully paired it with lamb, steak, and goat. You will definitely pick up on the chocolate, brown sugar, and bold oak notes on the front end. If this wine were a person, you’d probably want to marry it. It’s gorgeous.
#5 Pêra-Grave Tinto Reserva 2013: This is a very serious wine that deserves some preparation prior to engaging. Consider reading about the region (the Alentejo), the grapes, and the terroir before you open the bottle as it will help you appreciate the bold and complex personality inside. After your first sip, rest a few minutes to give your palate time to adjust. You may pick up on hints of dark berries, pepper, maybe even a little vanilla and leather. If none of these come through at first, no worries because you’ll definitely get the oak. Have fun with it, but do take care when selecting your food pairings as this wine is big and bold and can easily overpower your dish, your guests, and you if not managed properly. If you do try it, shoot me a note. I’d love to hear your reaction.
Happy exploring!
Sincerely, Sheree
Want to join us in portugal to learn about wine from the pros?
Click on the image to share your interest.
Sheree M. Mitchell is the president and founder of Immersa Global, a boutique tour operator that specializes in designing and executing very unique and exclusive travel experiences for discerning clients. Mitchell is considered a thought-leader in highly-curated travel as well as in extended solo (female) travel. She speaks regularly at travel and tourism conferences throughout the U.S. and Europe. Mitchell says that international travel has been a lifelong investment and her most important personal asset which has allowed her to design a life of perpetual globetrotting that most would consider impossible. So far she’s been to 40 countries, speaks 3.5 languages and has lived on 3 continents. Her favorite saying is, “Be daring enough to dream big and resilient enough to make it happen.”