Author Archive

How to graft grapevines

Phylloxera set a new paradigm in the viticulture of the Douro valley and in almost every vine growing country. Since 1850 that this tiny insect, phylloxera, that feeds up from the leaves and roots of ungrafted vines, changed the way grape producers are growing vines. Until then vines were planted in the soil, growing their [...]

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January 27th is the International Day to celebrate Port Wine

Friday, on January 27th, it is going to be celebrated the International Port Wine day #PortDay. The Center for Wine Origins is organizing and promoting this one-day event, in which anyone, anywhere, can participate and be part of the celebration. The idea behind this event is to remind consumers that Port Wine is a genuine [...]

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Water, where are you?

Those who have been visiting the south of Europe for the last weeks know what the title of this post means. The weather in the Douro valley, in Portugal, and also in many areas of the Mediterranean has been wonderful. Clear sky with sunshine from sunrise until sunset and warm temperatures during day time. If [...]

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Harvest at the Douro by Monique de Jager

Editor’s note: The article you find underneath was written by a friend, Monique de Jager, a friend from Holland that spent a week in the Douro last September, for the harvest. I challenged Monique to share her experience and here it is. If you dare to come over next September let us know. Oscar Harvest time [...]

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Oz Clarke’s Wine Atlas – my Christmas gift

Christmas is gone, but lets go back for the gifts Santa brought over, not this year but a couple of years ago, in 2010, when I received Oz Clarke’s Wine Atlas. Though it was my preferred gift of that Christmas, I had it parked for several months. Last week, out of nothing, decided to take [...]

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My 12 weather wishes for 2012

1. 2012 should start with 5cm of snow in January, painting everything of white 2. a very cold February, to help wines to clarify 3. sunshiny March so blooming almond trees will look gorgeous 4. rainy April, creating enough reserves of water in the soil for the hot and dry Summer 5. warm and dry [...]

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Fermentation stopped, work during Christmas

We are in December, very close to Christmas day, but we still have a red wine fermenting in our winery. Honestly, this is not a good thing. The alcoholic fermentation of this wine stopped before all sugars were transformed into alcohol, leading to a very tricky situation for the wine. So much that, if this [...]

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Alto Douro Wine Region – 10th anniversary of UNESCO’s classification

Today is a special day for the Douro valley. Ten years ago UNESCO classified the Alto Douro Wine Region as World Heritage center for its long history of wine production by traditional landholders, for some 2,000 years. But what really gave name and fame to the region was Port Wine, which records show a first [...]

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Port Wine in Canada and the challenges of the LCBO

Last month, for the first time, I visited Canada. I was in Toronto for the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo, an event in which final consumers have access to a broad range of wines, from all parts of the world. By paying some dollars, people can enjoy a glass or two of a wine that [...]

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Harvard University hosts a seminar about the Douro and Port Wine

Today I was in one of those places that you don’t really know if you will ever have a chance to visit during your life, though you know that you really wanted to. It is a well respected place, for its history, tradition and impact on the society. That place is the Harvard University. Here, [...]

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