On the consumption side, there is an interesting tradition that I couldn’t explain until a few months ago. This tradition invokes the Bishop of Norwich when you want to have more Port. So imagine you having dinner in a long table, your Port glass empty and the Port decanter stuck near someone that is falling asleep. Instead of asking for the decanter or for more Port, you would go for a more subtle and polite way, asking that person “Do you know the Bishop of Norwich?” And hopefully he will say “No”, and then you will say “Awfully nice fellow but never passes the Port”. Smart way to avoid offending people and to get the Port moving

Do you know where that tradition is coming from?It dates back to the XIX century, to the Bishop Henry Bathurst. We had the current Bishop of Norwich in person explaining it to us in the video above, recorded in July 2012 at the time of the Olympic Port Wine tasting for the celebration of the 2012 London Olympics.

Do you know other traditions related with Port? Share with us!

Oscar

Take care,

Oscar

It is not only the food, the language or the houses, but it’s the people, the way they think and the way they behave. It is hard to describe. I read several things about the Japanese culture before arriving, but nothing can really transmit what you feel once you get there. I mean the way the Japanese say hello or goodbye, it’s the way they speak and drive or the bowing tradition. Japanese are tremendously polite, respectful and focused, and always want to make sure that you are feeling good. Streets are always perfectly clean and ordered and people walk on the crowded streets in an organized and expected way.

Although what I am about to say may be not so valid for the younger generation, Japanese always think in the well being of the group rather than on the individual. They work to reach a certain goal for the company or for the country, always putting the social interest over the personal. This may be explained by the outcome of the World War II in which Japan was defeated. To overpass the destruction, Japanese needed to tight efforts and work together in the reconstruction of the country. Everyone was necessary in this huge task and working hard for the group’s interest always came first than anything else. And it actually worked miraculously well, as Japan was the second biggest economy to USA in the beginning of the new century. It was only passed last year by China but that is a subject for another story.

Staying in a ryokan, the traditional Japanese inn, may be a good way to help you better understand the Japanese. The room may be small and the floor a bit hard, but the public bath or the delicious breakfast is something that you won’t forget! I want to go back, soon!

Oscar

Besides domesticating the Douro river, the dams generate energy. A lot of energy that makes the region grow, reducing the Portuguese dependence on imported power sources. But they also changed the landscape for ever. I did not seethe Douro valley before the construction of the dams but I can imagine it was not that much bigger than a little stream, as we can still see it today in one of the best wine regions of Spain, Ribera del Duero.

This was about 36 years ago, but now more dams are being planned for the Douro valley. There one in the Côa river that would submerge most of the cave painting of the area, as well as a considerable extension of vineyards, olive and almond yards, including Quinta de Ervamoira, property of A. Ramos Pinto. No one knows whether this in Côa is going to be constructed. But another one, in Tua river, at 1,1km from the Douro river, is being expected to start generating energy in 2014. EDP, the Portuguese virtual monopolistic energy production and distribution company is once again, was it was almost four decades ago, the winner of the contract.

Some people are against the project, saying that this way the Alto Douro Wine Region UNESCO’s Heritage Center is being modified by planting a huge mass of concrete. I don’t welcome the dam, but it will bring some development to an area that needed investment and which was missing population every year. It will bring tourist to the banks of the Tua river as well as few restaurants and hotels that so far were not seen.

As you can see in the picture on the top, works are going quickly as nothing stops man’s wishes to take advantage of nature.

Oscar

The 2011 edition of the Douro Film Harvest, which starts today on September 5th, is the festival elected by Zev Robinson to present his newest documentary already mentioned on this blog for a couple of times, Life on the Douro. Zev started shooting for the film over one year ago, which at that time would have a different focus. The premiere of Life on the Douro is reserved for September 6th in Vidago Palace. If you are around, I strongly suggest you that you do not miss this opportunity, as this is going to be a great event. I’ll be there so if you have any question you know where the bell is.

You can pre-order the DVD, shipping included, until September 13, as well as tickets to the premiere – http://www.indiegogo.com/LifeontheDouro

For now you can enjoy the last trailer Zev released few weeks.

Oscar

Tokaj is the name of the oldest demarcated wine region in the world, located in the northeast of the current boundaries of Hungary. The region gives its name to the wine, Tokaji, which together with Port, are two of the most well known wines in the world. Although there is also dry Tokaji, the sweet Tokaji, known as Aszú, is the one that gives all the prestige to the region, according to legend, first made in 1630. This sweet wine is made with botrytised (noble rotten – Botrytis cinerea) grapes, which are selected berry by berry in the vineyard, and depending on the sugar level remaining in the wine after fermentation, is graded between 3 puttonyos (minimmum of 60 grams of residual sugar) to 6 puttonyos (minimmum of 150 grams of residual sugar). When the level of residual sugar exceds 180 grams of residual sugar, then we have Azsú Essencia, which is the highest quality among Tokaj wines, after pure Essencia.

This last one is the pinnacle of Tokaji wines is Essencia. We can say tha Essencia is the equivalent of Vintage Port in Tokaj as it is only made in special years because of weather conditions, and in very small quantities. Essencia is made with the same botrytised grapes that are used to make Azsú. But before start fermenting for Azsú, they are left in a container for a couple of days. The berries are not pressed, so a high concentrated liquid results from the dropping of the juice from the noble rotten berries that comes down by gravity. The juice that is collected at the bottom of the container is called Essencia. Just to complicate a little bit more, Essencia is techinically not a wine, as there is no alcohol in this juice because in such a sweet environment (over 400 grams of residual sugar that can go as high as 900 grams) yeasts can’t ferment the sugar.

But lets listen to what the specialists in the field have to say. The first video is from Sarolta Bárdos, from Tokaj Nobilis winery, and is explaining us how Tokaji Azsú is made. The second video is from Attila Domokos, from Dobogó winery and is talking about Tokaji Essencia. I am sure you will not enjoy these videos as much as I enjoyed visiting Tokaj region last week, but maybe you get the interest in visiting this wonderful area in Hungary!

Oscar

Few months ago the Allens challenged us at Quevedo to make a special blend of a 20 Year Old Port for them. As you can imagine, this was very hard but also very pleasant. We tasted different barrels at our winery and others of at my family’s cellar. We also tried very old bottles of Port Wine still remaining in the Allen’s cellar (how great some of those bottles showed!!) to identify the style and characteristics of their Ports. Also reciprocate visits were made.

Finally, we presented a blend that was so well received by José Alberto and Tomás Allen, both

father and son, that we bottled late in 2010. We only made 500 bottles of this 20 Year Old edition, which the Allens presented to friends in their estate, located in Freixo, Porto.

After these stressing months working on Villar d’Allen 20 Year Old, I feel a little bit more relaxed and tremendously happy and proud to make this come true to this lovely family. Check Villar d’Alllen’s blog and if you come to Porto ask for a visit, and enjoy an unknown family museum

A couple of weeks ago, my sister, Claudia, came across old texts about the Douro, written by Portuguese writers. I think it is worth to share it:

“People from the Douro say, and believe, that they have the best cabbage in Portugal, the best wine in the world, bread like no one still makes it, smoked meat as nobody ever made. It’s their life, so why wouldn’t it be the best! At least, it helps to hide the poverty.”

Miguel Torga

A few days ago I was in England for a Port and Douro wine tasting in The Square & Compasses, an old pub located in Fuller Street, in Fairstead, Essex. Fuller Street is a very small village, with under 50 people, where everybody knows each other and where life is relaxed and very enjoyable. The village is very old, the pub itself is from 1652. It’s actually the nicest pub I’ve ever been at, not surprising voted as Food Pub of the Year 2010-2011 for Chelmsford and Mid-Essex.

Victor Room, owner of the pub, organized a delicious dinner for 60 people who had the chance to taste three of our Ports and Oscar’s 2008, our red wine. If the origin of the drinks where Portuguese, the origin of the food was obviously local, with special emphasis on game from the farm shoot of the village. Pigeon, partridge and pheasant are the main birds grown in this farm.

But lets go to another thing I’d like to share with you. On the menu card designed for this special tasting, there was a sentence that caught my attention: “Proud to be local.” What does this mean? I thought to myself. Maybe it says that The Squares & Compasses likes to be located in a small community, in the countryside, where its natives are like family and where everybody is available to give a hand when necessary. It means that Victor relies on the community to live, while the community finds in the pub the place where they can go for a beer after work or for dinner when they don’t want to cook at home.

I feel I’m local too. I belong to the Douro, more specifically to the small town of S. João da Pesqueira. But in spite of having a beautiful landscape, we are deprived of may other things. For instance, we don’t have the cultural offer that other Portuguese who live in Porto or Lisbon have. But we can always go from time to time to the big cities and get from there what we need. That’s probably what the people from Fuller Street do when want something from London, which is 1h30m away.

In a time where more and more people are migrating to cities, we can’t forget to help local communities to survive. We need to support local business, as local people need these businesses too. Otherwise, when we go to the rural areas in the countryside nobody will be there to give us a smile! And I’m sure if you visited it, you wouldn’t forget the breakfast at The Square & Compasses!

Oscar

During the EWBC – European Wine Bloggers Conference in Vienna, Austria, we visited the Esterházy Museum. One of the most impressive pieces I saw, was a press device from the 1630. It’s around 5 meters long, all in wood, and with a pretty small compartment for crushing the grapes. Check the video and you will see what I am talking about.

Oscar