We visited the vineyards of Almeida Garrett winery today with João Santos. The vines are content here, in the valley of the Serra d'estrella (Mountains of the Stars). And it's not a new idea: the Romans started cultivating grapes in this area thousands of years ago. At this point in the spring, the wood of these 35-year old vines is still quite bare.  It begs the question: how could something so gnarly and ugly produce something as beautiful as Almeida Garrett wines?

Modern Monastery Living

We've been meeting with the Almeida Garrett Winery folks. The hotel they recommend to guests is the Pousada Convento Belmonte, a charming hotel in the Beira Region. Originally a 14th century monastery, they have done an amazing job of incorporating a new, very comfortable hotel into an existing historical treasure.  You don't have to wear a hair shirt here. Or take a vow of silence. You can picnic on the various decks overlooking the vale da Serra d'estrela (valley of the mountains of the stars) or hang out in the central cloister and sip on a house wine...from the nearby Almeida Garrett winery...of course.

The Great Portuguese Wine Adventure...PART 2

Pasieka Wine Imports is growing its portfolio. Last week, the Douro Wine Producers invited us on a Trade Mission. Kind of hard to resist sun, stunning scenery and, according to the Globe&Mail "... a region of rich, heart-warming reds that combine sunny New World-style fruitiness with Old World savoury character and tannic power." 

So, on April 12...off we go! After a visit to our current partners at Almeida Garrett Wines in the Beira Region, we head for Porto, Europe's oldest city. We then join up with our Trade Mission and travel to Vila Real, heart of the Douro Region. If all goes well, we will return with a wonderful collection of new wines for folks to try...and a Port or two 😋

The Great Adventure has drawn to a close. Here we were on our final day, Friday past, on a warm and breezy afternoon in Lisbon.  One of the universities was conducting a frosh ritual at Praça Rossio.  "Gestão" must be the business faculty; here are Portugal's future leaders:

And this is where our great adventure concludes: following Rua Augusta down to the water, the Rio Tejo and Lisbon's harbor that has famously launched, contested and welcomed back so many vessels for so many hundreds of years:

We climbed again today...up to the Beira Interior wine region...to a gorgeous winery at the foot of the Serra de Estrela (mountains of the stars):

José Almeida Garrett, owner of Almeida Garrett wines, was a generous and genial host as was his sister Marguerita; we were joined by his vintner Mario, and sales director João:

We were so, so pleased by the wines: vibrant, pure and delicious.  Can't wait to order them and get them back home in Ontario!  Jose's family has been making wine for 200 years:

As well, this winery offers wine tourism and rents a gorgeous family house that sleeps fourteen, bathed in sun and surrounded by mountains, vines, pine forests, chestnuts and fruit orchards:

Up...way up...into the Douro Region today, to visit Teresa Rodriguez, owner of Quinta da Padrela. It's been a such a treat learning about Portugual's wine industry and getting to meet their young, female, well educated owner/vintners.  As well, a trip to the wine/port town of Lamego in its baroque exuberance. 

Our rented house, Quinta da Barcoiça, sits in the centre of a terraced olive orchard. While grape harvest is in full bore all over Portugal right now, olives for pickling have a few weeks to go. Olives for oil pressing, at least in this area, are harvested in early November.