The meeting with the sommelier who told us about Vinho Verde from the Quinta Da Torre winery.
Sommelier, with a passion for travel before wine, Stefania Tardino edit the blog WeLoveitaly.euin which he collects stories of his experiences with the fascinating world of the most unusual wineries. The travel blog is also part of 'Terre di Pisa' and 'Aziendapiu.eu'.
In this issue of Food Lifestyle, she takes us to the magical land of the Portugaldiscovering a special grape variety, the Vinho Verde and cellar Quinta Da Torre by André Amaral.
Stefania's story begins like a diary after a dazzling trip to Lisbon.
"The charm of this modern European capital with its decadent past, the blue of its ocean, its sky, and its ceramics, that melancholy or saudade of fado, which pervades the whole city and its inhabitants, and its food and wine heritage literally bewitched me. (...) The Lusitanian memory does not fade, and this summer it is rekindled in Faro, southern Portugal, at Algarvewhere, in addition to endless stretches of golden sand and crystal-clear blue sea, I find again the Mediterranean flavours of a poor but delicious cuisine, and the delicacy of wines that are damnably sophisticated in their simplicity. Upon returning to Pisa, where I have lived for six years, I realise that it is perhaps my Sicilian origins that explain this irresistible attraction for Portugal, a mix of heritage, charm, warmth, and mystery just like my island. My words about this kingdom blessed by God sail over the net like a message in a bottle delivered to the waves, which then reaches, by sheer coincidence or fate I do not know, ashore in the hands of Andrè Amaral. Andrè is the manager of 'Quinta da Torre', one of the most prestigious wineries in Vinho Verde.
After a few brief introductions and contacts over the air, we immediately hit it off and decided to collaborate: me for my first mission as 'special envoy' abroad in his cooperage and him to bring his Vinho Verde to the Bel Paese. The wines of 'Quinta da Torre' are all the rage within a month between dinners and aperitifs with friends and gourmets in Pisa. I decide to involve Orazio Sinigagliaan importer and seller of the best Italian wines in Bari, and organise themed tastings with Andrea Baldeschi, owner of the 'Nautilus' restaurant in Tirrenia, to launch the Portuguese brand. Puglia and Tuscany are two regions with a vocation for reds, and the challenge of finding Vinho Verde whites in fine establishments and wine shops is open'.
Portugal in a glass of vinho verde.
Welcome to 'QUINTA DA TORRE' by André Amaral
by Stefania Tardino
Italians do not know this, or perhaps only a few! The Vinho Verde is the Portuguese AOC which is now a trend-setter: light, elegant, suitable for all kinds of dishes and palates, from the simplest to the most demanding. Vinho Verde is an institution in Portugal and will soon make its mark on the world.
If a territory makes a wine, a wine tells a territory! We are in the vast expanse of North-West Portugal, a breathtakingly beautiful nature from the hinterland to the Atlantic Ocean. This is the Minho region, a fertile and densely populated land, the birthplace of Vinho Verde. The Minho, from its beginnings devoted to viticulture, is a corner of paradise among vineyards, hills, plains, valleys, lakes and rivers, but still little known, just like its wine: the Vinho Verde.
The name does not refer to the colour of the wine or a type of grape, but is a Protected Designation of Origin, and refers to a specific production region, a particularly verdant and wooded area surrounding the vines. But it is also the colour of the bunch of grapes that were first picked while still unripe. Vinho Verde, whether white, rosé or red, captivates with its lightness, freshness, simplicity, and speaks of a country rich in history, art, culture, a country of fairytale landscapes, golden beaches, and a contagious joie de vivre, where one feels right at home.
The wine produced here is ethereal, low in alcohol (12 %-13 %), slightly effervescent (which is caused by the addition of carbon dioxide before bottling), but also complex, surprisingly long and aromatic. Vinho Verde means great versatility, it goes well with everything: on its own as an aperitif, accompanying salads, fish dishes, seafood, sushi and Asian food, light meats and desserts.
A niche wine, with the quality and fragrance of a Rieslingof one Chablis or a Viognier, but with different costs. And if it is true that price does not make a quality wine, Vinho Verde is enjoying great acclaim and success abroad. "Quinta da Torre': this is where a Vinho Verde of excellence is born. We are in Marco de Canaveses, a few kilometres from Porto, a delightful village nestled in the Douro valley, on the banks of the Tâmega river. "Quinta de Torre", originally a ruin bought by the family in 1995 by Josè Manuel Mendes, is now a charming estate of around 25 hectares, twelve of which are vineyards. A family-run business immersed in endless rows of vines, gardens, waterfalls and centuries-old lemon and blueberry trees. A tropical oasis with its own mini-zoo populated by rare animals such as llamas, alpacas, kangaroos, Patagonian hares, ponies, wild ducks, turtles and fish that inhabit the ponds that attract herons and other types of birds every year.
We are precisely in the Amarante area one of the nine production sub-regions of Vinho Verde, together with Monção, Melgaço, Lima, Basto, Cávado, Ave, Baião, Sousa and Paiva. Amarante is an inland sub-region that, due to many soil and climate factors specific to these parts, is the ideal terroir for the main typical and indigenous Vinho Verde vines of 'Quinta da Torre': Alvarinho, Azal, Arinto, Loureiro, and Avesso (from 2019) for the whites, and Espadeiro and Vinhão for the reds. The latter are the base grapes for the seven different types of wine (five mono varietal whites, one red, one rosé and one blend) of 'Quinta della Torre' labelled 'San Caetano', in honour of the small chapel that protects these sacred spaces. Exclusive wines, the kind you never forget and can't get enough of, the result of a long experience in the sector that has won awards every year in national and international competitions.
At 'Quinta da Torre' an excellent Vinho Verde is made, born from the care and respect for the land and the vineyard, naturally cleansed of any weeds by the Angora goats that graze freely there. With a production of 50,000 bottles per year, 'San Caetano' wines are the result of a careful selection of the best grapes that are used to make Vinho Verde. The wines "San Caetano'. are easy to drink, have fascinating, bright colours, are broad and intense on the nose, fruity, floral and soft on the palate, are appropriately acidic and rich in a distinct minerality.
These Portuguese wines can be made from one or more grapes, up to twenty-five. The proverbial freshness, green and citrine, is especially noticeable in the finish. They perhaps pay for a persistence that is not excessive like all young wines, since they are to be drunk one year after the date on the label, although they can also remain three years in the bottle.
The philosophy of 'Quinta da Torre' is to market only great wines, which, combining tradition and technology, can perfectly accompany all of life's special moments. San Caetano' wines are the fruit of the work of strong hands, which, soiled by the earth and for generations during the traditional grape harvest, pick the best grapes in 20 kg crates. Vinification takes place according to modern techniques that include a computerised system for monitoring fermentation, a bottling line and a rigorous analysis laboratory.
Not least a careful marketing operation and strategies aimed at national and international export, make 'San Caetano' wines a perfect mix of form and content. San Caetano' wines are the best expression of the Vinho Verde wine region, and owe their X factor to the very nature of this territory and the generous industriousness of those who have always made it fertile and flourishing.
Ph. Credits: Antonio Vieira
Ph. Credits: Kinzica Bini
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