Tag: Portugal

Fitapreta’s Palpite

Published 9. January 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Palpite is a personal wine from Fitapreta, the Alentejo project led by António Maçanita. Based just outside Évora, Fitapreta works with old vineyards, local grape varieties and a deep engagement with the region’s viticultural heritage. Palpite is driven by intuition – the name translates as “hunch”.

The grapes come from Alentejo, with a focus on cooler, higher-lying vineyards that bring definition and balance. Indigenous Portuguese varieties are fermented with care, extraction is measured, and élevage is restrained.

The cork contains the phrase TCA free. I don’t know if this is meant to be a prophecy or if it’s really treated in a special way to protect against cork taint.

Palpite 2022 (Fitapreta)

Bright, translucent ruby in appearance. The nose shows red cherry, wild strawberry and dried Mediterranean herbs, with a subtle savoury edge and gentle spice. On the palate, the wine is fresh and finely textured, with vibrant red fruit, refined tannins and an underlying earthy note. Harmonious and engaging, finishing clean and dry.

Price: Medium

Leave a Comment

Wine of the Week

True Ruby

Published 19. December 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

If there’s one thing Dirk Niepoort loves, it’s breaking the rules—especially when it makes wine more fun. Enter Trudy the True Ruby, a fresh and dangerously drinkable ruby port that refuses to be boxed into tradition. And because this is part of Niepoort’s Nat’Cool series, it means that it comes in a full liter bottle.

Niepoort has been a pillar of the port world since 1842, but under Dirk Niepoort’s leadership, the house has gone beyond the classic fortified styles. His love for fresh, lighter, and more immediate wines has led to projects like Nat’Cool, a series of low-intervention wines that emphasize drinkability over prestige.

And Trudy? Well, she’s the first port in the Nat’Cool lineup. A cool ruby port? Sounds like an oxymoron, but somehow, it works.

Unlike many ruby ports that are designed to be syrupy, heavy, Trudy is all about freshness. The grapes, sourced from old vineyards in the Cima Corgo, are foot-trodden in traditional lagares. Fermentation is natural, and the wine is aged in large wooden vats to preserve its bright, juicy fruit.

Pour yourself a glass (or a generous mug, no judgment), and Trudy glows with a deep, vibrant red—like a ruby catching the light. The nose bursts with fresh blackberries, cherries, and plums, with hints of violets, dark chocolate, and just a whisper of spice.

Take a sip, and you’ll see why she’s Nat’Cool. The sweetness is perfectly balanced by lively acidity, making it an easy sipper whether served slightly chilled or at room temperature.

The name Trudy the True Ruby sounds like it belongs to a jazz singer in a smoky club, or maybe that fun aunt who always has the best stories and an oversized glass in her hand. Either way, she’s got personality—and she’s not afraid to take up space.

So whether she ends up on the Christmas table, by the fire, or slipped casually into a late-night gathering, Trudy is there to remind us that tradition can be playful too.
Happy Christmas – and may your holidays be bright, generous, and just a little bit Nat’Cool.

Leave a Comment

Wine of the Week

Fresh from a talha

Published 31. October 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

This is the last of a trilogy of white wines from Alentejo. Between Vidigueira and Cuba, Herdade do Rocim has become a key ambassador for vinho de talha — wine made in traditional clay amphorae, a method introduced by the Romans more than two millennia ago. The estate not only keeps this ancient practice alive but also celebrates it as the organiser of the annual Amphora Wine Day festival, dedicated entirely to talha wines.

This wine forms part of the Nat Cool movement — a collective promoting natural, authentic, and minimally handled wines. Under this banner, producers craft wines that express place and personality: low in alcohol, high in drinkability, and always sold in a generous one-litre bottle. Sustainability and transparency lie at the heart of the concept.

The wine is made from 100% rabo de ovelha, organically grown and fermented with native yeasts in clay amphora.

Fresh From Amphora 2024 (Herdade do Rocim)

Pale golden yellow. Aromas of stone fruit and delicate flowers. Medium-bodied with lively citrus flavours, crisp acidity and a gently textured finish. Vibrant and refreshing.

Price: Low

Leave a Comment

Wine of the Week

Clockwork orange wine

Published 24. October 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

From the ever-restless mind of António Maçanita, this is not your typical Alentejo white. Fitapreta is based at the restored Paço do Morgado de Oliveira, just outside Évora, where schist and granite soils at 400 metres bring freshness to the region’s natural warmth. Maçanita’s project has long been about rediscovering the forgotten grapes and traditions of southern Portugal – and giving them a contemporary voice.

A Laranja Mecânica (“The Clockwork Orange”) is a field blend from old vines, fermented on its skins for around 40 days and aged in used barrels. The grapes – including roupeiro, rabo de ovelha, tamarez, alicante branco and antão vaz – are handled with minimal intervention and no filtration.

A Laranja Mecânica 2023 (António Maçanita, Fitapreta)

In the glass it’s deep amber ans slightly cloudy. Aromas of dried apricot, orange peel, chamomile and wild herbs, followed by a textured palate where grip meets juiciness. Saline, slightly bitter and very drinkable, full of sun and nerve.

Price: Medium

Leave a Comment

Wine of the Week

Vidigueira white

Published 17. October 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

This is the first of a trilogy about white wines from Alentejo.

Since taking over from her parents Carrie and Hans in 2019, Anna Jørgensen has reimagined the family estate as a living ecosystem — a polyculture where vines, olive trees, cork forest and grazing animals coexist. Farming is now regenerative and biodynamic in practice, with an emphasis on soil health, biodiversity and water preservation in this increasingly arid region.

This wine comes from a selection of the estate’s best vineyards across two sites. Alvarinho and sauvignon blanc are sourced from the coastal vineyards at Vila Nova de Milfontes, just three kilometres from the Atlantic, while the viognier comes from the inland vineyards at Vidigueira, grown on clay and limestone soils. Fermentation took place with native yeasts — partly in stainless steel for freshness, partly in neutral oak for texture — followed by ageing on fine lees to enhance complexity.

Branco 2023 (Cortes de Cima)

Straw yellow in colour. Subtle aromas of green apple, fennel and wild herbs. The palate is bright and balanced, with fresh acidity, fine minerality and good length.

Price: Medium

Leave a Comment

Wine of the Week

Speaking of the island and the sea

Published 10. October 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Adega do Vulcão tells the story of a Florentine family who fell in love with the Azorean volcanic islands. What started as a retreat soon turned into a commitment to revive native grape varieties and produce wines influenced by Atlantic winds and volcanic soil.

At the heart of the project are two generations of Italian entrepreneurs with backgrounds in business and marketing. Their work is overseen by Alberto Antonini, the Italian consultant who has guided the project from the outset.

The winery, located in São Roque on Pico, is equipped with modern technology. It uses refrigerated concrete tanks and untoasted wood to preserve freshness and texture while allowing the volcanic character to shine through.

The project spans two islands, Faial and Pico, where approximately 20 hectares of vines are cultivated in two distinct volcanic soil types. The distinctive character of these wines is produced by combining these unique terroirs with the influence of the ocean, latitude and dedicated manual labour. The diversity of the soils is reflected in the wines produced, each with its own unique character.

On Pico Island, the vines are cultivated in currais — small plots enclosed by ancient dry-stone walls that protect them from the ocean winds. They are planted in lajido, the lava crust formed over centuries following volcanic eruptions. Production levels are low.

On Faial, the volcanic ash resulting from the 1957 Capelinhos eruption, has created a unique terroir with an exceptional mineral composition, excellent drainage and a distinctive microclimate, yielding wines of remarkable purity and minerality.

From the black volcanic lajidos of Criação Velha on Pico, this wine is made from predominantly arinto dos açores vines aged 70 to 90 years. The grapes are hand-selected in the vineyard and gently pressed in a vertical press under inert atmosphere, followed by a pre-fermentation maceration and spontaneous fermentation in temperature-controlled cement tulip vats. Aged 12 months on the lees.

Pé do Monte 2021 (Adega do Vulcão)

Pale golden. Aroma of pear and white peach, lime peel, flint and hints of iodine. Medium-bodied with tension, a vibrant acidity and a long salty finish. It really speaks of the island and the sea.

Price: Medium

Leave a Comment

Wine of the Week

Between volcanic stones on Pico

Published 4. April 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

On an island shaped by lava flows and stone-walled vineyards, we find Entre Pedras—a producer whose name, meaning “between stones”, is a fitting tribute to Pico’s volcanic terrain, where vines cling to life just metres from the Atlantic Ocean.

Arinto dos açores is not a clone of the mainland arinto but a distinct, ancient variety indigenous to the Azores. Perfectly adapted to the challenges of Pico—high humidity, saline winds, and meagre soils—it thrives in biscoitos, traditional plots carved into black basalt. Each vine grows within low stone enclosures, or currais, which protect against ocean winds and salt spray. The roots penetrate fissures in the lava rock, drawing mineral intensity from deep within the earth.

Entre Pedras is the project of André Ribeiro and his partner Ricardo Pinto, who bring a deep respect for Pico’s winemaking heritage alongside a clear commitment to purity and site expression. The vineyards are farmed by hand, and fermentation is carried out with native yeasts, allowing the grapes and volcanic soils to speak for themselves. The 2022 vintage was fermented in stainless steel and aged on fine lees—a method that builds texture while preserving freshness and clarity.

Arinto dos Açores 2022 (Entre Pedras)

Bright pale gold in the glass. The nose is saline and stony, with notes of lime and green apple skin. On the palate, it’s razor-sharp and electric, driven by a vibrant core of acidity. There’s a subtle creaminess, underpinned by a fine, chalky texture. Persistent and mouthwatering—this is a wine of clarity, precision, and tension.

Price: Medium

Leave a Comment

Articles

Rising from the Ashes: Tavares de Pina’s fight

Published 7. March 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

In September 2024, João Tavares de Pina’s estate, Quinta da Boavista in Penalva do Castelo, Portugal, was devastated by a wildfire. The blaze reduced the family home to ashes and destroyed 85% of the vineyards.

To support João and his family during this challenging time, friends and colleagues organized several solidarity initiatives. Among them was a wine lottery, where winemakers from various countries donated special bottles to raise funds for the reconstruction of Quinta da Boavista. Additionally, a GoFundMe campaign was launched to provide further support.

At Simplesmente Vinho 2025, João presented a wine as part of his own crowdfunding project. Terras de Tavares Reserva 2004, made from touriga nacional, jaen and rufete, is a richly textured and mature wine—dark with brown hues at the edges—offering aromas of ripe and dried fruits, plums, and prunes, alongside flavors of ripe berries, spices, and dark chocolate, with silky tannins. The project itself is well worth supporting, but the wine is also truly exceptional.

Leave a Comment

Articles and Wine of the Week

Infantado’s celebration release

Published 28. February 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Simplesmente Vinho offered this year for the first time three special tastings. One of them was dedicated to Quinta do Infantado and the release of a limited edition 50 year old tawny. The festival’s own João Roseira and his son Álvaro, now responsible winemaker, guided us through around ten wines and samples, before they presented the new tawny.

The release marks 50 years since the Portuguese Revolution, which ended the dictatorship and ushered in democracy. This special edition not only commemorates that historic moment but also pays tribute to João’s father, Luís Roseira, who was instrumental in Quinta do Infantado’s pioneering shift to estate-bottling.

The Roseira family has owned and managed Quinta do Infantado for over a century. In 1979, Luís Roseira, born on February 23, 1924, together with his brother António, led the estate’s groundbreaking decision to bottle its own wines—breaking with the tradition of selling bulk Port to the large houses in Vila Nova de Gaia. This made Quinta do Infantado the first independent producer to bottle its own Ports in the Douro region.

50 Year Old Tawny Luís Roseira (Quinta do Infantado)

Deep mahogany with greenish hue towards the rim.
Intense and complex bouquet with layers of dried fruits (figs, dates, and raisins), with caramelized nuts, toffee and nutmeg, along with hints of orange peel and coffee. Concentrated on the palate, with a rich texture balanced by vibrant acidity, with flavours that mirror the aromas, alongside a subtle minerality. The finish is extremely long, with a dry, nutty aftertaste and delicate bitter notes like dark chocolate and espresso.
This 50-year-old Tawny Port from Quinta do Infantado is a masterpiece. It reminds me of an exceptional old PX sherry, but it’s less sweet. It has multiple possibilities for pairing with food. But it is also a wine for meditation.

Leave a Comment

Articles

The vineyards of Pico

Published 27. February 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

I am concluding a three-day visit to the breathtaking island of Pico, where vines grow between black volcanic rock walls, protected from the fierce Atlantic winds. This UNESCO-listed landscape tells a story of resilience, tradition, and wines with striking minerality and a taste of the sea.

Every stone wall, every vine, and every bottle speaks of centuries of adaptation and determination. Pico’s wines are not just a product of nature but of human perseverance.

I can explain the technical terms like currais and cañadas—and I will, later. But when it comes to the impression these vineyards leave on me, words fall short. The scarce soil they have was transported from neighboring islands some 500 years ago.

A heartfelt thank you to the producers who welcomed me, sharing their wines, stories, and challenges. A special thanks to João Roseira of Simplesmente Vinho for sending me on this journey, and to Fortunato García from Czar for organising an unforgettable visit. I’ll be back.

Leave a Comment