18
Sep
2012
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Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy
Everything listed is a red wine unless otherwise noted … two things to take away from this tasting:
1) Portugal makes very good red wine – 2) Port is (still) awesome, and why more people aren’t drinking it is beyond me:
3.5-star wines (*** ½) …
Bacalhoa: Quinta do Carmo 2008
Casa Santos Lima: Lab 2011
Dao Sul: Quinta des Tecedeires Reserva 2009
Jose Maria da Fonseca: Quinta de Camarate 2008
Terra d’Alter: Fado Special Selection 2010
3.5+ -star wines (*** ½+) …
Pocas: Vale de Cavalos 2009
Herdade da Comporta: Chao des Rolas 2010
Senhora do Convento: Vintage 2003 (PORT)
4-star wines (****) …
Bacalhoa: Quninta do Carmo Reserva 2008
Casa Santos Lima: Monte das Promessas 2010
Pocas: Pocas NV Special Reserva Tawny (PORT)
J. Portugal Ramos: Marques de Barba 2011
Jose Maria da Fonseca: Periquita Superyor 2008
Quinta do Infantado: Reserva 2009
Portugallwines: Valdazar 2009
Sogevinus: Veedha DOC Douro Red 2009
Sogevinus: Calem Colheita 1998 (PORT)
Terras d’Alter: Terra d’Alter Alicante Bouschet 2009
Senhora do Conento: Vintage 1999 (PORT)
4+ - star wines (****+) …
J. Portugal Ramos: Vila Santa Reserva 2010
Jose Maria da Fonseca: Hexagon 2007
Herdade da Comporta: Parus 2009
4.5-star wines (**** ½) ...
Pocas: Colheita 1994 (PORT)
Qunita do Infantado: Porto LBV 2007 (PORT)
To read about more interesting adventures thru the world of wine check out the On the Road With the Grape Guy blog.
08
Sep
2012
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Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy
Now here’s a novel idea: own a restaurant outside of Detroit and have your vineyard a few hours north (not on your winery property). On the first day of September I find myself at Brengman’s Inn Land Restaurant in Richmond, Michigan, having a burger and brew for $4.50 (yes there’s a decimal point between the four and the five), their regular Saturday special, with my in-laws, when my father-in-law announces that Brengman’s owns a winery up near Traverse City and proceeds to tell the waitress who I am. Soon after a few tasters appear on the table … as I taste through the wines my brother-in-law says with a smirk, “can we hurry this along, I have to get to work.” I return the facial express and say, “I am at work.” Touché.
The Brengman Brothers winery is located on Lake Leelanau, part of the Leelanau Peninsula of Michigan wine country neat Traverse City … it is the left arm of the U that encompasses the Old Mission Peninsula – both areas I visited a few years ago. The winery “just” opened so I must have just missed it on our journey through the two peninsulas. Brengman Brothers is a 45-acre vineyard growing vitis vinifera grapes, mostly of the white variety (something I garnered from the ‘literature’ on the table).
As for the wines, five were offered to me for tasting, 3 whites, a fruit wine and a red (Syrah) … three of these wines I thought rather good – the others were passable, but not my cup of vino (so to speak) – three others around the table also agreed.
To read about the wines I tasted click here.
To read about more interesting adventures thru the world of wine check out the On the Road With the Grape Guy blog.
