On Saturday night, October 31st Charles will present an hour long tasting on Portuguese wine. His aim is both educate on the myriad styles of Portuguese wine and its intricate relationship with Portuguese tourism.  As Portugal remains a very rustic and undiscovered haven for wine lovers, Charles will do his very best to enlighten us as to the myriad of possibilities that await us – and knowing Charles, we may even be graced with a portion of the tasting done in song and verse.

What follows are a few brief questions we posed to Charles regarding the potential of Portugal as a wine tourism destination! Enjoy!

The EWBC this year in Lisbon will have a considerable amount of “first time” Portugal visitors, many of whom have online voices. Therefore, what message should bloggers take away from Portugal as a potential wine tourism destination, and what sets it apart from other locations?

Portugal’s key point of interest to wine-lovers is the great array of native grapes, from which most Portuguese wines are made. These taste different from any others in the world. And, whereas the wines of, say, Italy (another country with great native grapes) are pretty well-distributed in other countries, Portuguese wines haven’t achieved this international distribution yet, so you have to come to Portugal to find them. And Portugal is also a very beautiful country, not just the coasts, but with mountains, rivers and lakes inland, too.

Why do you feel it’s taken so long for Portugal to be recognized as a quality wine tourism destination?

A bit more focussed activity from Tourism of Portugal and ViniPortugal has certainly helped. The new network of motorways built since entering the EU has also made it much easier to get to parts of inland Portugal that were well-nigh inaccessible before. And European funds also became available to finance better equipment at wineries. That happened at the same as a new generation of winemakers was coming out of wine school, getting international winemaking experience, and making even better wines. It all adds up to a ‘new’ wine country within easy reach of all of Europe.

You visit Portugal frequently, however, as Portugal is far from the largest wine producing country, are you revisiting because you are interested in the evolution of the wines, or is Portugal expanding what it can offer? Where do you see Portugal’s wines in 5 years time?

I’m continually amazed by the number of good new labels that come to the market each time I look at Portuguese wines. I try to keep up, but it’s tricky when I am also writing and talking about wines from other countries. I think we’re reaching a point of consolidation, rather than further expansion. But most of the ‘new’ producers are people who have been growing grapes for years, centuries, even. They’ve stopped supplying grapes to the local co-op, or selling their wine to larger companies, and trying to get added value by selling wines under their own labels. This will probably continue for a while, but in this economic climate, at a moment of international wine over-supply, I think there’ll be a slow-down. In 5 years I hope good Portuguese wines will have better international distribution, and more people know what unique flavours Portuguese grapes can give.

Your book is the “definitive” resource for a gourmand traveling in Portugal. What is the key point to remember when planning or taking a trip through the Portuguese wine country?

If you’re taking an ordinary-length holiday, I’d concentrate on one part of the country, rather than trying to cover the whole of Portugal in one gulp. If you take one of Portugal’s three main airports, in Porto, Lisbon and Faro, as starting points, you can cover the north, centre and south respectively. Plan as far ahead as possible, and make hotel bookings and appointments with wineries if you like to do things that way. If you can make bookings through websites, great. If not, remember that a lot of smaller Portuguese hotels and restaurants aren’t yet brilliant at answering emails. Phone is a better way to contact them, but you may well have to attempt speaking Portuguese!

Finally, what is the “long weekend” recommendation for a European traveler who finds a cheap plane ticket to Portugal? Where do you go?

What do you see, assuming this is their first visit? I’d start with Lisbon, a wonderful, historic city, with plenty of good food, bars, clubs and things to see. Lisbon will give you a snapshot of Portuguese culture. My next weekend would be in Porto, also historic, totally different from Lisbon, with boat-trips up the Douro and visits to port cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia.

The crew at the EWBC want to thank Sarah for generously offering us her time – especially after the launch of her new blog – and if you have any questions for Sarah, please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments below, as we know she would love nothing more than to spark your curiosity and passion before your arrival.

What makes Portugal such an enticing place for wine lovers to experience?

I first visited Portugal in 2004 and, in a week, we’d gone from the Douro to the Alentejo and in and amongst.  And it was clear to me that this was one exciting country for wine lovers.  Why?  Its very “Portugueseness” if there is such a word – you don’t find these grape varieties, this kind of food or landscape anywhere else.  Several visits later (and counting!), confidence and pride about its unique heritage of grape varieties is brimming and more and more regions are realising the full potential of their grapes and terroir.  So it’s about authentic points of difference and not difference for the sake of it – this is beyond a marketing USP.

What grapes would you highly suggest a passionate wine enthusiast seek out during their visit?

Touriga Nacional has emerged as the flagship variety and it has some beautiful qualities, no question, but I truly believe that, with a few exceptions (notably Baga), for reds in particular, Portugal’s great strength is its blends.  So please, let’s not go all single varietal – that would be un-Portuguese!  So I’m just going to mention some whites to check out that do perform well on their own – Arinto, typically on its own/the super dominant partner in the wines of Bucelas – great citrus fruit, cut with racy acidity – Riesling with flesh and bone,  Siria from Beira Interior for its naughty but nice honied, tropical fruit, Alvarinho and Loureiro from Vinho Verde because they are helping to change outmoded perceptions of this high quality region.

Are there any specific restaurants or wine shops that rank high on your list to experience?

I shall never forget a lunch at Restaurante Panorama in Melgaco, Vinho Verde’s Alvarinho hotspot.  It’s the only restaurant I’m going to mention because, if you go, I’m very sure you’ll come around to my views about Vinho Verde if you’re not already a convert!  And if you’re still not sure, check out my report of a vertical tasting of Quinta de Soalheiro wines.

I must say, I never get a chance to shop in Portugal on my travels, but I did stay next door to Pasteis de Belem in Lisbon on a recent trip and who can resist their 6 pack of still warm custard tarts with a Moscatel de Setubal, madeira or tawny port, of which they have a great selection. In the UK, Andy Paterson at The Halifax Wine Company is a terrific ambassador for Portuguese wines, table and fortified.

What are some misconceptions you’ve heard over the years about Portugal and its wines?

Of reds, tannic and tough, rustic – fair point in the past but Portugal has come on in leaps and bounds without sacrificing the edge of tannin and acidity that defines its northerly regions’ wines.  And in the south, Alentejo does round, ripe, heady and fruitful as well as anywhere if that’s your bag.  Of whites, dull and oxidised – again fair point in the past but this is an area of dramatic and super-positive change – please take another look!!!

Are there any Portuguese food and wine pairings that you’ve fallen in love with?

Alvarinho with fresh brown crabmeat on toast at Restaurante Panorama, Serra de Estrela sheeps cheese with quince jam and a tawny/colheita port, Sercial madeira with olives/smoked almonds. I’m not a meat eater but hearty bacalhau (salt cod) casseroles with whole roasted potatoes, garlic and a ton of olive oil works well with red wines – Baga from Bairrada cuts through the richness very well and, of course, it’s great with modern full-bodied white blends from the Douro or Alentejo, which often have a green olive note.

Name 1 region that is traditionally overlooked by wine lovers?

Beira Interior is a region to watch – Siria for whites, sometimes with Fonte Cal for minerality and lifted, floral, elegant but well-structured reds from the lead Dao/Douro varieties.