euro trip: destination portugal 🇵🇹

hugo mendes originally trained as a biomedical engineer, but in 2004 he worked his first wine harvest and decided to entirely change his career. he became a winemaker, and for 11 years worked in cellars and consulted all over portugal. in 2016 however, tired of making wines to other people’s specifications, he decided to strike out on his own. he got a good deal on some friend’s grapes, made the wine in a friend’s winery, and pre-sold as much wine as he could over social media just so he could afford to bottle it. since that first vintage, however, hugo has skyrocketed to the heights of portuguese wine culture. he has become well known for his efforts to help build up a new, younger, more dynamic portuguese wine community and the endless creativity of his wine making. this is a blend of touriga nacional, tinta roriz (tempranillo), and touriga franca fermented and aged in stainless with deep red, pomegranate and plum fruit, all carried by vivid acid. crisp and lively, with a blood orange grip at the back and zesty tannins. serve with a chill.

textura is the portuguese word for ‘texture’. the winery’s founder and owner, marcelo araujo wants his wines to be about their textures and feel and importantly how it makes us feel to drink them. marcelo purposefully chose the dão region because of its attractive combination of climate and geographic features offering optimal grape growing conditions. winemaking is directed by luis seabra, widely considered one of portugal’s most influential viticulturists and winemakers. luis’s approach is minimalism and ensuring the wines we enjoy are not manipulated but reflect what the terroir intended. this wine is s sourced from vineyards near serra da estrelais, the highest mountain range in portugal, from organic vines up to 60 years old.  this field blend includes 40% jaen (mencia) and then 30% each touriga nacional and alfrocheiro. it’s a wine with great refinement and freshness with a mineral and earthy character, light pepper and red fruit notes with velvety and textured tannins.

catarina vieria’s love for nature was instilled in her from a young age - her grandfather on her mother’s side was a wine producer and merchant, and her grandfather on her father’s side was in agriculture and also owned several vineyards in alentejo. her father ‘s company purchased the estate in 2000, and after the viera family took over the winery, they made a conscious decision to not only invest in the land and produce higher quality wine, but to also invest and make sustainable contributions to the development of the region. inspired by her love and respect for her grandparents, her father and her family, her connection with nature, and a true and unwavering passion for wine, catarina strives to create wines that are elegant, complex and strong. this 100% alicante bouschet is big and dense with black plum and coffee notes, smoky aroma and firm structure.