By Jessica Granatiero

Bom dia! I recently returned from a week-long trip to Portugal. It was a whirlwind – traveling from Lisbon to the top of the country, Minho on the border of Spain, and staying in a different hotel for the even nights. We moved through many different wine regions including the Dao, Alentejo, Oporto and Minho. We met with many different family-owned wineries and were exposed to their winemaking processes and land cultivation. It was great pleasure to hear their stories about how their families started their wineries, some dating back to the 1700s.

The red grape Touriga Nacional flourishes throughout Portugal, while the white grape Alvarinho is well-known in the Minho region, and from where the Vinho Verde wine comes. We took a boat ride on the Douro River where we could see the beauty of the steep-terraced vineyards that are harvested by hand and taste the historic port wines. Meeting with port house Van Zeller Winery provided us with an experience like no other – tasting through 10-year-old to 50-year-old ports – and even and one dating back to 1888. All the families and wineries were top notch. I fell in love with the Alvarinho white wine by Foral. This is a light, crisp style that is made in stainless teel tanks. We tasted a vertical of seven vintages from 2025 back to 2018 that showed the ability for the wine to age even though we mostly enjoy it while it is young.

The estate of Dona Maria, run by the fourth-generation family, showcased well the Touriga Nacional and Alicante Bouschet grapes along with international varietals. The palace style home began in the 18^th century. As told by the winery family, the “estate was once acquired by king João V as a present to a lady of the court, D. Maria, with whom he was madly in love. The estate and wines are named after her. The walled garden is surrounded by nooks and crannies. Its elements consist of Baroque styles. One of my favorite wines here is the Dona Maria Amantis – made of Touriga Nacional, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

I hope you can experience the wines and the stories of these fantastic people. Join me on Friday, October 23, from 4:30-6:30 PM to taste some of the selections that I brought back.