The Touriga Franca is at home in the rugged beauty of the Portuguese Douro Valley. On the slate terraces over the river, the grapes were traditionally grown in mixed settings. Up to 80 different vine varieties shared a single parcel. Not ev…
It is aptly named: Tinta Barroca means “the dark baroque”. In fact, this variety yields very dark wines with good body and opulent aromas. They smell of plum, cherry and blackberry, have a lot of alcohol and low acidity. The Tin…
leather and spices, it gives the Rioja its face. In the Ribera del Duero, it is known as Tinta del país. Here it turns out focused and muscular. As it has inhabited the Iberian Peninsula for centuries, it is known under countless syn…
This red Portuguese variety's name means “red dog.” However, how it came by this rather strange name is completely unknown. Interestingly, the grapes are not toxic to most animals; yet in some dogs just 10 grams of grapes pe…
The Tempranillo is the emblem of Spain. With its juicy cherry fruit, crisp tannins, and its notes of leather and spices, it gives the Rioja its face. In the Ribera del Duero, it is known as Tinta del país. Here it turns out focused a…
The mature Tinta Amarela (its Douro designation), or Trincadeira (as it is called in the Alentejo region) produces intensely colored wines with high acidity and balanced alcohol content.
This vine is singly difficult to cultivate, and labo…
Investing in mature, valuable wines is just as much a matter of trust as a serious investment advice. Wine is first and foremost a pleasure and a cultural asset, a single glass of good wine gathers together an entire microcosm of…
Spaniards and Sardinians make the Grenache contentious: both claim it originated from their country. In fact, it had already appeared in both places by the 16th century. But a large number of mutations in Spain indicates that it has deeper …
The red Carignan is a heat-loving Mediterranean grape. It has a bit of everything over other varieties: more colour, more tannins, more acid. It is not easy to press a harmonious wine from it alone. Hence it is most often encountered as a b…