Andy Velebil wrote:David,
Many thanks for not throwing me under the bus on that last one, the Super Bock's on me next time
And again I wanted to thank you for spending an entire week here with us at
I assure you it has been most educational and very much appreciated.
Well Andy, my F.C. Porto has just lost 1-0 against Benfica, and my eldest son Sam (16 years old) is still swearing. We can't complain as we have won the last 4 championships, and Benfica hasn't beaten us for 4 years. This is not a good note to sign off on, but life IS much more than a game of football.
I have enjoyed participating in this forum, and to be able to participate with people who enjoy all of Port, be it ours, or from other shippers. For those who have visited Portugal before will understand that, beyond the natural rivalry in the market, there is a very good and strong relationship between shippers, and that the most serious in our trade have been dedicated to this magnificent product for generations.
For those who have not been to Portugal, well, you will never be comfortable with yourself until you do. The country is small but full of history and very diverse from North to South. Visiting the Douro Valley will take your breath away, and give a different meaning to every glass of Port you drink afterwards. Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia have an extraordinary charm, and Porto is considered the last historic city of Europe still to be discovered.
The Port trade faces many challenges, not least of which having to live in an outdated over-regulated industry, which as a result of lack of political will, and agreement across the industry, is doing its best to kill itself.
It saddens me deeply that however good Douro table wines are, and the best ones are being produced by very good friends of mine with great skill, the viability of the Port industry is at check, and shippers and farmers are giving up on it for economic reasons. We are the last stubborn shippers who continue 100% dedicated to Port, but we urgently need reform of the industry.
These words will not be welcome here, particularly when read by locals (and institutions), however my belief and dedication to Port would not allow me not ventilate this opinion.
Over the last 10 years I have been constantly bombarded with the question of why we do not start producing a Douro table wine? The reality is that as a winemaker in a company of our size, there is only room to dedicate to one. The viticulture and approach is different for each. Secondly, faced with one Quinta to produce both, how could you ever make the decision as to where to use the best grapes? Don't forget that the best Douro red wines are being produced from very old Port vineyards (random mix of grape varieties, with almost no Touriga Nacional).
If for economic reasons, our company was forced to produce Douro table wine, the only way to do it would be to dedicate a Quinta for this purpose, and find a great table wine winemaker to make them (please do not take from these words that this is on the cards, I am just trying to be rational!)
I would also like to finnish wth a particular recognition and tribute to someone who is so important in the production of our Ports, and that is our senior Viticulturist Antonio Magalhães. A winemaker is only as good as the grapes he uses. Antonio joined our company in 1992, 2 years after I came home. We have worked together on the re-designing of Douro viticulture, and travelled extensivly to feed off other experiences. The two of us have worked very closely over this extraordinary period of change, and most of the key decisions taken during the harvest for each vineyard and blending of grapes are taken together.
His knowledge of viticulture and the Douro Valley is next to none, and it is our dedication together that intends to ensure that Vintage Port will achieve its greatest level ever.
FOR THE LOVE OF PORT
David Fonseca Guimaraens