This site is for discussion of travel to the "Land of Port & Madeira" as well as food related to Port or Portugal. Additionally your Offline tasting events can be planned and reviewed here.
ESSÊNCIA DO VINHO will be taking place from March 4th-7th. I was considering heading over for this in 2010, but unfortunately I have a wine judging conflict in CA, which I am committed to.
If anyone else is going to be attending, you should mention it here and hopefully a bunch of FTLOP'ers can all meet up and share in some fine Port and Douro wine!
If anyone would like to do a report with photos and TNs from their visit, that would be most appreciated.
One thing that I don´t understand is that, at the same time it will be a wine and Port fair in Algarve.
There are some Port wine makers that rather be in Algarve than in Essencia do Vinho, because the rental price for 4 days in Algarve is half the price of Essencia do Vinho.
Not very good planning to have two on the same weekend. One of these years I will come over and attend this event as it looks like a really fun time. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later.
This will be the seventh edition of Essencia do Vinho, 3000 wines from 350 portuguese and foreigner wine makers.
In the 4th of March, during the morning it will be judged some wines to elect the best 10 wines from Portugal and during the afternoon a vertical tasting with Moscatel de Setubal from Jose Maria da Fonseca.
In the 5th of March, to celebrate one century of the Portuguese Republic, a tasting with Port, Madeira and Moscatéis de Setúbal.
The announcement of the best 10 wines from Portugal, and the awards of the bests in 2009 wiil be hand over by the magazine WINE - essencia do vinho.
To end the day a Casa Ferreirinha Reserva Especial tasting.
In the 6th of March, commented tastings with great wines from Alentejo, Independent Wine Grower’s tasting, Champagnes Millésimes (with the “Master Sommelier” João Pires) and wines like Pêra Manca e Scala Coeli from Alentejo.
In the 7th of March, the most remarkable will be a VP tasting from Fonseca & Guimaraes.
I guess the day they ask me to participate as a judge for the Essencia do Vinho, I would then certainly attend.
Now that Jose Maria de Fonseca, Moscatel de Setubal vertical tasting almost brought tears to my eyes. I had one for my 40th birthday, a present from a friend whilst at the Aspen Food & Wine Classic in 1997. I was presented with all vintages of this between 1927 and my birth year 1957. A stellar tasting, yet a complete vertical would also have me flying to Porto, had I known.
![[shrug.gif]](./images/smilies/shrug.gif "Huh?"){kind=small}
