Navigating Portugal's Grape Varieties

[Andy Velebil]

A short article from the Wall Street Journal

For the wine lover, what makes Portugal so exciting is its sheer unfamiliarity. While we can all navigate our way around the slopes of New Zealand or the valleys of California with their primarily French-planted varieties, step onto Portuguese soil and we are confronted with exotic-sounding grapes such as Encruzado, Baga and Trincadeira, grown in regions called Tejo, Trás-os-Montes or Bairrada. Indeed, it could be argued that in a wine world dominated by plantings of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, Portugal now has a real point of difference with which to market its wines: its indigenous grape varieties.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 39788.html

[Brian G r a f s t r o m]

Amen!

Love the mention of Baga, too!