Friday Night Wine School - Authentic & Different, Wines from the New Portugal

Join us for our attendance-limited, signup-only Friday night tasting!  Tastings are held on the back patio with a max of 10 people per time slot.

“In an increasingly globalized world, it seems we are all looking for something authentic and different. That’s what the wines of Portugal can offer.” These were the opening words of  Dirceu Vianna Junior, Master of Wine, as he addressed the audience at his masterclass at the Wines of Portugal tasting in September. And he’s not wrong.

Portugal is not a large country, but its selection of native grapes, planted across its plethora of soils and structures, and under incredibly distinct micro-climates, continues to offer new ideas and tastes every vintage. One of the most successful aspects of the rise of Portuguese wines is that producers are embracing the native grapes up and down the country. Wines of Portugal recognizes over 250 native varieties, with research into clonal selection producing a vast number of permutations available to growers.

An explosion of international interest has transformed Portugal over the past 10 years. It was voted the “Best Tourist Destination in Europe” for the fifth time in a row in the World Travel Awards 2022 and has become a paradise for freelancing nomads and tech entrepreneurs. It is also a melting pot of winemaker and culinary talent, where pioneers are expanding the boundaries of Portuguese wine and food, reviving ancestral techniques while finding new ways to express the diversity of unique regional terroirs; from the mountainous Douro, Trás-os-Montes and Dão to the wild Atlantic Bairrada, Lisbon and Azores.

Going hand in hand with this international interest is a vinicultural revival where younger winemakers are taking charge of their families’ estates or bringing their own independent projects to fruition. A new generation is making wine unlike the Portuguese table wine we’ve come to know, particularly in the Douro Valley, the oldest demarcated appellation in Western Europe. The Salazar dictatorship (1930's to late 1960's) had a heavy influence on the country’s wine industry, by monopolizing legislation that benefited co-ops over individual producers. This led to a drop in quality, until the 1980s, when Portugal joined the E.U. and small producers received subsidies and grants to improve their vineyards and winemaking facilities. Today, Portuguese winemaking is in its prime and the wines are ascending to new heights with subtle, savory and mineral-driven high-quality wines.

Join us as we explore the wines from 4-5 different regions that represent the new direction of Portuguese winemaking

-All ticket sales are final.
-We will hold our tastings outside on the patio from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM on Fridays weather permitting, if it rains we move inside to the back of the shop.
-Your $5 tasting fee is refunded when you purchase a bottle of wine from the tasting. Limit 1 refund per bottle per customer.
-Please arrive 5 minutes early for your time slot, as we may not be able to move you to another spot.
-No waiting in line for your taste of wine in a plastic cup and snippet of info. During your time slot, you will have the presenter's undivided attention as you learn about and taste the wines from Riedel glassware.
-When your tasting is over, you can browse and shop or enjoy a glass or bottle at our indoor and outdoor tables.