Enjoy It While It Lasts

recently consumed

vacation: a trip to portugal’s wine country

tasting notes

It wasn’t so long ago that I crafted a baby bucket list, ten things I really wanted to do before I decided it was time for Tom and I to get our Strickland family started. Not four or five months later did I decide to throw out the list (even though I’ve almost gotten through it), because Tom and I just wanted to get started that badly!! The biological clocks have gone off for both of us.

Unfortunately, or fortunately… I have not yet gotten pregnant, which means that I get to enjoy and indulge in the joys of Portuguese wine as we take what may be our last trip to Europe for quite a while. It’s a sad thing, but I had to make myself realize that the days of wine vacations might be ending. Pregnancy (plus breast feeding) means a major decrease in wine consumption for a year or more. And most wineries are not designed for entertaining infants and toddlers.

It’s been an amazing ride while it lasted. Tom and I saw the wonders of California’s Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Next, we took a day trip out to the Long Island wineries while visiting New York City. Then there was the amazing trip in 2007, which we visited the Burgundy region of France, partied at the Fete de Beaujolais, and spent several days exploring Tuscany. And last year, we visited the Willamette Valley to try out Oregon’s famous Pinot Noirs.

So over the next few days, expect updates to this blog and my twitter stream, as regularly as I can deliver them. I will try and post up as much as I can about wine… since that is something I will very sadly miss once we actually succeed at what we’ve been trying to do since January

my current top five portuguese wines
2004 Dona Maria Vinho Regional Alentejano
12/14/2008 rated 92 points: Smells dusty and woodsy with strong blackberries and spice (cloves?), like a fall mulled wine. Flavors are rich to match with a long finish. Amazingly fruit forward with black cherry and a tanginess that makes it a good match for food.

2005 CARM Douro Vinho Tinto Quinta do Côa
Available at Bella Vino Ann Arbor
1/1/2009 rated 90 points: Smells like dark bramble fruits and dust. Spice, dark ,rich and delicious with a sweet complex finish. Brings out the nutty characteristics in Portuguese cheese

2006 Vinhos Monte das Ânforas Vinho Regional Alentejano Vinho Tinto
2/5/2008 rated 90 points: Amazing for $8, tastes way more expensive. Fresh and bright like cherry candy with a subtle spice and a smooth finish that makes it gulpable. So many good offerings from Portugal in the lower price range, and this is a great example.

Barbeito Madeira Boal 10 Years Old
8/30/2008 rated 89 points: Tasty and not overly sweet, dry finish. Bitter orange peel and slight mocha. Thin and exploding with flavor. Excellent paired with chocolate plum pudding.

2004 Companhia Agricola do Sanguinhal Óbidos Quinta de S. Francisco
Available at Holiday Market Canton
9/19/2007 rated 88 points: Plum, ink, blackberry, black cherry, spices and acid. Great with food and very unique. Made with Castelao, Aragones, and Touriga Nacional.