* Ricardo Pacheco - Wine In Mind *

I was at a great tasting of Portuguese wines yesterday. You can see all the producers here. http://www.vintageassessments.com/2009_vini_portugal.html.

There were excellent wines, I have a lot to learn about Portuguese wines.

In Canada we have a few very good wine making regions. They are small so production is not high. But there are some world-class producers of tables wines both red and white and we also have an excellent climate for Icewine, especially in the Niagara region. The grapes are left on the vine until the temperature is at least -8c but normally -12c or colder. This is normally around the first week of January. a couple days before harvest the winery doors are opened to allow all the equipment to get very cold so the grapes won't melt when put inside. The grapes are harvested at night when it is coldest and you are sure it will not warm up. The frozen grapes are put in the press and and the highly concentrated must comes out leaving the water/ice crystals behind. The law requires the must to be at least 35brix. After the pressing the juice is allowed to warm up enough to allow fermentation to start.

In certain years the grapes can also be affected by Botrytis similar to Sauterne.

Typical grapes used are Riesling and Vidal. Vidal is less interesting and doesn't age as long due to lower acidity, but it is easier to work with because the skins are thicker. The production is very low due to the natural dehydration of the late harvest, the removal of water through the pressing, and the loss of fruit to birds and other animals. Some wineries have experimented with red grapes too. You can learn more about Quality Canadian wine at http://www.vqaontario.com/. Canada also makes a lot of very bad wine too. Stay away from anything without the VQA classification.

The dispensers and storage cabinets look great. The wood is an elegant touch.

We have a stand at Alimentaria also - Hall 1, central corredor (Instituto dos Vinhos dos Douro e do Porto).

5-8 March at the Palácio da Bolsa, right? I work next door and hope to be able to visit. Will you be have a stand there?

Ricardo,
Thanks for adding me on your list.
Have seen your wine dispensers and they look fantastic. How much wine do you still sell in bottle?
I lived in Sintra for over 20 years and have great memories of it and its surroundings.
My best wishes,
Paul