Douro Wines

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Douro Wines

Wines produced from indigenous grape varieties such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz (Aragonez), Tinta Barroca and Tinto Cão.

How to choose and apreciate a douro wine
The service of wine involves a series of procedures that, when properly applied, maximize the pleasure that can be enjoyed from wine. Not intending to make an exhaustive treatment of this type of aspects, here are some that we believe are important:

Choose and buy

  • 1
    Variety of Labels and Stock

    Buy from places that offer a good variety of labels and, more importantly, that have a good turnover of stocks

  • 2
    Good Air Conditioning

    Buy in places that have adequate climate control and where the wines are not exposed to the sun

  • 3
    The older the better the wine

    The “older wine is better” is at best a half-truth and only applicable to certain types of wines. As a general rule, particularly for those who are new to these choices, when faced with two different harvests, preference is given to the most recent one, particularly in the case of white wine

  • 4
    Observe the condition of the bottle

    The stopper must be in good condition and the liquid level must never be below normal

  • 5
    In case you don't know the wine

    If you don’t know a certain wine, choose to buy just one bottle. If you like it, you can buy more

  • 6
    The quality of the crops

    Find out about the quality of the crops. It is always a useful indicator, especially when we intend to purchase high quality wines

Storage

The storage or keeping conditions of the wines are very important if we intend to preserve the characteristics of the wines and guarantee a regular evolution. Thus, the storage location must guarantee:
  • 1
    Temperature

    a temperature around 10º – 12º

  • 2
    Ventilation

    with some ventilation in order to avoid the proliferation of fungi

  • 3
    Arrangement of bottles

    must allow the arrangement of bottles laid down

  • 4
    Movements and Vibrations

    absence of oscillations or vibrations

  • 5
    Odors

    absence of unpleasant odors

  • 6
    Brightness

    bottles must be protected from light

  • 6
    Humidity

    relative humidity should be high

Serve the wine

The first step begins by removing the capsule, which must be cut just below the cork, using a decapsulator or a knife. Afterwards, the neck is cleaned and the cork is removed with a corkscrew that has a long spiral in order to extract the corks without damage.

There is a technique of opening very old bottles whose corks are in poor condition with a well-heated “tong”. After using the tongs, cold water is passed over the neck in order to cause a thermal shock and break the glass of the bottle, above the end of the cork, to prevent small pieces of glass from entering the wine. Given its complexity, it is only suggested that this form of opening be used by professionals.

Decantation

Decanting consists of passing (draining) the wine from the bottle to the decanter (crystal bottle). This must be carried out in two cases: in red wines that have been kept in the bottle for a long time and have dregs (deposit) and in young red wines and some white wines that benefit from the aeration that occurs during the transfer from the bottle to the decanter.

The need for aeration of wines that have not formed sediment (deposit) is controversial. Some argue that the wine “opens” in the decanter, while others consider that aeration can result in a loss of freshness and fruity character.

The test and the glasses

The choice of glass is fundamental for the good service of wine, and aesthetics and functionality are the criteria to be observed.

Basic requirements for the cups:

  • 1
    Structure

    Body separated from the base by a rod

  • 2
    Opening

    Aperture narrower than the body (with the exception of the flute)

  • 3
    Material

    Crystal or fine glass

  • 4
    Color

    Colorless

  • 5
    Maintenance

    Careful cleaning

  • 6
    Volume

    Volume around 350 ml

  • 6
    Content

    The content should not exceed half

Wine tasting sequence

Assessment Items Parameters
Types

Whites -> Reds
Quality
Mediocre -> Average -> Good -> Great
Body

Light -> Full-bodied
Age

Young -> Mature
Sugar Content

Dry -> Mild -> Sweet

Temperatures

White Wines
Types Temperature
Light and acidic
6 to 9ºC
Lush
8 to 10ºC
Full-bodied, with wood
14 to 16ºC
Rosé wines
Types Temperature
All in general
6 to 9ºC
Red Wines
Types Temperature
Light and fruity
12 to 14ºC
Moderately full-bodied
14 to 16ºC
Full-bodied, with wood
16 to 18ºC
Sparkling Wines
Types Temperature
Gross
6 to 12ºC
Medium dry and sweet
6 to 10ºC
Aged raw
8 to 12ºC
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