In addition to saving the country millions of dollars in potable water loss, country manager of Miya Jamaica Alvaro Ramalho is also suggesting that some of our wine importers take note of the amazing wine values coming from his motherland Portugal. Recently, Ramalho invited wine enthusiasts and importers/distributors to sample Portuguese wines made by his extended family.

Herdade da Fonte Coberta

While most will think only of Port when we speak of Portugal, lots of great wines are made there. A couple of the wines we tasted were made by the Herdade da Fonte Coberta Estate, which is located in the Alentejo region, south of mainland Portugal. It is one of the largest wine regions in Portugal, with approximately 23.000 ha, representing about 10% of the total vineyard area in Portugal. Many of the wines are made by grape varietals unheard of outside Portugal. The three wines we had, an off-dry white, a dry white and a dry red, did introduce us to nine new grape varietals.

Mundus Branco Leve, Lisbon, Portugal

The first wine we had on arrival was a light, fresh, extremely approachable, slightly sweet wine called Mundus Branco Leve. It is made with the grape varietals Fernão Pires, Malvasia and Seara Nova. These are traditional white grapes used in the area to the north and west of the capital city of Lisbon, previously called Estremadura, a long and thin region that runs along the Atlantic. This wine is fruit-forward, with a slight spritz; it was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Three Birds White, Alentejo, Portugal

This dry white wine is made from the Antão Vaz, Fernão Pires and Arinto grapes. It was straw yellow colour and with an intense tree fruit aroma. It has a strong flavour with a hint of tropical fruits and apricot and fresh aftertaste.

Three Birds Red, Alentejo, Portugal

This dry red wine was made from the Trincadeira, Aragonez and Castelão grapes. It was a garnet colour, and was prepared using the traditional full fermentation process at controlled temperatures. It had a fruity aroma, and a soft robust flavour; a pleasant red wine.

Export sales play a major part in Portugal’s economic development. Herdade da Fonte Coberta has made a significant effort to this end, investing in marketing its wines globally. These wines are increasingly available within several European countries: China, Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire and Angola.

It is always great to meet and sip wines with new wine enthusiasts who have recently moved to Jamaica.

Christopher Reckord – Wine Enthusiast and CEO of Managed IT services provider tTech Limited. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram @chrisreckord and on Twitter: @Reckord