column by maria miguel vaz
I took the cork from a bottle of Red Wine from Douro, looked at it with attention, served a glass, swirled it smoothly, smelled it and, excited to taste it, I drank a drop. I smiled and thought: “When did you start doing this?!” – I had never noticed on the almost involuntary ritual I was doing.
After the scent seemed strong and complex, the taste undoubtedly proved what I had thought. It tasted like something different, not familiar. When I read the label it was clear! Besides my favorite grape varieties, Aragonês and Touriga Nacional, it mentioned Tinta Barroca. Strange grape for someone new in the world of wine and so loyal to the Reds from Dão. Tinta Barroca is characteristic from douro Valley and gives the wine floral aromas. In this case, it was giving a softness to the robustness of the other grapes. It give us a sense of delicacy and fragility which contrasts with its resistance to diseases. With a strong nature and high concentration of sugar, it allows the production of wine with a generous alcohol content.
I realized then that I had found a Douro in the middle of my beloved Dão, a so genuine grape variety, so full of flavor, capable of representing an entire region for itself.
