Estupendo… genial… completamente perdido…. Necessito pararme i pensar  … dificil !

Great…. superbe….. completely lost.. Just need to  think more… tough !

A long day …   Friday I drived from Bordeaux to Burgos…. arrived and stopped at the first Hotel I saw… good luck: cheap, nice room and nice food & wine: Abadia de San Quirce Ribera del dueroa 2005. Woke up at 7.00 and drove to Lisboa !

Beautiful drive through Spain and some areas I never crossed : Salamanca, ..saw a few pigs eating and running in “La Dehesa”…. I was already thinking of them in my plate !!…north east Portugal…. Lisboa !

Arrival in Lisboa found quite easily the VIP Gran Lisboa… superbe & modern Hotel: VIP Gran lisboa ..feel like a star… Hermés soap, Hermés body care….. great bathroom…. I wanna stay there more !!!

Registration for the EWBC …. met my friend Oscar Quevedo… Met other people: Anthony Swift: WINE PLEASURES WORKSHOP…. Miss Vicky “herself”: Miss Vicky Wine (Photo below…) I am looking for the most important “blogger sommelier in the world”: Emmanuel Delmas, Paris..but I Can’t see him.. What a shame !!

Great tasting with fortified and sweets wine:  Barquero Amontillado (dry) – Lustau Amontillado Escuadrilla – Apostoles Palo cortado – Quevedo Colheita 1994 – Barcalhoa Moscatel Roxo 1999 ( very unique !!) - Justinho’s Madeira Colheita 1995 – Sandeman Vintage 2007  ( just bottled) – Garvey’s Gran orden  PX  (pedro ximenez) !! In 2010 there is a wine show for sweet and fortified wines in Jerez de la Frontera: VINOBLE 2010.

Write it  in your agenda… Great opportunity to taste Sauternes, Jerez, Auslese, Eiswein, Icewine,Port, etc….

Responsible for Vinoble 2010 – Esteban – Ryan Opaz during the tasting of the sweet wines.

Then we had a tasting with the Douro Boys: Cristiano Van Zeller  Quinta D V. Maria – Luis Seabra from Nieeport – Francisco Fereira from Quinta Vallado – Francisco Olazabal…an old friend I toured the U.K. with 22 years ago !!

Vito Olazabal during the presentation of his Quinta in the Douro.

Studious moment….different people and Evelyne Resnick on the theme: “Blogging and the social wine brand”.

Oscar Quevedo, my friend who produce delicious Port, and “Douro still” (red )! (foto Melanie Tarlant)

A nice photo of the restaurant ELEVEN “entrance hall”  after a long day…

Great diner , good food and great ambiance, with a superb view over Lisboa……

I had the chance to taste many vintage port ( from the new release… )

Fabulous time in Lisboa meeting people from around the world: USA: The Wine Hub ,Wine Lover’s Journal, UK: Brett  The Wine Maestro ; Niamh ( passionate about food ) : eat like a girl , France (Vicky see above), Philippe Hugon (Vinternet ) , Italy, Spain etc… &  from differents businesses linked with wine.

Thanks to Adegga , Ryan and Gabriella Opaz: Catavino, and every one who was there !

IVO

Storms are hard to ignore. They hold our attention, more or less, depending on their severity and proximity. Storms change people’s plans. And sometimes a storm changes the history of the world. In his masterpiece, Search For The Ancient Order, Volume I, Earl Irvin West recounts the amazing history behind the meteoric rise to prominence of two giants of the Restoration in America—Barton Warren Stone and Alexander Campbell. Ironically, a storm plays a part in each of their lives as they came to a crossroads.

Barton W. Stone was born in 1772 near Port Tobacco, Maryland. Growing up, he listened to Baptist preachers and Methodist preachers, but became disenchanted with the continual controversies among the denominations and grew indifferent to religion in general. Stone was not even a devout church member, and the thought of becoming a preacher was not one he entertained. Rather, he had his sights set on being a statesman.

Thus, in 1790, when he was near eighteen, Stone enrolled in the school of David Caldwell in North Carolina, along with about fifty others. In addition to being a teacher, Caldwell was a Princeton graduate, a Presbyterian preacher, and a farmer. Stone noticed that religion seemed to be the dominate influence in Caldwell’s school and this alarmed him. Stone determined he was in the wrong place, decided to leave that school, and set a date for moving out of North Carolina. As providence would have it, when moving day arrived, there came a storm which prevented his leaving.

Shortly thereafter, Stone was invited to hear a Presbyterian preacher who greatly impressed him. He became intensely interested in spiritual matters and joined the Presbyterian Church the following year. Of course, the rest is history. Stone grew to reject the Westminster Confession and, eventually, denominationalism, and helped lead countless thousands on a crusade back to New Testament Christianity. But when a not-very-convicted eighteen year old student bent on dropping out of his religious school was confronted with a storm that prevented his move, he had no clue what God had in store on his horizon.

Across the Atlantic in Ireland, a young Alexander Campbell and his family waited for word from his father, Thomas, to come join him in America. Thomas Campbell had earlier arrived in America and was preaching for the Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania. In March of 1808 the letter from Thomas arrived and Alexander’s family made plans to leave home and sail to the New World. They anxiously boarded a ship, but the wind was fierce and prevented their entering the open sea. When the ship finally reached the sea, calamity struck and the ship was wrecked. The Campbells were forced to return to Scotland. But, between the time of the shipwreck and Alexander’s setting foot on dry Scottish soil, he had made up his mind to become a preacher.

Delayed by the shipwreck, Alexander entered Glasgow University and studied Greek, Logic and Experimental Philosophy under some of the same professors who had taught his father, Thomas, twenty-five years before. He also came in contact with independent religious movements in Scotland led by revolutionary thinkers such as James and Robert Haldane, John Glas and Robert Sandeman. Influenced by the free thinkers, Alexander began to question the Seceder Presbyterian Church, of which he was a member.

Thus, during an unplanned stay in Scotland brought on by the disaster at sea, Alexander Campbell got an education he would not otherwise have had, determined he was going to devote his life to God, and further determined the denomination he belonged to was not Scriptural. The Campbells left for America again on the ship, Latonia, in August of 1809. After reuniting in Pennsylvania, Thomas and Alexander went on to have an impact, perhaps unprecedented since apostolic times, in fanning the flames of Restoration. Only God knows how poorer the history of his church might have been had the churning waves not smashed Alexander’s ship when he first attempted to sail from Ireland.

All of us face storms. It may not be a driving wind, lightning or a lashing sea. It may take the form of a temptation, an illness, a persecution, a lost job, family trouble, a church problem, or even a war. All these can lead to spiritual crises. But while the thunder crashes and the rain beats down, remember Barton Warren Stone and Alexander Campbell. And remember that, if we truly trust God (Proverbs 3:5-6), we can weather any barrage and emerge the stronger for it. After all, there’s no telling what God has in mind for us when the wind dies down.

Arrived in Lisbon this afternoon with an Aussie guy I’ve been traveling with since leaving Porto; we came here via a two-night stay in Peniche, which is a small coastal town about an hour-and-a-half north of Lisbon.

Last Friday (while still based in Porto), Rowly and I rented a car with another girl, Lynda.  She is from Newcastle–what is with all the Australians traveling?!  I’ve met so many Australians; in Porto alone, the group consisted of four Aussies and me… the lone American.  The next most popular origin seems to be Canada, and then Germans.  The Americans who I have met are usually from the West Coast (California or Oregon), or Colorado.  Anyway, we rented a car and drove east along the Douro River, and into the Douro Valley,where port wine is produced.

The valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and was the first site declared in Europe as an official wine region (take that, France!).  I tasted a fair amount of port last week within Porto and the Douro Valley.  People often  stereotype port as a stuffy type of fortified wine, only enjoyed by stodgy old men smoking cigars after dinner.  I had this misconception, based on the “Port and Cheese Talks” they used to have at St. Mark’s in Adelaide.  But in reality, the variation between ports is really interesting (tawny is the best, I think), and the history of the wine within the region is rich as well.

It’s pretty awe-inspiring, with the river slowly making its way through the valley, and the vineyards carved into narrow terraces along the mountainside.  We stopped at two quintas (estates, or in this case, vineyards)–Fonseca and Sandeman.  Sandeman is probably the most well known of ports due to its branding, but the hospitality at the winery could definitely have been improved.  Our glasses got taken away from us after we walked away from the tables to check out the amazing scenery, and then they tried to make us pay for the tour (which was 15 minutes long, and didn’t even go into the actual cellar).

Despite this minor aggravation, the day was still amazing: perfect ather, stunning scenery, and great company.  And, no accidents in the rental car!

Dj Sandeman

Damn ik ben fan van die man! Welke man? SandeMan!

Nog net op tijd dropt hij z’n Groot Vakantie Boek Mei Mix track list in commands.
Download (Mediafire) of (zShare).

London Calling >> donderdag 30 april – zaterdag 1 mei >> Paradiso >> 20 originals, covers, remixes >> download mixtape.

Noisettes – Wild Young Hearts
Micachu & The Shapes – Golden Phone
Dananananaykroyd – Chrome Rainbow
Flashguns – Ro Shambo
The XX – Teardrops (Womack & Womack cover)
Little Boots – New In Town (Golden Filter remix)
Marina And The Diamonds – Obsessions (The Aspirins For My Children remix)
Passion Pit – The Reeling
James Yuill – This Sweet Love (Prins Thomas Sneaky Re-Edit)
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour – The Sun Ain’t Shining Anymore
Filthy Dukes – This Rhythm (Fred Falke remix)
Golden Silvers – True Romance (True No.9 Blues)
Chew Lips – Solo
Two Door Cinema Club – Something Good Can Work
Stricken City – Lost Art
Delphic – Counterpoint (The Chain remix)
The Temper Trap – The Science Of Fear (Herve dub mix)
Chrome Hoof – Pronoid
Kap Bambino – Red Sign
Maps – Stay Another Day (East 17 cover)

My earliest experiences with port wine left bitter sweet tastes upon my tongue and tip-toed sneaks to the nearest sink to pour it down the drain before being caught.  No, I was not sneaking the burgundy hued liquid from my mother’s liquor cabinet.  To the contrary, my mother would force extremely low end, sickly sweet and rather awful port wine down my throat anytime I would begin to complain of a sore throat when I was young.  Too young for such alcoholic spirits, but she believed in the “medicinal” effects of port wine.  The memories of horrid port etched on my mind stayed with me for all this time.  I rarely touch the stuff. 

Until that is, Samantha at Brand Action Team emailed to say Sandeman Tawny Porto 10 years old was in the mail for my review.  Honestly, I was equally hesitant and curious as to what my mind-set on port would be for a thorough review.  The last time I took a sip had been less than a year ago and even then it caused my nose to wrinkle in dislike. 

While out at the liquor store I picked up a bottle of average port for comparison purposes.  To spare a perfectly good wine label embarrassment for below average port, their label will remain nameless.  The grape jam they pass off as port should cease to be created.  My first mistake came in thinking a typical port would do the trick for evaluation purposes.  Not so.  It only enhanced my apprehension, fortifying my belief that port is not my cup of tea. 

With that a little Sandeman 10 years old swirled into my glass. 

The color is not deeply as jeweled as I thought it would be.  Rather than dark plum, it is vibrantly rubied.  There are distinct aromas of nut such as walnut and possibly almond skin.  The fruit is rich.  I experience the richness of fruit at the height of ripeness, dried to perfection and then blended and aged with the nut.  This aging has distinguishing characteristics of fig, raisin and small hints of vanilla with a nuttiness that finishes full and long in such an alluring way on the palate. 

I hesitate to make the next comparison since it may come with mixed reaction.  Years ago I was offered a thin slice of very dark, thick, rich fruit cake created using the finest of exotic fruits, liqueurs and spirits.  This fruit cake was not the same brick one would buy at the corner market made with the usual pineapple and maraschino cherries that last for the next ten years that get passed around from neighbor to neighbor and aunt to cousin.  The extravagance in flavor of the fruitcake slice was beyond anything I could have ever imagined in a fruitcake.  The flavors blended to perfection, the cake was dense and flavorful rather than chunky and awkward and the bites were intended to be savored as tasted rather than gobbled.  Tasting this Sandeman Tawny Porto 10 Year Old took me back to the time I tasted that extraordinary fruitcake.  The flavors are not exactly the same, but the experience is similar.  Both teased the senses and enlightened my taste buds to something new and exciting.  I may never encounter that homemade fruitcake again, but I do know where to find Sandeman.  He is available nationwide. 

Sandeman Tawny Porto 10 Year Old suggests hearty cheese or even ice cream with this particular aging.  Usually what finds its way into my liquor glass is my dessert of choice, so no ice cream for me.  However, a twelve month aged Manchego cheese sounds like a lovely accompaniment to this Sandeman.  For the last few nights, I have actually chosen my Sandeman on its own sitting by the fire and it has been perfectly delightful. 

We all have one or more spirits we say we abhor or will never try or drink again.  Mine was port wine.  After sampling this one, the lesson learned is to keep an open mind.  Find a company who through experience has created an extraordinary product.  Rather than sample a low quality or mid-grade product, taste something of quality.  Sandeman has been in the Porto and Sherry business since 1790.  Taste for yourself why the Sandeman brand is “Famous for Pleasure.”

www.sandeman.eu

Advertising through the years.  Find valuable Sandeman history and all about the “Don” on the Sandeman website. 

É com imensa pena, que vos digo que não posso colocar fotografias ilustrativas de uma bela visita que fiz hoje. Mas tentem imaginar, sim? Depois actualizo com fotos.

Ora, era suposto irmos à praia, eu e os meus pais, mas estava um tempo assim para o nublado, pelo que ao pequeno-almoço o meu pai sugeriu irmos a vários sitios como Braga, Viana do Castelo e eu disse então “Porque não vamos conhecer o Porto?” e lá fomos. Saimos de casa, Aliados, Sé.

Sé

A nossa primeira paragem, um dos pontos mais visitados do Porto, tem uma vista fantástica para o casario que se estende até à Torre dos Clérigos, tem como é claro a Sé Catedral, uma bela e singular vista sobre o rio. Vale a pena ir. Mas aviso que a zona em seu redor está um pouco degradada e mal tratada infelizmente.

Ponte D.Luís

Desde que estive no Porto naquelas semanas antes de começar o 2º semestre que me andava a apetecer atravessar a Ponte a pé. Hoje quando o fiz, sentia alegria e um medo desgraçado, porque tenho a sensação que as alturas me fazem confusão. A vista é tudo. A de Gaia, a do Porto, é tudo! A melhor, nem que seja uma vez na vida, atravessem a ponte, é fantástico. Mas não olhem muito para baixo, ok?

Vila Nova de Gaia

O.k. o passeio não foi só “o” Porto, mas uma visita de alguém de fora, não se faz só a visitar o lado norte, mas sim a visitar também Vila Nova de Gaia. Descemos por umas escadas mesmo à saida da ponte, fomos ter a uma rua que vai dar à entrada do tabuleiro inferior da ponte D.Luís, a rua é fantástica e aposto que aqueles moradores quando acordam e abrem a janela, vêm a vida com uns olhos diferentes por terem aquela paisagem ali tão boa à frente.

A marginal de Vila Nova de Gaia ou a Ribeira de Gaia, é um regalo, porque se vê o Porto, fantástico e nos lembramos da música do Rui Veloso:

“Quem vem e atravessa o rio
Junto à serra do Pilar
vê um velho casario
que se estende ate ao mar

Quem te vê ao vir da ponte
és cascata, são-joanina
dirigida sobre um monte
no meio da neblina.”

E sorri, muito, por pensar que vivo e nasci em tamanha cidade. Mais uma porrada de fotografias. E andamos até às Caves. Era quase uma hora e como iam fechar, decidimos tentar as Iscas de Bacalhau por ali, mas não tivemos  grande sorte e deixamo-nos estar pelo Cais de Gaia, a passear pela Ribeira de Gaia e a ver o movimento do Air Race, que já começa a espreitar com camiões da comitiva, etc.. E lá fomos às Caves.

Caves Sandeman

Passando a publicidade… LOL Fomos visitar as Caves do Vinho do Porto, coisa que eu nunca tinha feito. Já andei de barco no rio Douro, já fiz muita coisa mas as Caves foi inédito ou não me lembro. Ora tendo em conta que deixamos o almoço para o lado do Porto, o qual seria uma Francesinha no sítio habitual. Ir de estômago vazio (ou com o pequeno-almoço ainda, mas pouco, a dar de si) parece uma manobra arriscada. Tão arriscada que eu temi pela minha saúde quando vi que há prova de dois vinhos do Porto na visita, incluidos no preço da mesma. Mas lá fomos. A visita vale a pena pro vários motivos: pelas Caves que são um espaço emblemático de toda a concepção do vinho do Porto, pela história da Sandeman, uma das marcas mais antigas do mundo; mas para mim em especial foi importante porque eu não fazia grande ideia de como é que era feito o vinho do Porto, em especial (na escola ninguém me explicou, sou uma triste, sou pois!). Nunca vi tanto vinho na vida (dentro das pipas claro) e é sempre bom saber que há garrafas que chegam aos 3 mil euros. A prova foi pacata.

O regresso

Custou-me um bocadinho fazer a volta de regresso. Mas só porque tava cansada e com fominha, porque tive oportunidade de passar pela Ribeira do Porto de dia, coisa que não fazia à uns 10 anos talvez. Foi uma passagem rápida, mas deu para ver do lado de cá a ribeira de Gaia. Claro que no final, o prémio chamado Francesinha foi extremamente gratificante.

Em jeito de conclusão, se quiserem informações sobre preços (da visita às Caves, dos passeios de Barco, dos restaurantes da zona, etc.) digam, sim?

The Rough Guide 08 on demand at 3VOOR12, or to download.

הפוסט לא קיבל את שמו בגלל סערות שדפקו על החלונות, או על טמפרטורות מקפיאות. החורפיות בשישי הזה הגיעה מתפריט האוכל והיין. חודשי חום ארוכים אני מחכה לפתוח איזה בקבוק אדום לצד תבשיל קדירה, וסוף סוף התאפשר.

האורחים הביאו איתם מגש שפרדס פאי, ואצלנו לאחר פתיחה של מיני סנדוויצ’ים בשריים עברנו לקדירה של כתף בקר וירקות שורש שהתבשלה כשעתיים והוגשה על מצע אורז פשוט. כשהתחלתי לבשל פתחתי את היין שינשום ומזגתי לי מעט. טעימה קצרה הספיקה על מנת שאשקה את נתחי הבשר האדמדם בחצי כוס, שיכנס לסיר במצב רוח מרומם.

רקנאטי קברנה סוביניון 2006

 צבע שחור ואטום, סגול יפה בשוליים, הפרי הנעים באף מזכיר בעיקר שזיף, ולצידו , פלפל שחור ועץ נדיב, ממנו עולה קשת תבלינים מיוחדת – סימן ההיכר של היינן. גוף בינוני מלא, יובש טוב עם טאנין כמעט מתוק, לצידו פרי ותיבול ער, סיום נעים באותה מגמה.

לא איזה רזרב נוצץ, ירדן עטור שבחים או בוטיק אופנתי – אבל יין עשיר ומהנה, שאחרי עליית מחירים נושק מלמטה לחמישים ש”ח (לפני הנחות) ועדיין נותן תמורה יפה למחיר. למעשה, עכשיו שאני חושב על זה, יש אפילו איזה נקודה או שתיים בהן הוא מזכיר את הספשל רזרב 2003. יופי של יין להתאים למנות בקר ותבשילים עשירים. שורה תחתונה: לקנות עוד.

לקינוח, לצד שוקולד מריר -

Sandeman Medium Dry Sherry

צבע חום בהיר, בין יין לבן מחומצן לויסקי, באף משמשים מיובשים, אפרסק ועוד פרי. מעט סמיך בפה, הפרי המתוק נוכח אבל מרוסן היטב ע”י חמיצות ערה ומרעננת, אלכוהולי לרגע (15%). טעים וממלא את הפה.

קינוח נחמד ומעניין, שמצליח לא להיות מתוק מידי. ההתאמה לשוקולד לא הייתה מוצלחת במיוחד, ועדיף לדעתי להגיש עם פירות טריים.