Saturday, Dec. 11, 7pm: Madeira, Port, and Portugese Wines
Post date: Nov 29, 2010 2:01:57 PM
This is not yo Mama's Mateus Rose.
I've never admitted to actually drinking Mateus Rose. There is an incriminating picture of me in my dorm room with a bottle of Mateus with a candle in it. Let's just call that a youthful indiscretion.
As the Christmas season approaches I begin thinking of the classic after dinner wines of Madeira and Port. These are wines to be savored as they warm the cockles of your heart.
The wines of Portugal have been highly revered by Presidents (Thomas Jefferson) and paupers (me) alike. The praise was largely restricted to their fortified wines. It is only recently that their classic red and white wines have risen to global standards. Too many people still think of Portuguese wines as insipid swill from Lancers. At our next tasting you'll be delighted to find extraordinary Red and White wines for a song. One of the wines we will be tasting is a legitimate 94 point wine for under $28!
Our friend Chris Saia has agreed to host the event in their brand new tasting room at West Concord Liquors 1216 Main Street in the same shopping center as Vincenzo's restaurant. They are very proud of their recent expansion and look forward to having the ABNN be the first group they host. The evening will provide you with an overview of the reemerging wine scene in Portugal. We will taste some of the newly rediscovered whites and reds while finishing the evening with Madeira and Port. 2007 was the most recent widely proclaimed vintage year for Port. Like Champagne, not every year is considered good enough to be a vintage year. 2007 was an extraordinary year for Port for all the major producers.
The event will start at 7pm. I'm targeting a fee of $20 per person to put us all in a festive mood. As always, there is no charge for the non-drinking designated driver. We encourage all of our members to enjoy themselves responsibly. Each couple is requested to bring a wine friendly appetizer. I'm hopeful that some of you would be willing to bring a dessert so that we can demonstrate the characteristics of Madeira and Port.
Please RSVP to me at epmolander@gmail.com or call me at 978-263-0929 by Thursday, Dec. 9.
Cheers,
Erik
Location of West Concord Liquors