The Work of Three Generations in One Port In Portugal’s Douro, where the history of large merchant houses is inescapable, the Alves de Sousa family is part of a rare group of independent winemakers and growers. Land for the Alves de Sousa family goes back five generations. Today, the winery is a full-fledged family affair…
Author: chasingwine
The Exception that Proves the Rule
How baga has beat the odds by staying true to character There are many ways that baga, a grape of northern Portugal, refuses to be neatly categorized. Producers within its home region of Bairrada stubbornly adhere to making wines that are 100 percent baga. Their dedication to a single varietal runs counter to the overall…
Made for Each Other
The joy of Bairrada’s perfect pairing with Quinta das Bágeiras The first time I shared a meal with a winemaker was with Gianni Brunelli in Montalcino in 2005. Lunch was offered by Gianni as Louisa, his friend and manager of where we were staying, arranged for a tour and tasting. It seemed like an overwhelming…
A Change in Fortune
Barbera’s climb to become “the people’s wine” Food-friendly, plenty of zip, and rounded off with some spice. It’s simple how barbera, in the words of Cole Porter, “would be so easy to love.” Barbera’s popularity is perhaps as much owed to its casting as “the people’s wine” – unpretentious, approachable, and easy-going – as the…
The World and Its Wines, One Vineyard at at Time
Welcome to Chasing Wine! Wine tells a story. About the land, people, and varietals that create it. Each post at Chasing Wine is about sharing the narrative behind the bottle. And, since any story about wine starts in the vineyard, that’s where Chasing Wine is headed. No points or what-to-buy-now lists here. Just tales from…
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