Somm Gift Kit 2021: Portugal Perfection

YAY! You have the 2021 Twin Cities Wine Education
Portugal Perfection Somm Kit!

Three fantastic wines representing what is new and cool about the wines of Portugal! Let’s dive into these wines and learn more about them!

But first, in case you have no idea who we are, here’s an introduction from us, explaining who we are and what we do:

Let’s learn about your wines!

More links for learning

THE REGION OF ALENTEJO

In the south and southeastern corner of Portugal is the region of Alentejo, the largest of the Portuguese wine regions. Even the largest wineries in Portugal are small by international standards, and always run by proud families. This particular region has the largest of these small wineries, and they are picking up on the impact of wine tourism in a big way. In other words, this is now an easy area to visit in terms of going from winery to winery on an adventure. It’s also an AWESOME area to bike if that’s your thing.

The other thing Alentejo is well known for is the cork industry.

THE REGION OF DĀO

It’s all about the granite when you’re talking about Dāo. Granitic soils help to add the punchy fruit and ‘snap’ that the wines of the Dāo are so famous for. This is a remote region, where traffic jams are usually caused not by cars, but by herds of sheep and goats being moved from field to field.

And like Alentejo, it’s a great region to bike.

THE REGION OF THE DOURO VALLEY

It’s a UNESCO Heritage Site, it’s one of the most beautiful wine regions on the planet, and it just recently entered the modern age. Think about this: there are parts of the Douro Valley that didn’t get electricity until the 1970s! For hundreds of years the wines of the region have been made naturally and manually, and the knowledge of generations of farmers has made this one of the top wine regions of the world.

This is by far the best video I’ve found to explain the Douro’s history and the wines of the area.

And finally…

Keep in mind that the dry wines of Portugal are probably the biggest bang for the buck wines on shelves today. Awesome small importers are finding the gems, and the category has yet to become dominated by big brands and big marketing dollars. 

Thank you! Enjoy your wines!

Jason and Angela Kallsen