Today the DD Guide to the Wine Galaxy is proud to present the Iberian Day of Days - the International Portugal Isn't the Same As Spain Day!
And we're sure every one the world over is celebrating, as it's a day you definitely can't forget - and certainly not one we've just made up here at DD HQ for an excuse to open up some delectable Portuguese wine and polish off a cheeky custard tart or two... Anyway, we digress.
They might share the same corner of western Europe, but the Iberian Peninsula is made up of two wonderfully contrasting countries! They have different languages (for example, the Duero river in Spain becomes the Duoro in Portugal); they pronounce the letter J different, and Ronaldo doesn't play for Spain.
There's no big Tempranillos to be found in our Portuguese collection - but you will find crunchy whites, delicious mountain reds and some absolutely fantastic ports. And we also get to celebrate our 2021 Import Producer of the Year - and one of our favourite producers on the globe - Luis Seabra!
So read on below and celebrate the joy of Portuguese wine! Just remember: it's not the same as Spain.
"Luis Seabra is something of a rockstar among Portuguese winemakers."
Huon Hooke (The Real Review)
Luis Seabra: an iconoclast, a reviver of lost varieties, and above all a maker of supremely brilliant wines from the regions of Duoro and Dao!
His wines are a bit on the premium side of the ledger, but honestly, they're very underpriced for the world-class quality you'll find within. These are wines to "keep a drinker on their toes" according to Mike Bennie at The Wine Front, and we're definitely seconding that opinion.
We have a mix of new and restocked wines from Luis, including the Xisto Ilimitado Branco Duoro which is just about the best bottle of wine you can buy for $50 in our opinion. A crunchy, saline white of incredible mineral verve - truly exceptional.
Shop the full Luis Seabra range here!
And now for some Portuguese Port perfection to chase away those winter blues!
Port comes from Oporto, Portugal, and some of our favourites come from historic producer Quinta do Noval, founded way back in 1715!
We have a whole bunch of new arrivals from Noval that span the entire port spectrum - from the everyday Tawny NV to the outstanding new 2019 Vintage Port if you're feeling frivolous.
But the best buy might just be their 2016 LBV, meaning Late Bottled Vintage. It's a style basically invented by Noval and it's extraordinary value for money and need not be drunk all in one sitting - though if it's what you're into, by all means, be our guest.
There's also some nifty 375ml bottles of LBV from another great name - Niepoort.
But there's more to this fantastic part of the world than just Luis Seabra and port, of course. In our full range of Portuguese wines you'll find some gems from Casal Figuera, a Lisboa legend; some outstanding red and whites from Antonio Madeira in the high hills of the Dao region; the best of Vinho Verde in a linear, racy white, the 2019 Quinta do Ameal Loureiro and the cracking range of wines from the husband and wife winemaking team at Paco & Wouters.
Try something completely different and shop our Portuguese collection here.
Don't panic! Just explore.
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