Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/10329
MiddlePath The P PORTUGAL’S G7 ALLIANCE PROMOTES MID-TIER WINES by Becky Sue Epstein ortugal has an identity problem. We in the U.S. tend to think of Portugal either as the exporter of mass-produced, inexpensive wines or as the producer of elite ports—and sometimes both. Nothing in the middle. But creating mid- range wines is what many Portuguese winemakers have been concentrating on since the end of the 20th century, when several things happened concurrently. First, as winemakers started traveling, working harvests and making wine in each others’ territories, they came home eager to try new techniques in the vineyards and in the wineries. Then, the venerable port industry took a dip in world-wide impor- tance. Finally, Portugal joined the European Union. These factors combined to create a new sensibility in the wine industry in Portugal. José Maria da Fonseca’s Domini Plus exemplifies the modern wines coming out of Portugal. Vineyards in winter at Aveleda. 112 / the tasting panel / may 2010