Wines of Portugal readies for Manchester tasting

With more than 190 examples on show, Wines of Portugal is offering a one-stop shop in Manchester for the trade to see the diversity of Portuguese wine. On Monday 30 June, Wines of Portugal heads to the UK’s northwest as it brings its trade and press tasting to Manchester. Hosted from 12–4pm in the centrally located People’s History Museum, the day’s tasting will span the length and breadth of Portuguese wine production. The nearly 200 bottles to be presented on the day have been sourced from 19 different producers. These encompass both companies already in the UK market and those seeking representation, meaning both importers and outlets will have opportunities to find new business. From Vinhos Verdes in the north to the Algarve in the south (not to mention the wines from the island of Madeira) the walk-around tasting will offer a comprehensive selection of Portugal’s best wines. That, of course, includes the increasingly well-known and well-regarded regions of Douro, Bairrada and Alentejo. Indeed, though the nation’s fortified wines have long been held in high regard, its still wines are increasingly finding investment and acclaim, as Patrick Schmitt MW found out last year. Portugal offers a veritable treasure trove of unusual styles and indigenous grape varieties. Its production is impressively heterogeneous; among the world’s top 10 wine producing nations, only Italy can compete with Portugal for wealth of native grapes. Thus those seeking something out of the ordinary can also receive a whistle-stop introduction to Portugal’s hidden gems in a masterclass before the tasting at 11am. Dirceu Vianna Junior MW, one of the UK’s leading authorities on Portuguese wine, will guide visitors through a tasting entitled ‘Off the Beaten Track’. The tasting is exclusively for the UK trade and press, and attendees must register in advance for both the masterclass and the day’s tasting. More information, as well as a link to register, can be found here.