The meeting of the Wine Club on July 4th, 2024 was a special Wine Tasting event held at Leao D’Ouro, a Portuguese restaurant at 920A Dundas Street East, in Mississauga. Twelve people attended to try 4 curiated Portuguese wines supplied by the Restaurant. Attendees were responsible for paying for their own dinner.
Everyone enjoyed the meals that they ordered. To see the dinner menu used by the group:
The Wines Sampled
Wine sampling was done on the basis of whether they would order a bottle of that wine again if they were to return to the restaurant with a group of friends. This criteria was used as all of the wines supplied by Leao D’Ouro are not available from the LCBO.
The white wines were sampled prior to the meal while the red wines were tasted during the meal. Restaurant staff told us about the wines that were being served and the region that they came from.
Portugal, Douro Region, Casa Ferreirinha, Planalto Reserva, White Blend, 2022
A white wine blend of Viosinho 35%, Codega 15%, Gouveio 15%, Malvasia Fina 15%. Pale yellow colour. This wine is medium bodied, dry, and slightly acidic. Flavours include tree fruits such as peach, a touch of honey, with citrus and earthy notes . Serve at 9 – 11ºC.
Sugar content of 1.7 g/L. with 12.5% alcohol. Online price of $25.50. A great wine for eating seafood! This wine goes well with Shellfish, Appetizers and Snacks, Lean Fish and Cured Meats or on its own. We later learned that this was the white house wine for the restaurant.
All 12 attendees said that would purchase it.
Portugal, Alentejo Region, Esporão, Monte Velho Branco, White Blend, 2022
This wine portrays the best aromas and flavors of Alentejo grapes. A white wine blend of Viosinho, Malvasia Fina, Gouveio, Códega, Arinto, Rabigato, and Moscatel. Crystalline appearance with a citrine colour. This wine is medium bodied, dry with a slight sweetness, and medium acidity. Aroma of good intensity and some complexity, white fruits, and tropical, citrus that gives it harmony. In the mouth it has a vibrant but well integrated acidity, notes of citrus and floral with long and balanced finish.
It has 13.0% alcohol. Sugar content of 2.1 g/L. Online price of $12.33. Food parings of Pork, Shellfish, Pasta and Lean fish.
6 attendees said that they would buy this wine, 3 might buy it, and 3 would not buy it.
Portugal, Douro Region, Carm, Red Blend, 2021
Carm is part of the Roboredo Madeira winery group and is vinified in Carm’s Winery at Quinta das Marvalhas in Almendra. It’s a blend of Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional, the trio of red grapes that form the backbone of many Port wines. It’s aged in both French and American oak barrels for eight months prior to bottling. Look for expressions of blackberries, mulberry, and black cherry followed by the seductive flavours of black figs and licorice. There’s a hint of toasted oak on the palate.
Alcohol content of 13.5%. Online price of $22.56. Perfect with a juicy steak! Food parings of Beef, Lamb, Pasta, and Game such as deer and venison.
6 attendees said that they would buy this wine, 3 might buy it, and 3 would not buy it.
Portugal, Península de Setúbal, Bacalhôa, Catarina, Red Blend, 2021
This is a medium bodied wine, well balanced, dry with a slight sweetness and medium acidity. Very deep in color, very rich and concentrated in aromas and flavours, with red fruit notes combined with toasted “nuances” and well-integrated vanilla over a firm and elegant structure. Complex and long, it has great storage potential. Grapes are Castelão, and Alicante Bouschet.
Alcohol content of 14.0%. Online price of $15.97. Perfect with Pizza! Food parings of Beef, Veal, Pasta, and Poultry. Serve at 16ºC – 18ºC.
5 attendees said that they would buy this wine, 1 might buy it, and 6 would not buy it.
More About Portuguese Wines
Portugal is the 11th largest wine producer in the world. There are close to half a million acres are under grape cultivation. The country boasts over 250 native grape varieties.
Regions Where the Wines Served Came From
The Douro
Renowned for its famous fortified Port wine, the Douro is one of the oldest, demarcated and regulated wine regions in the world, but it’s only in the past decade that it has started to gain recognition for its non-fortified styles. Rugged and mountainous, it has terraced vineyards and hot weather that combine to produce powerful, elegant wines from the same grapes used to make Port.
Alentejo
The Alentejo region, east of Lisbon, produces some of Portugal’s most popular and sought-after wines. Some bottles are still made in this ancient wine-growing region using traditional Roman techniques, such as making wine in the clay amphorae called talhas where spontaneous fermentation takes place.
For further information about Portuguese wines, click on the link below to view the handout sent prior to the Wine Tasting Event:
Probus Club of Kingsway-Islington 