Category Archives: Friday Features/Newsletters

Hello and Happy Friday,

It officially feels like winter in Chicago, and that has many of us looking to hunker down with a good bottle of red and a delicious home-cooked meal. With that thought in mind, I bring you this great value red from Portuguese producer, Quinta do Infantado. It’s Perman-tasted and Perman-approved!

On another note, this past Wednesday I released my calendar of events for January through March. There are some great tastings at the store on the list and even a special winemaker dinner. If you didn’t get that email you can check out the events listing on the website by clicking here.

Hope you have a great weekend,

Craig

—–

Friday Feature

2008 QUINTA DO INFANTADO DOURO VINHO TINTO
Portugal has always produced still wines, but never at the quality level that is going on today. Port houses from the Douro region have gained notoriety for their dry red and white wines, and rightfully so.

Today’s friday feature focuses on what I think is a great value red wine from the Douro region and famous Port house, Quinta do Infantado. This is not one of the large scale Port producers, rather a family estate headed by João Roseira. There is a nice write up of the history of Quinta do Infantado if you click here.

I am a big fan of the recently released 2008 Vinho Tinto. Like most Douro red wines it is a blend of local grapes, and Infantado is unique in crushing and fermenting in traditional lagares, large barrels that are meant for foot treading of the grapes. Infantado uses local rather than laboratory-made yeasts, and ages this wine in a combination of tank and oak barrels.

What I like about this wine is that it smells and tastes authentic in the every way. It has the mineral component that you would expect from those soils. Its spice driven, savory, with a little tongue-coating tannin. There is a little fruit behind this, but it never smells or tastes candied. It is just a delicious bottle of wine, at a very nice price point that is perfect for winter foods like roasts and beef stews.

$24.99 BTL. / $299.88 CASE