Lisbon's new gastronomic festival: Adegga's new Food & Wine Festival: June 30th - July 1st 2018

Edward V11 Park in the centre of Lisbon 

The restored Pavilion Carlos Lopez is just off to the left 

It is good news that Adegga will be holding a two day Food and Wine festival in the centre of Lisbon on Saturday June 30th and Sunday 1st July 2018. Adegga is well known for running their regular Wine Markets with great success.

The new festival will be held in the Pavilhão Carlos Lopes, which is on the edge of Edward V11 Park and has recently been restored.  

  

André Ribeirinho of Adegga with Filipa Pato

André Cid of Adegga with Filipa Pato

Press release from Adegga:

The 2-day festival that brings together the main wine producers in Portugal and the best food experiences will take place on the weekend of June 30th and July 1st.

The new Adegga Food & Wine Festival will take place on the terraces of the recently restored Pavilhão Carlos Lopes in the Parque Eduardo VII, which overlooks in the city center. Here Portuguese and international consumers will experience an innovative gastronomic event.

Based on the Summer edition of the Adegga WineMarket (widely considered one of the best wine events in Portugal) the festival will bring together wine producers selected by the Adegga team and gastronomic experiences with invited Portuguese chefs. On each Chef’s Table visitors will be able to discover and taste the best food and wine pairings specifically designed by each chef. A special dinner with a unique concept will also take place on the first day of the event.

“Despite the fact the Adegga WineMarket is considered by our visitors as one of Portugal’s best wine experiences, raising the bar is an essential part of our DNA. We always had food options on our events but now we’ve created an integrated food and wine experience, where wine and food are deeply connected. We assume ourselves as a summer festival that presents the best products and quality brands and simultaneously a special gastronomic experience.”, says André Ribeirinho, one of the founders of Adegga.

Adegga is a Wine & Lifestyle brand that recommends and brings together producers and consumers through a diversity of experiences.

André Ribeirinho, André Cid and Daniel Matos created the Adegga WineMarket concept that, now through more than 20 editions, has defined a new standard of quality wine events integrating such concepts as Taste & Buy, Event Online Shop, Rising Stars and the SmartWineGlass technology.  

SmartWineGlass  is an award-winning technology that is used in prestigious world-class wine events, helping event visitors remember the visited brands and tasted wines through an automatic email sent after the event. Adegga Rising Stars is a space for rising winemakers and projects inside the event. These are some of the innovations that have made Adegga a wine industry reference. 

Through their modern consumer-oriented comunication, Adegga has brought new consumers to wine and promoted over 200 quality wine producers. In previous years Adegga has taken Portuguese wine to Brussels, Berlin and Stockholm. 
 
Event information:

• Name: Adegga Food & Wine Festival
• Dates: 30th June and 1st of July
• Location: Terraces of Pavilhão Carlos Lopes
• Tickets: available soon
• Official Site: www.adegga.com

Lisbon: André – Taberna da Rua das Flores and now Taberna Fina (Hotel le Consulat)

 Ceviche of oysters to get us started

Friday night was a real treat – dinner at Taberna da Rua das Flores. No surprise, of course, the food by is always wonderfully inventive as well as being very tasty. 

André Magalhães owner and chef of Taberna da Flores

This Friday (1st December) André Magalhães opens his Taberna Fina at the nearby Hotel Le Consulat.The concept will be very similar to Taberna da Rua das Flores but more fine dining based on a tasting menu with the additional option of enjoying wines by the glass selected by André Ribeirinho to match the dishes.  

Is it a spoon or perhaps a fork or both – which end do you use?

After a rum cocktail we broached this 2014 Beira Int from Anselmo Mendes – venturing away from his customary area – the Minho. This white is made from 100% of the rare grape – Síria from old vines. It has a very particular, quite pungent aroma while the palate is more conventional with attractive texture and length. Just under 20€ from the Garrafeira Campo d'Ourique.  

Some of our dishes:   

 Corvina

 

 Scallops wrapped in bacon 

 Art on a plate: still life 

Soft shelled crab burgers 

Once we had seen off Anselmo's fine Beira we moved onto the lovely, complex 2006 Casa Figueira Branco made from Roussanne. 

Desserts:  

A light egg dessert rather like an Ile Flottante

 

 Passion fruit cheescake

 Rich, opulent chocolate cake 

With our desserts we had the mellow 1994 Colheita, Pocas.

Le Consulat, Lisbon + Taberna das Flores – an impressive restrained soirée

 

 The bar area

Yesterday evening turned out to nicely restrained starting at the new Le Consulat Hotel in Central Lisbon and opened at the end of May. It is a French venture involving François Blot and Valérie Guérend. François hails from Honfleur in Normandy but has close family links to wine in both South West France and North Africa. Le Consulat used to be the Brazilian Consulate, hence of course the name. 

I met François and Valerie last evening. If I had known his surname was Blot I would have asked if he was, by any chance, related to Jacky Blot of Bourgueil, Monlouis and Vouvray fame.

François and Valerie have, I think, made two smart appointments. Portuguese wine expert and the chief apostle of Adegga, André Ribeirinho, has been hired to look after the wine side, while the brilliant chef André Magalhães (Taberna das Flores) will soon opening their restaurant to be called Taberna Fina. 

 Through to the wine bar area 

 Menu and view from Le Consulat (No 22) 

over the Plaça Luís de Camões

 View over the Plaça Luís de Camões
(above and below)

 

Couple by window 

André Magalhães Taberna Fina 

Adegga Winemarket Lisboa: 1st December 2016

Great opportunity today to taste wines from 60 of Portugal's most interesting producers plus an amazing range of 30 wines in the Premium Room at the Adegga Christmas Winemarket. This includes a vertical of Niepoort's Batuta from 2014 back to 1999, which was the first vintage of this Douro wine. Fruit from the north facing Quinta do Carril is an important component of Batuta. 

Today's Adegga Winemarket is being held at the Marriott Hotel Lisboa, Av. dos Combatentes 45, 1600-042 Lisboa

An amazing range: 
Uma sala exclusiva com 30 dos melhores vinhos de Portugal (incluindo uma incrível vertical de vinhos de Douro). A Lista de Vinhos Oficial da Sala Premium do Adegga WineMarket:
1 Monte da Ravasqueira MR Espumante 2012
2 Quinta do Síbio Samarrinho 2015
3 Quinta da Alorna - Marquesa de Alorna Grande Reserva 2014
4 Quinta Maria Izabel - Vinhas Velhas - Vinhas da Princesa 2014
5 Quinta dos Carvalhais Branco Especial
6 Anselmo Mendes Parcela Única 2011 (Double Magnum)
7 Quinta do Portal Touriga Nacional 2000 (Magnum)
8 Monte da Ravasqueira MR Premium Touriga Nacional 2012
9 Quinta do Piloto Coleção de Familia 2013
10 Herdade do Mouchão Tonel nº 3-4 2011
11 Quinta dos Carvalhais Reserva Tinto 2011
12 Casa Ferreirinha Quinta da Leda 2014
13 Quinta dos Murças VV47
14 Niepoort Batuta 1999
15 Niepoort Batuta 2000
16 Niepoort Batuta 2001 (Magnum)
17 Niepoort Batuta 2003
18 Niepoort Batuta 2004 (Magnum)
19 Niepoort Batuta 2005 (Magnum)
20 Niepoort Batuta 2007 (Magnum)
21 Niepoort Batuta 2008
22 Niepoort Batuta 2009
23 Niepoort Batuta 2010
24 Niepoort Batuta 2011
25 Niepoort Batuta 2012
26 Niepoort Batuta 2013
27 Niepoort Batuta 2014
28 Quinta do Noval Vintage 1994
29 Quinta do Noval Colheita 1976
30 Cálem Colheita 1961
31 Burmester Colheita 1952
32 Kopke Colheita 1957
33 Real Companhia Velha 1938
34 Niepoort Colheita 1934

BILHETES (tickets): https://pt.adegga.com/bilheteira

SITE OFICIAL: https://pt.adegga.com/lis16

 André Ribeirinho, Adegga's chief evangelist,

in the Alentejo – July 2016

 

@Mouchão July 2016

#winelover – Port immersion September 2016 – another remarkable Port tasting

The line of Ports going back to VV Niepoort 

based mainly on 1863

 

 Bento Amaral

Following on from the very good Port tasting we were privileged to enjoy on Friday with Tania Oliveira we had another remarkable Port tasting on Saturday at Niepoort's Quinta de Nápoles, a little upstream on the Douro from Regua. This was brilliantly tutored by Bento Amaral, the director of technical services and certification for the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto (IVDP). 

Before the tasting we had a walk through the vineyards of Nápoles, which counts 115 different grape varieties. We also had the first session of the #winelover 1st Symposium (#IWS16).  

 The line-up of Ports 

Niepoort VV

The tasting (includes climate etc. comments from Bento Amaral)
Bento Amaral commented at the end of the tasting that all of these wines are great, as indeed they were – such a privilege to taste them especially with a fascinating commentary from Bento, who wears his knowledge so lightly and humbly.

Many thanks to André Ribeirinho for organising this tasting and to Dirk Niepoort for hosting the event at Quinta de Nápoles, even though this is the middle of the harvest. In addition he very generously opened some large format bottles over lunch including a stunning demijohn of 1948. 

Ramos Pinto Vintage 1982 

Very dry winter and summer. Mid red colour, cherry nose, soft, cherry texture, still some spirit, split vintage by declaration with some houses opting instead for 1983.

Quinta do Noval 2011 
Classically good year. For some people best year ever - eg Symington.

Youthful purple colour, slightly fishy smell, dense, quite noticeable tannins, but softness there. Length and texture. 'Very extracted Ports'. Main grape varieties used Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Roriz.

Quevedo 30-year-old white tawny Port 
Mid-golden colour, floral, lightly nutty, lovely texture, dried apricot, length and delicacy. Citric notes. Very attractive. Just 1000 bottles produced. 100€ for 50cl bottle.   

Exports of Port from the Douro valley were banned until 8th May 1986. Prior to that all Port had to be exported from Vila Nova do Gaia and, as there was no demand for white Port at the time, growers were left with stocks of white Port, which the Port companies wouldn't buy. Oscar Quededo explained that he and his sister had recently decided to bottle a small quantity of this lovely 30-year-old white Port. 

It was the accession into the EU that forced the change in the Port laws including the right to export which has allowed independent producers like Quevedo to become established in their own right.     

Poças Colheita 1976 
Mid-gold a little darker than white Port. Delicate, a little spirit is noticeable, length. Orange peel and charm.

Very dry winter, very hot dry summer. Light rain in September. 23rd September saw the start of harvest.

Vasques de Carvalho 40-year-old tawny 
Considerably deeper colour than 1976. Walnut colour,  spirit and spice on nose, nutty, raisin, quite austere in the finish, lovely length of spice. Very fine.

144 grams residual sugar, 5.92 acidity. Company based in Regua.   

Niepoort Colheita 1957 

Deepening walnut colour, nutty, dried apricot, some raisin character, precision and length, white pepper. Delightful! Bottled 1972. 

Dirk Niepoort is convinced of the potential for tawnies and colheitas to age in bottle whereas many in the Port trade prefer that Tawnies and Colheitas are consumed soon after they are bottled. For this reason these wines are bottled in small batches according to demand.   

Kopke white tawny Port 1935 
Climate: Dry winter, some frost, irregular summer. Split vintage declaration with some houses preferring to declare 1934, whole others plumped for 1935.  

Bento said that the 1935s are keeping better than 1934. 

Mid-walnut colour, similar in colour to Niepoort 1957. Wood spice on nose, quite sweet initially but very soon attractive austerity comes through, citric, orange notes, lovely length of wood spice present. Bottled last week – the opposite policy to that of Dirk.

Niepoort VV 
Very deep gold, spice dominant, wood spice, rich dried apricot character, extraordinary concentration and austerity and length, dried fruits. 999 bottles produced with 1863 main constituent.

VV old vines. Mainly aged in Gaia. Bottled 1972. 1863 was the year phylloxera arrived in the Douro, so this VV is from pre-phylloxera vines. 

••

Dirk Niepoort

      The remarkable 1948 – what a complex treat!

Harvest in progress at 

Quinta de Nápoles 

 

Adegga Family Christmas Party @Alfaia Garrafeira wine bar

André Ribeirinho – the chief evangelist of Adegga  

A day after Adegga's most successful Lisbon wine market to date – 1000 #winelovers came, the Adegga family and their guests met up on Sunday evening at the wonderful Alfaia Garrafeira, run by Pedro Jorge, in the heart of Lisbon's Bairro Alta district. 

People wondering why and how Adegga has been successful would, I think, find some clues at this family party. The team, which has grown organically, clearly get on well together and there does not appear to be any dissonant egos at play here.    

 Beatriz Silva i/c of Chief Evangelist

Magnus Reuterdahl still remarkably bright eyed 

after 48 hours in Lisbon

 Roger Kolbu 

 In the red sweater – André the detective – one of the trio that run Adegga 

Fabien Lainé looks on

 Paulo Pontes – a complicated tash and Pedro's assistant at Alfaia Garrafeira

 The many facets of Ricardo Bernardo – above and below

 Have I got this the right way up? 

 

I'll try the iPhone it's easier!

 Adegga family and guests 

 In the white shirt – Daniel Matos – the third one of Adegga's lynchpins

Centre front: Hugo Fernandes – Creative Director

 Present opening 

Standing: Michael Wising – organiser of Adegga Stockholm 

in September 2015 – with his two daughters

Finding a port for some wine....

Le Roi Magnus – suitably garlanded