Porto + Douro #winelovers – some more pics from 22.9 - 26.9

 The view from Burmester's reception room

After an early flight from Porto to Tours we are now back in the Loire to catch up and take stock of how the 2016 Loire vintage is going. Certainly there is a well established fine spell of weather here forecast to continue for some time, so good conditions for the moment to harvest what is left – sadly small compensation for those hardest hit by frost and mildew. Harvest updates to follow but today a few more pics from Porto and the Douro.  

 Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia: ridiculous photogenic!

 #winelover – Jürgen Schmücking 

and Giannis Krassaki @Burmester

Jürgen Schmücking 

Luiz Alberto: the master blender....

Some seafood at O Gaveto – great seafood restaurant 

in Porto close to the ocean 

 

2015 contacto – another Alvarinho treat from Anselmo Mendes 

2002 Viña Gravonia from Tondonia 

evidence that it is just Portugal 

that makes good whites on the Iberian Peninsula .....

Dirk Niepoort

2012 Reserva Douro, Duorum 

One of my favourite wines from the Adegga 

mini-wine market on Saturady

2013 EWBC will be in Logroño, Rioja

Evening lights in the centre of Logroño

Today's announcement of the venue for EWBC 2013: Logroño in Rioja. It sees the EWBC going back to its roots as the first conference was held in Rioja in 2008. The dates are 25th-27th October 2013. Flavour will be the theme: 'relfecting the diversity of the world of wine, not just in terms of regions, grape varieties, wines and those who communicate about them, but also suggesting the multitude of shapes, forms and styles that the related communications can take.' The conference is sponsored by the Consejo Regulador of Rioja.

Details here and here. Early bird tickets available until 31st March with a 40% reduction for alumni.

A few other Rioja pics:

 A tough vineyard visit to Alvaro Palacios in September 2010

Vineyards in Rioja

 Haro Station

The wonderful Viña Tondonia in Haro – a must visit! (above and below)

 Views in the evening light (above and below)

 
The Ebro

Los Grandes de la Rioja: scenes from Sunday 12th September

Viña Tondonia

Viña Tondonia: winery bridge

Viña Tondonia in Haro was the highlight of yesterday's visits. This is the third oldest of the bodegas in the Rioja and the most traditional. Sometimes people maintain and prize traditions out of laziness and a reluctance to change. However, the wonderful wines of Viña Tondonia show that their ultra-traditional way of very long aging – at a very substantial economic cost – is very well worth preserving. 

Mercedes Lopez – the great, grand-daughter of the founder of Viña Tondonia

After a tour of the cellars with Mercedes Lopez we tasted three finished wines. We started with the lovely 1981 Tondonia white Gran Reserva which has considerable similarities to an old Chenin Blanc or an old Jurançon.

Viña Tondonia 1981 Gran Reserva white

Then the 1981 red Gran Reserva that showed quite high acidity and perhaps needs more time to show its best. We finished with the magnificent 1961 red Gran Reserva, which still has lovely sweet fruit, is wonderfully complex and shows no sign of tiring.

 

1961 Tondonia Tinto

Amazing spider's web in the cellars