Portugal Wines: Red Dão and white Vinho Verde
Presented by
IWAGY
Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at 6:30 pm
The IWAGY Executive Board, Officers, and Advisory Committee members would like to thank all of those who have participated in our virtual tastings held via Zoom; we'd also like to thank those of you who have given us written or spoken encouragement. As is the case for all of you in everyday life, this pandemic has made us act (and think) in ways we'd never have envisioned prior to March 2020.
At the time of this writing we still don't know quite when we will be resuming normal, face-to-face events indoors. We've been considering this for a long time now, and although there are still a lot of uncertainties, nothing will happen until we begin planning, which we will start doing prior to our next virtual tasting.
Speaking of which, here is what we've slated for June 23, 2021:
Please join us for a free virtual tasting, via Zoom, of two of the most enjoyable of Portugal's bevy of very reasonably-priced wines. Dão is a wine region in north-central Portugal, and Vinho Verde (literally "green wine") comes from the north- so far north that some of its white wines are made from Alvarinho (or its blends), the Portuguese name for the grape known in Spain as Albariño (featured in our February Zoom event). Albariño is the mainstay grape of Spain's Galicia, just north of northern Portugal.
The presentation will be given by Tim Free, founder of It Was A Good Year, Inc. and will be hosted by Arnie Serotsky, member of IWAGY's Executive Board and IWAGY VP.
Vinho Verde actually comes in 3 colors (white, pink, and red). At our event we'll be discussing the white rendition. It's a light-hearted, summery sort of wine- many with just 9-10% alcohol. Many also have a very slight spritz. If you haven't experienced it, we think it will put a smile on your face, especially in warm weather.
Dão can also be found in three colors, but the predominant one is red- about 80% of the region's production. Its situation enjoys a bit warmer climate than that of Vinho Verde, but its reds are still bright in terms of acidity, although the alcohol content is more in the range of other well-known red wines.
Both Vinho Verde whites and Dão reds are usually made from blends of different grapes.
How we'll conduct the presentation:
The presentation will start at 6:30PM sharp and last until about 7:30PM. All participants will be muted except for the host and presenter. During breaks scheduled at points where a wine is to be tasted, participants with questions can raise their hands and will be "un-muted" one at a time by host Arnie Serotsky. Try to keep your questions/comments brief in consideration of other participants who may also have questions.
After the conclusion of the presentation, there will be extra scheduled time on the Club's Zoom e-space (ending at 8 PM) during which participants can continue the meeting
(to socialize or discuss the wines, presentation, food, etc.)
How to participate
It's a free event for all IWAGY members. All you'll need to purchase is a bottle of white Vinho Verde, and another of Dão red wine. Dão reds mostly sell for under $20 per bottle; Vinho Verde whites are almost always under $20, and some are under $10! We will send you a listing of wines available locally in a separate e-mail. Also in this e-mail we'll include some recipes to help, if you wish, in your preparation of some mostly regionally-inspired foods to accompany the wines. This part of Portugal has been impoverished for a long time; therefore much of its cuisine features soups and stews that utilize meat (or fish) more as flavorings than as main ingredients. Nonetheless, they've invented some very tasty "humble" dishes, many of which also are great complements to their wines. A great combination is grilled fresh sardines (or other small, oily fish) with Vinho Verde.
All wine types show some variation, but we've chosen these two as having more consistency than many other types.
To RSVP just e-mail Tim at timothybfree@gmail.com if you want to receive the Zoom link to join us [or call Tim at (845)-896-6361]. You can invite other members or friends to join you. We like to get an idea of the number of participants in advance, so please e-mail Tim regarding your plans as soon as you know them.
For "home-theater viewing" (viewers distant from monitor), please notify us when you RSVP- we would be happy to send you a copy of the PowerPoint presentation before the event, if requested. Also, should you have an interest in any of the regions whose wines we're discussing, we'd be happy to send you a copy of any of the past presentations (December, February, or April), or at its completion, June's.
Remember: Zoom tasting on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at 6:30PM
We plan to send out an e-mail with the Zoom link about 3 days in advance of the event.
We would also like to announce some changes in the Club's leadership positions. Arnie Serotsky has joined the Executive Board. Steve Effron has re-joined the Advisory Committee, and Clay Morrissey has joined the same Committee. If you are interested in getting more involved with IWAGY (we could use the help!), please let any of the Executive Board, Officers, or Advisory Committee members know.
You can invite other members/friends to join you. Some recipes, if you wish to use them, are linked below. They can be used to help you prepare some foods to accompany the wines:
caldodeelbierzo2014.pdf
portugalrecipessopadepedra.pdf
rec-chickenmarbella.pdf
rec-greenbeansoup.pdf
rec-warmspicedlentils.pdf
