The things you need to make some wine

We’re in Amarante now, population 11,000. Here is the view from our hotel room:

Before we got here though, we had to cement the foundation of my wine training. After yesterday’s visit with Isa and Alberto, who make a Port wine, but aren’t really into marketing it because, according to Alberto, it’s too much trouble and too much competition, I was not prepared for Quinta da Aveleda.

The key thing to know about touring Quinta da Aveleda is that you will enter the winery and leave the winery with basically the same amount of wine information but you will feel extraordinarily bad about your garden at home and your gardening skills. Here are a few pics from the 50 shots I must have taken in there:

At some point, off in the distance, I did see some grapes, but much in the same way as Isa and Alberto really just wanted to talk about their camellias, our guide at Quinta da Aveleda wanted us to see the baby goats they have, their camellia collection (a mere 70 varieties vs. Isa’s 400+), and to let us know that they have only 5 (extremely exhausted) gardeners for their 100 acre garden. She also mentioned that between their 4 wineries – spread around Portugal – they bottle 22 million bottles a year. As I have no wine operation photos to share, here’s the goats, which we got to feed. (Goat connection to winemaking unclear, at least to a beginning sommelier like me, but note to my students: there are also some peacocks).

We also stopped in Guimares today, originally settled in the 9th century, and immediately interesting to me because it is a granite town…I am obsessed with firm footing…unlike Lisbon with its abundant slippery limestone. It’s a super touristy place and even on the main square..set up for the tour group buses…we sat down for a quick lunch and ordered two cheese sandwiches, two orders of fries, and two apple juices. Total bill: 11 Euros.

Here’s a few pics from our wanderings:

The most interesting thing about Guimares, at least to me, was the fire alarm system. It’s organized by the location of the city’s churches. Look at the chart below and you can see that, if a fire is near S. Domingos cathedral, you ring the fire bell 9 times – and then everyone knows to go fight a fire in the vicinity of that church.

Tomorrow we’re doing two wineries and then that’s really it for the wine part of the tour. Drawing on my Portuguese wine experience, so far (don’t bother marketing, 70+ camellia varieties needed, and winemaking requires goats), I look forward to finalizing my knowledge and sharing it with all of you.