Simplesmente Vinho: Portugal’s showcase for smaller producers
Mary Bowles goes to Porto for Simplesmente Vinho and discovers some fantastic wines.
This week we are delighted to publish a guest post by Mary Bowles. Mary is a Spanish wine geek, a graduate of the Spanish Wine Scholar program, a Certified Specialist of Wine and a Cava Educator. She lives in Sitges with her sweet pup Gracie, likely the only bassador in Spain.
Simplesmente Vinho is an annual, independent wine fair that takes place in Porto, Portugal. The concept is to bring together like-minded winemakers to showcase wines that reflect their own unique grapes, terroirs and traditions. The twelfth edition, celebrated last month in Porto, brought together 111 vignerons from Portugal and Spain, and a further 14 from Jerez, this edition’s guest region.
I was fortunate to be able to attend the session on Saturday 22 February. The venue was the Alfândega do Porto, the old customs house on the Douro river quayside. The atmosphere was friendly with a bit of a hipster vibe.
The Alfândega do Porto
I tasted producers from a variety of DOCs, as well as wines from different grape varieties. These are a few of my faves.
Adega do Vadio is a small, family-owned project in Bairrada led by Luis Patrão and Eduarda Dias. Their focus is on recuperating traditional grape varieties. Eduarda manages the daily life at the vineyards and enthusiastically walked me through a fantastic tasting of their wines, made mainly from the Baga grape.
In the photo Eduarda is holding Perpetuum, a sparkling wine made by ageing base wines made from Bical, Baga and Cercial in a solera that was started in 2007 and now contains wine from 13 vintages. The result is complex and creamy. A very special wine, that is currently only available to members of Vadio’s ‘Perpetuum Club’.
Eduarda Dias with the Vadio Perpetuum
The Vadio white, made from Bical and Cercial, was fresh with citrus notes, yet quite unctuous. The red, a Baga from clay-limestone soils, was elegant with bright acidity.
Wines from Adega do Vadio
Next up was the fourth-generation winemaking family at Quinta Várzea da Pedra in Óbidos DOC, an appellation in the Lisbon wine region. Due to its geographical location, Óbidos has a unique microclimate that contributes to these wines having an Atlantic influence.
The Branco Colheita white that Alberto Emídio presented was a blend of Fernão Pires and Arinto. This wine was fresh yet intense and creamy. All their bottle labels are based on Portuguese tile designs, a super cool touch.
Alberto Emídio with the Branco Colheita
I was lucky enough to find it by the glass, later that evening, at the superb Prova wine bar (where many producers came to drink). I’m still dreaming about this wine.
Fernão Pires by Quinta Várzea da Pedra
Another discovery for me was Cortes de Cima, an interesting family project run by Anna Jørgensen, who having grown up in the Alentejo, returned there in 2019 to pick up the reins from her parents Carrie and Hans. She has moved the winery toward regenerative practices, using a holistic approach. For Anna, the project is no longer just a wine-producing estate but a farm that also makes wine.
Her 2023 Palhete, a blend of 80% Viognier and 20% Syrah, is inspired by local ancient vinification techniques. It is made in collaboration with Daniel and Kalina Niepoort and falls under the umbrella of Nat’Cool, a wine movement that unites various producers making light, easy-to-drink wines.
Palhete is the Portuguese name for a wine made from both white and red grapes, as many old vineyards were often mixed field blends.
Anna Jørgensen with the Cortes de Cima Palhete
Anna was passionate while explaining her wines. You can tell she loves her craft, and if her other wines are anything like the Palhete, there’s a very bright future for Cortes de Cima!