The Praia Estate
The winery is a family business started in 1947, but the Guedes family has been producing wine for more than three centuries. The premises are located in the heart of the Vinho Verde region.
"Leading producer of Vinho Verde in Portugal; quaffable wines for every day."
- Anthony Dias Blue's pocket guide to wine 2006
The Praia Vineyard
The family owns 120 hectares (296.4 acres) of vines. The ancient vines hanging on trees were replaced by trellised vines stretching along the wires. The wine from the estate will be born from these grapes and sent to the remotest parts of the world, taking with it a little of the warmth of the sun, the freshness of the soil and the scent of the land of its birth.
The Vinho Verde region is one of the most extensive European Wine Regions, situated in the North of Portugal between the Minho and Douro rivers, and limited on the Eastern side by the mountains of Marão and Gerês, which detain the moist winds from the Atlantic. The Atlantic climate and the granitic soil are the main factors that give the Vinho Verde its highly appreciated characteristics : a young, fresh wine, with low alcoholic graduation and a slight fruity aroma. From the 300 million liters of wine produced annually in this region, Quinta da Aveleda produces and bottles about 10 million.
Praia Aveleda Vinho Verde NV is made from 40% Loureiro, 20% Trajadura, 20% Arinto, 20% Azal.
Praia, which means "beach" in Portuguese, is a smooth and fresh wine with delicate and lovely fruity flavors. Slightly spritzy, it is well balanced and very refreshing.
The region is typical for its unique wines that are fresh and light, combined with a very well balanced acidity. These characteristics result from the region's unique soil and climate, with a strong Atlantic influence that you will identify when you taste it.
The wine is ideal as an aperitif or throughout a meal, especially with fish, seafood, white meat and salads. Due to it freshness, it is particularly pleasant in a relaxed and informal ambiance.
Krug Grande Cuvée is born from the dream of one man, Joseph Krug, to craft the very best Champagne he could offer, every single year, regardless of annual variations in climate. Since 1843, the House of Krug has honoured this vision with each new Édition of Krug Grande Cuvée: the most generous expression of Champagne.
Review:
The NV Grande Cuvée 171ème Edition is a delightful blend of 45% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay and 18% Pinot Meunier and boasts an attractive and captivating aroma of dried fruits, pastry, lemon oil, marzipan, spring flowers and ginger, with hints of almond and vanilla notes that become more pronounced over time. This medium to full-bodied wine is precise and well-structured, with a fleshy core of fruit and a sapid, incisive finish. Crafted around the 2015 vintage, the blend comprises 131 reserve wines from as far back as 2000 (42% of the total blend) and is expected to age beautifully over the next decade.
-James Suckling 99 Points
Holocene Sidereal Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The word sidereal means relating to the stars, particularly when measuring time or astronomical events. Which is weird for an earthly delight of a wine that makes time stand still while you attempt to decipher a vast array of aromas ranging from blackcap raspberries and cherry blossoms to wet slate and moon dust. Blackberries rule on the palate, with Assam tea, bay leaf and black pepper flavors easing along a lithe and nimble mouthfeel. Sidereal is also balance personified