Today we'll raise glasses of Beyra Vinhas Velhas Bruto 2014 to the hope that better times will last for us and especially for all our friends in the hospitality industry. This bottle was a gift from a favorite bartender, Gabe Bellegard Bastos. The Boston Globe featured him in a story about his joy that regular customers were returning to his bar at Atlantico Boston.
We hope to enjoy this bottle on the roof deck of our building, a place we haven't visited for more than a year. And, if all goes well with other commitments scheduled for the day, we may even be able to invite a friend to share a glass.
Gabe knows what we like and he shares our enthusiasm for finding wines with a story, a winemaker doing something different, a grape we haven't tried before and from an area, we seldom taste. This bottle ticks off all those things and we thank him for thinking of us.
Here's to all the people in the food and wine business who share what they know about wine with us and other customers. They are great educators!
The site Wines of Portugal told the story of this sparkler. They wrote:
"The renowned winemaker Rui Roboredo Madeira is the pioneer of the "Altitude Wines" concept.
Beyra is the name of his wine project that results from this concept. Beyra wines are produced in the highest vineyards in Portugal, at over 750 meters of altitude.
This terroir combined with the cool climate favours:
- The increase in acidity;
- The slower and more uniform ripening of the grape which enhances the concentration of aromas and flavours
- The proximity of the sun helps photosynthesis by enriching the wine in terms of colour and alcohol content."
If the science of soil and its impact on wine interests you, here's some extra credit reading on the subject.
"How vineyard soils affect the taste of your wine" from the Washington Post.
The grape is new to us. The wine is 100% Síria, which seems to be particularly suited to the region.
Finally, this gift from a friend fits perfectly into our year of wines that celebrate friendship. Thank you Gabe and soon we'll see your smiling face across from us at the bar.
Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!
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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2020 Penny & Ed Cherubino
