It was like a new term for the Algarve Wine Society at Faro’s School of Hospitality and Tourism this week. Sarah Ahmed, a leading UK authority on the wines of Portugal, kindly agreed to make a return visit to the prestigious college to update members on what’s happening in vineyards on our own doorstep. The tutored tasting of eight wines, specially chosen by Sarah to highlight the region’s exciting new developments, was followed by a 3 course lunch in the college restaurant served by the students.
The December meeting of the Algarve Wine Society took a step into the tiny Arruda dos Vinhos subregion, just north of Lisbon - although there is nothing tiny about the production of the evening’s featured winery, Quinta de São Sebastião.
Last week saw an exceptional turnout of over eighty members of the Algarve Wine Society for a wonderful wine tasting experience at Tribulum Restaurant near Almancil.
Portuguese regional wines demonstrate the benefits of sustainable viticulture at The Magnolia Hotel
There is a vast but often neglected range of high quality, small Portuguese regional wineries and the Algarve Wine Society’s latest wine pairing lunch concentrated on sampling some of the best of these. To add to the occasion the event took place in the recently refurbished Magnolia Hotel in Quinta do Lago, a new venue for the Society.
Algarve Wine Society´s fourth Gourmet Dinner at Restaurante Florian
The Dão Winery, Quinta das Marias, presented no less than seven of its prestigious wines to the Algarve Wine Society at this year´s annual Gourmet Dinner at Restaurante Florian. The winery is owned by Peter and Elizabeth Eckert a Swiss couple who bought the near derelict property back in 1991. There was no hesitation in naming the property “Quinta das Marias” when Elizabeth and the three Eckert daughters all have “Maria” as part of their name.
International was truly the flavour of the day as the AWS headed north to Vidiguiera on Wednesday 21 March. Members originating from France, Belgium, Germany, the UK, Ireland, Norway and the Netherlands took part in this day trip to Quinta do Quetzal for a tour followed by a tasting lunch
A special pairing for the AWSOn Tuesday 5 December at Alambique Restaurant in Vale de Lobo, the Algarve Wine Society held its last event of 2017, a lunch with wine from Lima Mayer in the upper Alentejo. This combination proved to be a match made in heaven
Members of the Algarve Wine Society recently visited the medieval town of Toro – near Zamora in Spain - to taste the wines from that region. Much of the structure of the old town dates from the time of Christopher Columbus who made purchases of Toro wine from the old cellars that are 3 stories beneath street level
Three times full: AWS visits RibafreixoOn Wednesday 22 March, a full coach of 50 AWS members headed north to Vidigueira and the Ribafreixo estate, which has been producing wine for the last decade. In 2012 founders Mário Pinheiro and Nuno Bicó opened their new winery building, a strikingly modern landmark visible from the IP2 just south of Vidigueira
THE ALGARVE WINE SOCIETY’SANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND GALA DINNER DANCE The Algarve Wine Society held its annual black tie Gala Dinner and Dance at Vila Vita Parc last Friday night, and members attended the Annual General Meeting which was convened by the Assembleia Geral’s President, Michael Savage. Anne Green, President of the Direcção, paid tribute to the existing Committee Members and welcomed Jane Chesworth to the Management Committee
Members of the Algarve Wine Society recently visited the Dão region which lies in the heart of at the heart of the Beira Alta region of Portugal. This part of the country is home to some of Portugal’s most distinctive and distinguished red wines, and rapidly improving whites.
The Algarve Wine Society held its annual Gala Dinner and Dance at Vila Vita Parc last Wednesday night, and a great time was had by all. Very smartly turned out members enjoyed pre-dinner drinks before attending the Annual General Meeting which was convened by the Assembleia Geral’s President, Michael Savage.
On September 16th the Algarve Wine Society held a wine tasting and dinner at Casa Curiosa which is a well stocked furniture shop on the N125 near Almancil and might seem to be an unusual venue for a wine tasting. However the main showroom was transformed for our tasting into a splendid dining room complete with chandeliers and looked very much the part.