Life is too short to drink bad wine

The Alvarinho grape in Portugal (Albarino in Spain) is a thick skinned grape that can survive the wet climate north in Portugal (DOC Vinho Verde) giving light elegant and refreshing whites without too much problems of rot. Normal style is zingy and zesty with exotic fruit, lemon and a distinct acidity and minerality. But not everything is normal, so this Casa has made a different version of the Alvarinho grape by using some of the principles of Burgundy white wine making. The extended time lees with battonage gives a quite different character and complexity to the wine due to the additional flavours from the lees and a more subtle acidity due to malo. The nose is thus citrus, apple, white flowers and some yeasty character. The taste is crispy, dry, high acidity on the smooth side and quite a decent length. A well made different style of Alvarinho that drinks well young which can probably keep for 4-6 years as well. Alvarinho 2017 Minho, Vinho Verde Casa do Capitao-mor...

This is a delightful and refreshing dry white from a small area in Portugal called Moncao and Melgaco. The producer is Quinta de Soalheiro and the grape is 100% Alvarinho. Pale yellow green colour. Smell of citrus, herbs and flowers on the nose. The taste is young and bone dry with minerals, tropical and citrus fruit. Ca 154 or 180NOK. Try it with seafood.

This is a sparkling wine from Portugal made by the innovative Luis Pato. It's made from 100% Baga with the second fermentaion in the bottle. Pale pink colour with small bubbles. Nice smell of raspeberries and some smoke. The taste is refreshing with a marked acidity and raspberries and redcurrant flavours. Goes well as an aperitif or with crab or pork.  Informal 2013 Portugal Luis Pato Ca 160 NOk or 8€

This is red from Alentejo in Portugal is the perfect match on those cold and wet autumn/winter evenings. The colour is a fantastic deep purple one which creates a lovely sight in the glass. The nose is packed with dark fruit and spices providing you flashbacks of a hot spicy wine (gluhwein). The taste is big, fruity and with a firm tannin structure. Should go well with entrecote, game and cheese. Esporao  Alentejo, Portugal Low price range

This is a very solid and big red from Alentejo in Portugal. Despite the warm climate, the wine has a surprising complex and fresh taste. Dark fruit, spices and  full bodied concentrated finish. Alicante Bouschet is the predominant grape with small volumes of Tricnadeira. One of Portugal's top wines. Mouchao 2005, Alentejo, Portugal Ca 30-40€

Stunning red from Portugal and the Douro. This 2001 is drinking perfectly now. Medium to deep ruby colour with garnet rim. Delightful nose of ripe dark cherries and dark chocolate. Beautiful balanced fruity taste, medium soft tannins and full bodied. A long finish. A very good wine for 29€! Quinta de Leda 2001 Douro Planet Wein, Berlin

Sorry for the label here, but it has been ruined by the humidity in the cave! But it's not the label that we are drinking and this red wine from Alentejo in Portugal is one of my favorites. Big smell and taste. Red berries, spices and plum on the nose with a great fruity taste. A very like-able wine and perfect for those cold nights in front of the fireplace. It can be drunk young or like this 2003 which is now nearly 10 years old. Esporao 2003, Alentejo Ca 20€ even in Norway

The birds are leaving Norway to go south looking for  a warmer climate. Papa Figos is a type of bird in the Douro valley north in Portugal and is used as the name for this everyday drinking wine from the Douro valley. It's a reasonable wine (125 NOK or 5€) with a nice smell of of black cherries and with a good acidity and fruit. The wine goes with red meat and probably pizza as well. Papa Figos 2010, Douro America - " A horse with No Name"

This is the flagship by Casa Ferreirinha in Portugal. A mix of the grapes Touriga Nacional and and Franca. Lovely intense dark purple colour. The smell is mixture of earthy undertones, red berries, flowers and some cigar tones. But it needs time to open up in a carafe. The taste is full bodied, long, ripe and complex. If obtainable in Norway it costs 300NOK, in UK 39£ and in Portugal 30-40€. Quinta de Leda, Douro Portuguese finesse...

This a cheap wine from the Douro valley created by Casa Ferreirinha. Deep dark purple colour with lots of dark berries and plum. Warm jammy taste with a nice acidity. Grapes are: Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Barroca Vinha Grande 2009, Douro. 150 NOK or 10€ Very nice daily wine

Luis Pato is a Portuguese winemaker that makes excellent wines. Whether he can be seen as wine "rebel" I don't know but he tends to be a bit unusual some times. This reasonable wine made from mainly the Baga grape has a "dual personality" as the color is deep dark purple and the nose packed with dark berries and liquerice. Consequently you may expect a masculine wine but that's not the case as the taste is fruity, juicy and surprisingly light. Luis Pato "Rebel" 2010, Portugal 150 NOK or 10€ Goes with most red meat.

I first came across this wine when visiting Lisbon in 2005 in connection with work. At the time it cost around 15€ for a bottle in a restaurant. Ramos Pinto makes excellent port as well as table wine. The Duas Quintas, which means two vineyards (Quinta de Ervamoira and Quinta dos Bons Ares), is the simplest of his red wines from Douro. The mix of  the grapes Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Nacional gives a refreshing aroma of spices, cinnamon, dark berries and plums. The taste is smooth with silky tannins and it is very easy to drink. Duas Quintas 2008, Douro by Ramos Pinto Low price 144 (or 9€) -easy drinking that goes well with light dishes, carpaccio and grilled meat. ::RAMOS PINTO::

It is not very often one have the chance to taste an unoaked red wine. Quinta de Saes has made this wine from 100% Touriga Nacional, one of the famous grapes in Portugal. The wine has a lovely purple colour. The nose is fruity with lots of red berries. The taste is harmonious with soft tannins and a good acidity. Quite a "juicy" kind of wine that will go with lots of different food. And the price a mere 120 NOK (15€). Not bad at all. Quinta de Saes, Touriga Nacional, Portugal 120 NOK, good value for money 

Douro is well known for its port, but over the last decade more and more producers have started to make red wine and in style. This wine, with a label that for some obscure reason has a German story translated to Norwegian, is the simplest of the Niepoort selection. Niepoort is a solid wine/port firm in Douro established by as you may guess by a Dutch person. It is a decent wine with smell of dark berries and plums. The taste is compact, dense with very nice fruity character and firm tannins to give it the right depth and character. It should withstand red meat dishes with style, as well spicy meaty and vegetarian dishes. And the price: 130 NOK , not bad at all, or am I just getting used to the Norwegian prices...? Niepoort "Fabelaktig" 2007, Douro, good quality price ratio (P++) 

An old favourite from Alentejo in Portugal made from local grapes like Trincadeira, Aragones, Alfrocheiro, Alicante Bouschet. The wine has a deep dark red colour with slightly red/brown rim. Complex smell of plum , spices and dark berries. The taste is well balanced with soft tannins and a good long aftertaste. Cartuxa 2002, Alentejo €20 Portuguese wine as good as it gets, ca 18,00 Cartuxa

Fancy a hot fruity spicy wine for wet windy autumn days ? Go to Portugal and to the Alentejo district. The Esporao estate uses local grapes like Aragones, Trincadeira and Alicante Bouschet mixed with Cabernet Sauvignon to produce a solid red wine with intense deep red blue colour. The aroma is packed with red berries, spices and delicate oak. A sniff of the glass and all you want to do is to take a zip and you wont be disappointed; big fruity body with a silky rich taste that is rock solid. Perfect in front of the fireplace! but please dont serve it too warm: between 16 to 18c would do to get all the right flavours... The wine goes well with red meat or hard cheeses (not goat). Esporao Reserva 2006 from Alentejo ca 20€ 17,80 and P+ The link to their website. Herdade do Esporão

Its autumn, its wet, its cold, its windy. In need of summer, something hot and spicy, we turned to Portugal and the Dao district. Quinta de Saes Reserva is made from the Portuguese national grape Touriga Nacional. The wine is deep dark red and full of red berries, spicy, and "muldwine". Perfect indoor wine with a juicy firm soft tannic taste. Perfect wine in front of the fireplace! The wine is made by wine producer Alvaro Manuel Albuquerque Figueiredo e Castro (what a fantastic name!) who lives in Dao and also produces a Syrah based wine (not tried). Quinta de Saes 2007 , Dao , Portugal NOK 170 or 18€, P(+) YouTube - In Portugal's Dao wine region with Alvaro Castro