In May, my wife and I were back in Portugal, again north of Porto. We really like it there. It's not quite as touristy as Lisbon, and we love Matosinhos because, as they say, you can eat the best fish in Portugal there.
I've been retired since the beginning of January, but I still often feel the urge to do something for the store. My favorite activity is as a wine scout. It happens automatically anyway. I just can't stop.With Maître Philippe & Filles, we are true pioneers in Berlin when it comes to "wines from Portugal," especially when it comes to still-unknown but extremely talented winemakers. For years, we have been regular visitors to the "Simplesmente" off-the-beaten-path wine fair in Porto and have tasted many very interesting, and excellent wines there. We have since added some of them to our range. For us, attending this event is something of a pilgrimage, one we look forward to all year round. At "Simplesmente," you naturally meet not only winemakers but also many fellow traders with whom you can enjoy friendly exchanges. One of them is Tiago "Glouglou" Barbosa, a Portuguese from Paris who works with a wonderful selection of interesting winemakers. This time, Tiago gave us a real insider tip.
You have to be crazy and brave to make wine in such a barren and inhospitable region. But that's exactly what we like about Portugal: It's not mainstream, and that's a very good thing.
He recommended that we visit the "Arribas Wine Company" project in the Trás-os-Montes region (Portuguese for "behind the mountains") in the northeast of the country. This region thrives on agriculture. It's full of figs, almonds, olives, and, of course, vineyards. The summers are very hot and dry, and the winters are cold, which is ideal for wine production.
The "Arribas Wine Company" project has leased vineyards around Bemposta. The founders are two friends, Ricardo Alves and Fred Machado, who drive their project forward with great energy, physical commitment, passion, and knowledge. We received a very warm welcome one Sunday, and Ricardo drove us straight to the vineyards in his old off-road vehicle, following donkey trails. The vines are very old, at 80 or even 100 years old, and no longer produce much. Due to the very steep and rocky subsoil, no machinery can be used; everything has to be worked by hand. The red wines are always so-called "field blends," a blend of red and white grapes, as the photo clearly shows. 
As is often the case in Portugal, only local, indigenous grape varieties are used, including Tinta Gorda, Tinta Serrana, Rufete, Alvarelhão, Bastardo, Malvasia, Verdelho, Verdelho Vermelho, Bastardo Branco, Formosa, and Posto Branco. The wines are authentic and taste unique, and are also low in alcohol. The first wine of the project, released in 2017, was the red Saroto, with only 11% alcohol by volume. The 2018 red Saroto has only 11.5% alcohol by volume!
There's now also a white version of Saroto, which was about to be bottled in May. The wines are unfiltered and bottled relatively late. The 2018 red Saroto was bottled in July 2019. Quantities are very limited. Therefore, we jumped at the chance and purchased a pallet containing 300 bottles each of the red and white Saroto. This has exhausted our annual quota. There's simply no more available. 
You have to be crazy and brave to make wine in such a barren and inhospitable region. But that's exactly what we like so much about Portugal: It's not mainstream, and that's a good thing. The philosophy of the "Arribas Wine Company" is: "Our goal is to produce authentic, light, and pleasant wines. For this reason, we try to intervene as little as possible." And it's been well-received: The wines are already featured in many of Portugal's best restaurants. Now it's Berlin's turn!
