Slotovino: Scratching the surface at Porto.

Funny how grape-variety hotspots occur in a random way. Switzerland, Hungary, Italy, Georgia, Greece, the former Yugoslavia - and Portugal for example. This is not to say France, Spain and Germany don't have their diverse varieties. They are somehow more 'hidden' with producers using them less proudly.

Whatever: a recent visit to Porto in Portugal just went to prove the amazing diversity to be found there.

Just scratch the surface and you find treasures everywhere.

Constrained by a hand-luggage only regime on this trip, we were not able to take any bottles home so tasting was limited to restaurants and the purchase of one relatively inexpensive bottle for sampling.

Garrafeira A.M. Santos is one of several charming winemerchants to be found in Porto. It is striking how many shops in general still have the original fittings.

You have to remember that Portugal was never bombed during 20th century wars so more remains of historical buildings than in some other countries. This in addition to a general lack of pretension which seems to us to be a great virtue of the Portuguese. Indeed, there is an old bookshop in Porto which can only be visited by ticketholders. Curiouser is the fact that said ticketholders have to queue in lines several deep.

Livraria Lello

The explanation is that J.K. Rowling is said to have received inspiration for Hogwarts from the interior of this bookshop during her stay in Porto teaching English in the early 1990s.

Anyway, the really nice couple who run Garrafeira Santos really went to a lot of trouble to fish out bottles of interest.

Codega do Larinho. Wine Grapes is not completely enthusiastic about this variety saying it has intense aromas of tropical fruit, sometimes also floral, but can lack freshness so are often blended with higher-acid varieties such as Rabigato.

That may be so and our first impression on opening this bottle was not at all good but before long the unpleasant notes had dissipated leaving, well - intense aromas of tropical fruit and a floral perfume. Interesting.

Rabigato is almost exclusive to the Douro and we are told (Wine Grapes) that it is rarely made as a varietal wine. We are looking forward to opening this bottle as Rabigato is supposed to be 'fresh, vibrant....with aromas of lemon and orange blossom as well as having vegetal or mineral notes.'

Prova Wine Food and Pleasure is another shop and enoteque with an interesting selection.

another Rabigato

Marufo aka Moravia Dulce, Brujidera, Mourisco Tinto... a very light coloured red wine.

We have this bottle of Moravia Dulce/Marufo/ Brujidera on order from Pure Wines, London.

The elusive 100% Voisinho

We also tried to find a bottle of Viosinho but that would seem to take more than simply scratching the surface. This bottle by Adega Mae seems to be one of the few 100% Viosinhos around even though the grape is highly regarded. It is usually found in blends with Gouveio (Godello) and Rabigato.

Douro varieties

White

Arinto
Cerceal Branco
Codega do Larinho
Donzelinho Branco
Folgasao
Gouveio (aka Godello)
Malvasia Fina
Mourisco Branco (aka Cayetana Blanca)
Rabigato (aja Rabo de Asno)
Viosinho

Red

Bastardo
Marufo (aja Mourisco Tinto)
Tinta Amarela (aka Trincadeira)
Tinta Barroca
Tinta Cao
Tinta Francisca

Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo)

Touriga Femea
Touriga Franca
Touriga Nacional

Vinho Verde varieties

White

Alvarinho
Avesso
Azal
Loureiro
Sercial (aka Esgana Cao)
Treixadura (aka Trajadura)

Red

Alvarelhao
Amaral
Borracal (aka Caino Tinto)
Espadeiro
Padeiro
Pedral
Rabo de Ovelha
Vinhao (aka Souzao)

Porto Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport Duty Free

Portugal is one of the very few countries where you can save your wine shopping until you get to the airport Duty Free. Having said that, is it not quite so much the case as a few years ago? There seemed to be more overpriced and predictable bottles as before. Touriga Nacional,and international varieties for example.