Oscar Quevedo

Posted on: New winemakers group wall

Following a kind of tradition that we started in 2007, the first maturity control of our grapes was carried out on August 10th. With a temperature of 43º, my sister in the beach, the sun on my back and the river down in the valley but not at an approachable distance, I wondered why I decided to live in the Douro. Not even the grapes were of any help to hydrate me, as they are still unripe and acid. Some berries are still green, specially Tinto Cão and Sousão. And that was the big conclusion: maturity is late. As sugar levels are still low, with an average potential alcohol of 10.05%, grapes need at least four more weeks in the vines. We should not start harvesting in Quinta Vale d’Agodinho before September 20th.

Alcohol on August 10th       Harvest starting
2007 10.49%                                September 19th
2009 11.86%                                September 14th
2010 10.05%                                            ?

The biggest contribution for this delay in the maturation comes from the very cold Winter we had. Budbreak and flowering both came later than usual, and so will the harvest. Another interesting thing I noticed that shows pretty well how the Winter and Spring were in terms of rainfall, was the vigor of the shooting. The high levels of humidity in the soil helped the vines to grow more branches and leaves than they normally do. All these shooting has been controlled and cut to focus the vine in the maturation of what is really important: the grapes.

Is there any question you'd like to be answered about winemaking in the Douro valley?

Oscar

Oscar 13:30 18/08/2010 Comment

Posted on: New winemakers group wall

How many of you have asked yourselves, what is the best food pairing for this wine? This is a very common question that I encounter frequently. And my response is always the same, try Oscar's 2008 with a traditional dish from Porto. Called Francesinha, it's lineage dates back a half century and was originated by a French crock monsieur. This is one of my preferred dishes, and if you ever want to try an authentic one made in Porto, let me know, and we go together. I never tire of a rich, filling Francesinha. It not easy to make it a home, but I've heard some successful stories. The final result should be similar to this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/quevedoports/4050712768/. If you have a dish you feel goes well with Oscar's 2008, please share it below.

Ingredients

Sandwich:
- 2 slices of freshly baked bread
- 6 slices of ham
- 4 slices of mild cheese such as Cheddar
- 1 grilled sausage
- 1 slice of roast beef (or red meat that’s been roasted)
Both the sausage and meat should be cooked, or reheated, before making the sandwich

Sauce:

- 50cl beer
- 25cl demi-glace sauce
- 25cl seafood sauce
- 20cl ketchup
- 10cl lemon juice
- 5cl milk
- 2cl Dry White Port
- tbsp cornstarch
- chilli flakes
- salt (if needed)
- bay leaves

Directions
Sauce:
Dissolve cornstarch into the milk and add all the ingredients (except bay leaves). Blend in a food processor until liquid.
Add the liquid into a pan over low heat and add bay leaves . Stir until boiling. Now, it’s ready!
Reserve to the side until later.

Sandwich:
Assemble the sandwich, save 2 slices of cheese.
Put the sandwich on a plate and place the 2 slices of cheese on top.
Pour the sauce over the sandwich (should be hot, so the cheese melts)

Oscar 18:38 08/07/2010 Comment

Posted on: New winemakers group wall

Hei Naked Wines fans! My name is Oscar and I'm new here. I make wines in the Douro valley, in the north of Portugal, where my family has been making Port wine for many generations. We have now decided to create a red table wine from the Douro called Oscar's. Seeing that we have two Oscars in the family and I think it would be easier for you to remember "Oscar's" rather than if we called it Quinta-Someting! This wine is made from Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz (temperanillo). The first harvest was 2008 and Oscar's is finally ready for you to open up and enjoy!

Food paring? Grab a friend or two and try to figure it out. I've some suggestions to share with you later! The key here is that it pairs best with food AND friends! So make sure you invite your friends and then visit our site: http://quevedoportwine.com and tell us about what you think!

Welcome to our family! And if you ever make it Portugal your more than welcome to stop by our winery and say hi! For now though stick around here, and leave a comment. We'll be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Oscar 12:32 17/06/2010 Comment