9/25/26 - 

A change in seasons always entails other changes, and this Fall is no different. Along with the shift in the food we eat, clothes we wear, and things we do, we also see changes in the wines we’re drinking. Thankfully, the Fall always sees a swath of new releases targeted towards quenching people’s thirst for something seasonal. Today’s offer highlights wines from Spain and Portugal of particularly great value that are perfect for Fall and/ or cellaring. You’ll find age-worthy Vinho Verde, the return of Ramiro Ibanez’s beloved UBE label, Azorean wine and more featured in today's collection.

Vinho Verde has long been known for its light, effervescent, industrially manufactured white wines, and though I’ve encountered the occasional good bottle, it’s quite hard to find wines of terroir from the region. I’ve enjoyed the Sem Igual wines for a few years now, but it wasn’t until a recent visit to the estate that I grasped how special the wines really are. Husband and wife team João and Leila Camizao organically farm roughly 10 hectares of vines, ranging from 4 to 90 years old, in the town of Sousa, right on the Douro river. During my visit to their winery (and home) I had the chance to taste through a vertical of their flagship white dating back to 2016 and it left a real mark on me. The wines were fuller-bodied, yet chiseled, high-acid, minerally intense wines that aged very gracefully. Upon learning the soils are very granitic, I immediately drew comparisons with the great Muscadets of the Loire and I can’t unsee it. Although there is just a tiny hint more fruit in the Sem Igual Branco than you may find in a Cru Clisson from Domaine de la Pepiere, the wine is still very elegant, something it owes to sur lie aging. On offer today were my two favorite vintages from the tasting, 2021 and 2016, along with one last cuvee, the Ramadas Metal, which comes from their oldest vines trained in the traditional ramadas method (pergola method). To all of our lovers of white wines from the Loire Valley, check these out!

The island of Pico

One of the great things about island wines is their very explicit, transparent relationship with their climate and terroir, particularly the ocean influence. Islands find themselves entirely exposed to the extreme weather conditions from which most continental winemaking regions are completely protected, and it is these extremes which have unavoidably crafted their intricate, dramatic terroirs over the course of thousands of years. In the case of the island of Pico (undoubtedly the epicenter of Azorean wine production), extreme Atlantic breezes, tons of rainfall and lava flow from its eponymous volcano have served as the foundations of its viticulture for over 500 years. The island's soils are predominantly black basalt, from which its signature currais (a network of stonewalls designed to protect vines from harsh winds and sea spray) were built shortly after the arrival of the Portuguese in the 15th Century. It is this dramatic landscape which serves as the impetus for winemaker Paulo Machado's relatively new project, Insula Vinus. Born and raised on Pico, Paulo has been involved in viticulture on the island for decades; he began planting his own vines in 1998, and founded the popular winery AWC with famed Portuguese winemaker Antonio Maçanita in 2013. At a certain point, the winery's relationships with other growers in the region had reached the point where Paulo had the opportunity to use some of his vines to make his own wines under the Insula label. Paulo has become a key proponent for organic viticulture on the island, and the wines reflect serious quality of fruit. His holdings come largely from the less common, south-facing side of Mount Pico, which traps fog and retains the grapes' naturally high acidity. Also of note are his old-vine, co-planted vineyards which comprise of autochthonous varietals like Arinto dos Açores and Verdelho. The wines have a deep mineral core, a brineyness and tons of freshness from their generous acidity. It’s not every day we get to offer wines from this remote corner of the world, so get them while you can!

Albariza soils in Ruben's vineyards

In recent years we’ve seen a healthy trend towards terroir focused, unfortified wines in and around the Sherry Triangle. In a sense, I can’t think of wines that have changed the conversation around their regional terroir quite like these have. Ramiro Ibanez’s work in the region, including his Cota 45 label (now bottled under his own name) and the De La Riva wines, has reflected a really beautiful vision of the potential for its famed chalky ‘albariza’ soils. All of the wines on offer today are aged biologically under flor to some extent, and entirely unfortified. The nuance in their acidity, minerality and texture yields wines that feel as though they’re in conversation with sherry while keeping the framework of still, dry white wines. The Miraflores, El Reventon and Paganilla bottlings each represent really notable and significant sites; click on the items for more info on each of them.

We conclude today’s offer with two village level wines from a perennial favorite of ours from Galicia’s Ribeira Sacra: Guimaro. Both wines come from old vines of mostly Mencia with the remaining 20% or so coming from other local varietals like Brancellao and Garnacha Tintorera. What’s particularly fun is that the San Pedro bottling comes from a selection of vineyards along the Sil river, while the Mundin comes from old vines on the Miño river. The two rivers serve as primary landmarks for the region, and deciphering between the two makes for an interesting, delicious experience. 2021 was a great vintage for Ribeira Sacra, and the wines have now had just enough time in bottle for the sometimes abrasive, green tannins of the Mencia to settle into something much more inviting. I always begin craving red wines with more structure this time of year and these wines couldn’t be more appropriate for Fall dining: try a bottle alongside some pork chops, kale and sweet potatoes.

-Nick Douglas

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