Celebrating São Martinho Day and Amphora Wine Day 2023 In Portugal’s Alentejo with 3 Georgian Amber Amphora Wines + Traditional Dishes

Amphora Wine Day at Rocim


Happy São Martinho Day! Happy Amphora Wine Day 2023! St. Martin’s Day marks the end of harvest and the beginning of the season for winter revels — including eating chestnuts and the opening of the clay Talhas (amphoras) in Portugal to taste the new wines, often for the first time– and I am here for it in Portugal’s Alentejo region!
 
 

 
They say St Martin planted vines around Tours, France and thus spread winemaking.  He is also credited with figuring out the benefits of pruning after watching vines eaten by goats, however, this is actually an old Greek tale. It is more likely true that he introduced Chenin blanc grape to Touraine and Anjou. It’s a day for feasting, for slaughtering animals, and for roasting chestnuts as well as tasting the new wines made in clay vessels.
 

roasting chestnuts at Adega Natus Vini 11/11/23 for St Martin’s Day

 
The large clay pots known generally as amphora have various names in different parts of the world, but the vessels share a common shape that is particularly good at making wine. Many of the wines made in amphora have extended skin contact which gives white wines more color making them so called “orange wines.”  Many amphora are very old because the art of making them was almost lost. 
Making wine in amphora began thousands of years ago. I learned today that originally the clay pots were used to transport goods like cereals before they became buried in the ground and filled with grapes. 

Georgia, “the cradle of wine,”

Georgia, “the cradle of wine,” is the original home for using in these large clay vessels which they called qvevri. Today Georgia’s diverse sites offer amber wines using indigenous grapes that reflect their terroir and techniques. Most of Georgia’s PDOs and 75% of vineyards with 70% of production is found in the eastern region of Kakheti which benefits from a continental climate and alluvial soils. In Kakheti, amber wines are made from Rkatsiteli, Mtsvane, Kisi, and Khikhvi. Wines from western regions like Imereti, Racha, Lechkhumi, Guria, Samegrelo, and Adjara come from grapes grown on heavy clays, humus-rich “forest” soils in the east, and ferrous red soils in the west, and include varieties like Tsolikouri, Tsitska, and Krakhuna.

 

Arvad Amphora wine

 
Before we go into three wines from Georgia and some Georgian foods to pair with them, let’s look at a few examples from other regions as wine is made in this way all over the world. However, it has been typical here in Portugal, and making wine in this way was a way of life ever since the Phoenicans brought amphora and viticulture to Portugal over 2500 years ago. In fact, at Arvad in the Algarve in the south of Portugal on the coast, archaeologists digging at a site near the winery have found many many Phoenician amphora.

Talha at Fita Preta in Alentejo from the early 1900s still in use today

 
In Portugal, neighbors would go to their local winery to fill jugs with wine made in the Talhas. To get the wine further, it was put in oak barrels where it aged. However, making wine in the traditional way fell out of favor, as people turned to wines bottle and found in shops, and many Portuguese Talhas were destroyed. 
 

Adega Natus Vini winemaker Hamilton Reis

 
We celebrated wine made in amphora at a fun São Martinho party and potluck today at Natus Vini hosted by winemaker Hamilton Reis where we met many winemakers and people passionate about making wines in amphora (or in Portuguese, Talhas —pronounced talyas).

Mauro Azoia

 
Mauro Azoia of ArtisansTerroir brought his wines to share which he makes at Adega Natus, some in amphora like Lola Loves Talha (as you can see from the photo!) Winemakers and wine industry friends and their families came from other places too — with wines they made and wines they wished they’d made!

Chef Jose Julio Vintem of Tombalobos Restaurante Alentejano

 
Chef Jose Julio Vintem of Tombalobos Restaurante Alentejano restaurant even brought two wines made this way in the 1940s! Sadly we didn’t open them. I had a great interview with him and then we saw him again and tasted his food at the Amphora Wine Day 2023 at Rocim. 

Amphora Wine Day at Rocim

 
Wineries from around the world poured wines and spoke about them in seminars.
 
Thank you to Vinhos do Alentejo for hosting us! Cheers!
 
 

3 Amphora Georgian Wine

Georgian Menu for Georgian Wines 

  • Khachapuri, Georgian Cheese Egg Bread
  • Nigvziani Badrijani, an eggplant walnut roll 
  • Green Salad 
  • These foods would likely go with most white wines made in amphora or orange wines in general.
  • We found that each of these wines were very nice on their own, however when paired with their regional food these wines were phenomenal. As we have learned over and over again, what grows together goes together, 

3 Amphora Georgian Wine

3 Amphora Georgian Wine 

  • Baia’s Wine Tsitska-Tsolikouri-Krakhuna 2021 SRP $25
  • Teliani Valley Glekhuri Kisi Qvevri 2020 SRP $26
  • Tamada Qvevri White 2015 SRP $26   

 

2021 Baia’s Wine Tsitska-Tsolikouri-Krakhuna

2021 Baia’s Wine Tsitska-Tsolikouri-Krakhuna 

ABV: 13%
SRP: $25
Grapes: 20% Tsitska, 60% Tsolikouri, 20% Krakhuna
Importer: Baias wine
sample for my review

Appearance:  Very golden, amber, seemed to come out cloudy, but is clear in the glass, it may be because of the slight effervescence, a bit beerish, a bit of foam clings to the outside of the glass.

Aroma: Flower pollen, meadow flowers, white flowers, gooseberry, paprika, jasmine, basil. 

Palate: Very tart, rich without being heavy, not many tannins, fun texturally due to the effervescence, crab apple, salinity, pineapple guava, oxalis, slate, nice acidity, earthen, clay, skin contact skin feel, tart kiwi. 

Pairing: The acidity of the wine can easily cut through heavy rich foods, rich and creamy Khachapuri is perfect with the wine bringing out nice sweetness in the wine, surprisingly great with the lamb kabobs wine loving the spices and the char on the meat, The garlic and the spices in the walnut paste for the eggplant rolls is a great match for the wine, Great with the potatoes and gravy, the wine pops with the dish in the same way that potato chips work with sparkling wine, the tart acidic wine tames the rich creamy dish and is enhanced by the unique herbs and spices, fantastic with the pheasant the richness of the fowl is tamed by the bright acidity of the wine and then complimented by the lovely herbs and spices. 

2020 Teliani Valley Glekhuri Kisi Qvevri

2020 Teliani Valley Glekhuri Kisi Qvevri 

ABV: 13%
SRP: $26
Grapes: 
Importer: Georgian house of greater Washington 
sample for my review

Six months of skin contact: “Some say wine is a dialogue between maker and nature”– you can read this on the label!

Appearance:  Very gold, gold to orange, amber

Aroma: Rich and warm, butterscotch, ponderosa pine, woodsy, pine tar, resinous.

Palate: Apricot, cedar, woodsy, pine, apricot pit, salinity, very long finish, dried apricots, walnuts, walnut skin bitterness, the sweetness that is on the nose is not at all present on the palate it contrasts completely, eureka lemon, nicely meditative. 

Pairing: The richness of the Nigvzis Sakmazi (eggplant rolls) bring out a bit more fruit in the wine, the apricot becomes more present and highlights and orange essence in the wine, the herbs in the meatball are nicely highlighted by the wine, the wine remains very dry and cool and cuts through the richness of the meat, the resinous qualities in the wine are highlighted by the rich and creamy pheasant dish, the spices are so unique and exotic, they meld perfectly with the wine, the freshness of the salad loved the richness of the wine.

Tamada

2015 Tamada Qvevri White   

ABV: 12.5%
SRP: $26
Grapes: 100% Rkatsiteli
Importer: 
sample for my review

Appearance:  Copper, orange, amber, very intense color. 

Aroma: Prune, tangerine, citrus blossom, spearmint, apricot, tuberose, gardenia,. 

Palate: Orange oil, orange peel, very textural, bold tannins, acidity, tart cherry, very drying texturally, chalk, earthen, this is a wine geek wine rather than a party sipper, eucalyptus, pine nuts, chard or grilled cherry, oxalis, rose petals.

Pairing: The Georgian foods really bring out and highlight the orange flavors in the wine, the rich creamy Khachapuri is just wonderful with the wine, The rich meat and flavorful spices in the kababs work beautifully with the wine, the earthiness of the lamb is brought out by the wine making it a bit gamey but delicious, The flavor and texture of the Nigvzis Sakmazi works so nicely with the wine, the wine loves the unique spices in the meal, they are very harmonious together, the walnuts and pomegranate seeds are wonderful with the wine, it likes the rich toast of the walnuts and sweet pomegranate kernels, the wonderful flavorful spices in this rich pheasant dish are outstanding with the wine, it would be a very impressive holiday meal, the flavor profile of Georgian foods pairs very nicely with this wine. 

Stay tuned for more adventures in wine from Alentejo!

 

Please Comment! I'd love to hear from you!