A Flight to Portugal in Tribeca

New York, NY –

A Thursday evening in Tribeca, stood a large crowd of well-dressed, excited foodies gathered on the eleventh floor of 10 Desbrosses Street. Empty glasses in hand, surrounded simultaneously by the dewy skyline of Tribeca and endless rows of sparkling bottles of wine, they were ready to experience and celebrate the authentic tastes of Portugal. Marking their eighth year, the Annual Grand Tasting of Portuguese Wines was greeted by a full house. Thirty four tables, adorned with each winery’s most recent vintages, filled the large open space as guests slowly began to file in. To make first impressions even spectacular, the large glass windows offered a full view of Tribeca, while servers frequently made their rounds, offering bite-sized snacks to nibble while you worked on finishing your glass.

The Portuguese wines included varietals such as several red blends, rose, sparkling white, and of course a large array of port wines.  One winery whose rose stuck out in particular was Sogrape Vinhos, accurately self-described as a “lively, refreshing young and floral light wine.” Another winery, Curva, displayed an especially memorable white wine with floral and citrus undertones.  Other wineries with particularly flavorful wines included Terra D’Alter, specifically their light white wine, and Costa Do Pumba, particularly their red.

The event, while on one hand dawned contemporary aesthetics, also stressed tradition. While a majority of the winery’s representatives currently hailed from areas throughout the U.S., many trace from their roots, as recently as their childhood, from where else, but Portugal. Without question, this added to the authenticity of the event, the authenticity of celebrating a country which has been producing wines since, according to the event’s information booklet, as early as 2000 BC. The booklet went on to emphasize, in large bold letters, “taste true history with modern wisdom.”  It seems that, with every new bottle uncorked and every guest leaving a little warmer and a little more informed, the Annual Grand Tasting of Portuguese Wines did just that.

Madeleine Harrington