Tasting and Lunch at the Magnolia Hotel

Tuesday 19th November 2019

Portuguese regional wines demonstrate the benefits of sustainable viticulture at The Magnolia Hotel

There is a vast but often neglected range of high quality, small Portuguese regional wineries and the Algarve Wine Society’s latest wine pairing lunch concentrated on sampling some of the best of these.  To add to the occasion the event took place in the recently refurbished Magnolia Hotel in Quinta do Lago, a new venue for the Society.

After a seasonal welcome drink of espumante 70 members congregated in the spectacular, retro style dining room overlooking the pool before tasting a selection of white and red wine from Alentejo followed by a late harvest wine from Bairrada and a vintage port from Sequeira. The wines tasted were carefully selected by Wines & Co, a leading firm of distributors in Algarve that focuses on small Portuguese vineyards and included some fine examples from the wineries of Quinta da Mata Fidalga (QMF), Herdade do Freixo and Quinta da Sequeira.

All the wines served had been produced using the Integrated Production international scheme of sustainable viticulture which seeks to combine respect for the environment with profitable and durable business practice.

Members had the opportunity to debate the merits of the Integrated Production approach over an excellent lunch of Portuguese fare which included quail breast, scallops, sirloin steak and regional cheeses, ably prepared and served by The Magnolia’s staff.