Why You Should Be Drinking More Portuguese Wine and How to Get Started Sara L. Schneider
A few years ago, I found myself with a couple of days to spare in Porto (as one does), the historic coastal city where Portugal’s sweet, fortified red was traditionally made and shipped out (mostly) to its favorite market, Great Britain. During the days, I prowled the old port cellars themselves, marshaled along Vila Nova de Gaia, and explored the breathtakingly terraced vineyards along the Douro River. In the evenings, though, I set myself a challenge on a different wine front a how-low-can-you-go experiment with bottles of dry red from a tiny corner wine shop near my hotel. Turns out, low indeed. Even dipping under $10, the wines were sound and pleasing; moving up from there, they became complex and fascinating dark-fruited, earthy, spicy and structured.
Qualified beyond, Matthew Day’s BSc. in viticulture and oenology set the stage for the now 35-year-old to respectfully compose and add to what is now a nine-year, ongoing opus made up of some of the world’s most revered Sauvignon Blanc and signature Vin de Constance vintages.
The award-winning wine writer and Master of Wine, Tim Atkins drank enough of Day’s delicious nectar to convince the British journalist that the young maverick’s commitment to the art of fine winemaking was worthy by bestowing him with the highly coveted accolade of Young Winemaker of the Year in 2016.
Winemaker Matthew Day’s thirst for perfection
Klein Constantia is one of the Cape’s most historic wine estates, and its success is underpinned by a wine once greatly favoured by the nobility of Europe. It’s an enduring legacy, and Klein Constantia’s famous Vin de Constance will surely continue to inspire and delight for many more generations.
But more about this iconic sweet wine, nicknamed “Napoleon’s wine” by some, a little later.
Klein Constantia makes for an ideal visit if your time in the Cape is limited, as it is situated in the lush slice of heaven that is Constantia, just 20km from the city centre.