Portugieser

No we're not in Portugal. We're staying in Hungary. And, today, we are exploring a grape that while it sounds like it is Portuguese in nature, it's name actually was changed to Portugieser to avoid a European Union conflict with Porto (or Port wine from Portugal). 

You see, the former name of this grape was Kekoporto. And, the Portuguese thought that the Hungarians who grow most of the world's [now] Portugieser were trying to improperly benefit from the similarity of the name Kekoporto to Porto or Port.

Funny thing. Nobody can find any link between this grape and Portugal. None at all. More likely, it arrived from Austria (recall that in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a country claled Austria-Hungary) or perhaps even the southern part of what is currently Germany. But, it has flourished in Hungary, particularly in the southern part known as Villany, near to the Croatian border.

In the traditional production of Portugieser, it is aged primarily in stainless steel and then sees a very short period of its final fermentation stages in very large oak barrels before bottling. 

Portugieser is picked quite early, usually in August. The early harvest keeps the grape's naturally acidity and results in a low alcohol content (11.5% is a typical level) red wine. What you get is a particularly refreshing red wine that you might drink as much like a white or a rose. While I rarely recommend drinking any red wine this cool, you might enjoy Portugieser at around 54F/12C, a temperature not unlike those at which I drink Chardonnay.

The wine is distinctive with its quite opaque purple hues. On tho nose, it's usually loaded with ripe cherry, sweet spices, violets in bloom, and some wild animal scents. On the palate, it's bright and just a hair gamey with a pronounced cocoa finish.

Enjoy this wine with a pepperoni pizza on a warm summer day. Or, have it with a traditional charcuterie or salumi plate.


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