A rich red wine from Portugal's River of Gold.
The ports of Lisbon and Porto bustle with activity. For generations, they have served as thoroughfares where Portuguese wine connects with drinkers around the world, but the grapes are actually grown at a great distance from these hubs. To discover the treasured vineyards for this release, we followed the Douro River Valley from Port to the growing region, to explore a remote and exotic landscape carved into the hillsides along the river. Here are extraordinary terraced vineyards, so unique and highly functional that UNESCO named them a World Heritage site. Picturesque and striking, the vineyards rise from the banks of the river and are home to the native grapes that are blended into world-famous Port wine, as well as interesting and diverse dry table wines, such as Cooper’s Hawk Rio de Ouro. January’s wine is so-named because some say that on late afternoons the sun’s setting rays illuminate the blue-gray Portuguese waters into a shimmering, golden hue.
While many are familiar fans of Port wine, dry table wines such as Rio de Ouro can be a new and rewarding discovery. In fact, Portugal is one of the world’s most hospitable travel locations, and these wines have grown in popularity because travelers are nostalgic for their time spent in the region — so they revive the memory of their trip of a lifetime by celebrating with a bottle right at home.
This wine possesses food-friendliness and a diverse selection of grape varieties that produce delicious and deep flavors. In this month’s release you’ll enjoy rich notes of black fruit, fennel, dried figs and chocolate. This is a cozy and warming wine, perfect for a fireside table filled with savory winter stews and roasted meats. For those who love Port—as well as those new to Portuguese wine altogether—Rio de Ouro is a satisfying sip to brighten dark, cold evenings with the promise of a glimmer of golden sunlight.
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