Field Blends
It’s time to talk about the hippo in the room. Blends, particularly Portuguese field blends. Many people may question this style but they tend to be bigger-bodied and nippier and have a lot going on under the surface. Much like a hippopotamus. There are over 250 protected grape varieties in Portugal. In the past, this meant winegrowers could lose track of which grapes they had grown. Winemakers would harvest grapes when they were at their prime ripeness and use what they had to get that juice. Thus we end up with the humble field blend.
Portuguese wine now? Great value for money
Nowadays vineyards know what's growing out there, but there are some winemakers that respect the field blend style and work with it to create complex wines. Field blends are typically used to make port but can also make dry reds and whites. This style of wine is nothing to turn your nose up to. Many of the grapes will have grown on old vines that have been around for centuries, allowing for concentrated grapes to develop. Not to mention the impeccable climate in the Dao. It's a place for vines to grow impeccable fruit.
What kind of grapes can you find?
Malvasia Fina Cercia, Encruzado, Tinta Roriz, Touriga National, Alfrocheiro Preto, Jaen,
Why we love it?
If there is anything we like to encourage at Humble Grape it’s for our friends to learn what makes a good quality wine and not to purchase wines based on the name on the label. One of the most important contributions to a good wine is starting with good grapes, that come from an ideal environment. In this case, the Dao has a temperate climate and is surrounded by three granite mountains that help to protect the fruit so they can ripen to their full potential. In Dao, they have the right climate, old vines, and experienced winemakers. This means you really can't go wrong. A good winemaker will know how to choose certain varieties to create a balance in the juice of the field blend. They also have the wisdom and traditions to apply in the winery to create complex wine that can compare in quality to any single varietal that we have been trained to look for.
Our Dao producer
The Ethos at Humble Grape means choosing winemakers that take great care in their vineyards and the wineries. For example one of our favorite producers Quinta De Ceis provides us with red and white field blends that are smooth and complex. You may not recognize most of these Portuguese indigenous grapes that are found in the recipe but we can tell you that what you find in the bottle is organic, low sulfite, and vegan. Yet still has the quality of any conventional wine. We can feature a female winemaker with this one Maria as well the winemaker's daughter has a huge part in the production of these wines.
