We would like to say ‘sayonara‘ to the outgoing Japanese ambassador to Portugal and his wife, Mr. Hara Satoshi and Mrs. Hara Michiko. During the ambassador´s tenure in Portugal he confesses to not only having developed a great fondness for the country, the people, the nature, but also for the wines. This special interest [...]

After the amuse-bouche and the starter, my stomach welcomed a fillet of beef au gratin with gorgonzola cheese, accompanied by potatoes with rosemary and presunto, peperonata and grilled courgettes. The desert was a creamy tiramisu and Tia Maria liqueur, stracciatella ice cream and a fresh fruit sabayon with Amaretto. The wines were [...]

Lunch with the chef of the Cliff Bay hotel was another highlight during my trip to Madeira. Our aim was to try some of Cortes de Cima’s wines and to experiment with some wine and food pairing ideas, during a casual encounter. Benoît Sinthon, who had just arrived from his holidays, prepared various dishes [...]

Termina hoje a vindima de 2008 nas Cortes de Cima. É tempo de uma curta pausa, para fazer um balanço a mais uma maratona de colheita e fermentação das uvas.
Este foi, sem dúvida, um bom ano. A apanha foi sabiamente coordenada pelo Hans, que resolveu correr os riscos necessários em relação às previsões climatéricas e [...]

In July, whilst speaking to Carrie over the phone and telling her I was going on holiday to Madeira, I heard, nearing the end of the conversation through a smile: how about writing a piece for the blog? Madeira is our best market outside of the continent.
Once on the island, I decided to phone the [...]

Yesterday, our busy harvest activities nearly came to a standstill, while we played host to a visit by Henrik, His Royal Highness The Prince Consort of Denmark, the husband of the Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II. Accompanied by a group of friends, he was visiting Portugal to participate in the Cascais Dragon Gold [...]