Will that be rustic or rich? Playing around with a few Portuguese reds – fun on a winter night.

Sogrape is a big Portuguese winery that churns out some of the world’s great value reds. Really good wines at everyday prices. I’ve been recommending the following for ages but they have never tasted better. And I don’t know any other winery in the world that offers such a diverse trio. Vila Regia is gusty, rustic and invigorating – classic bistro red that invites you to get stuck into food. An LCBO best buy for over twenty years. Vila Regia Reserva is rich, mellow and yummy in the style of today’s popular reds. But it could also be mistaken for a high-priced Bordeaux. Sogrape’s Duque de Viseu is very old world – rich and rustic. The feeling of a slightly faded old hotel. Red velvet, old fashioned romantic. Set the scene with candles and a few cocktails. The old way.

The object of this lesson is for you to experience the differences between the rustic, bistro style and the rich style. The third wine is a combination of both styles. Each wine will tell you where it wants to be. Each has the potential for ‘best’.

Sogrape 07 Douro ‘Vila Regia’, Portugal 464388 $8.95 page 141 (has a new label)
Sogrape 06 Douro ‘Vila Regia’ Reserva, Portugal 613950 $12.50 (not in my book)
Sogrape 06 Dao ‘Duque de Viseu’, Portugal 546309 Vintages Essentials $13.95 page 181 (has new label)