Category Archives: FORTIFIED WINE

Niepoort – A Photo Essay About Making Still and Port Wines at Quinta de Nápoles, Douro Valley

Posted on November 12, 2026 by winellama

One of the quintas I chose to visit in the Douro Valley was Niepoort’s Quinta de Nápoles. It has been a mainstay in the Douro since 1842 with the sixth generation of the family (originally from Holland) still firmly ensconced … Continue reading →

Posted in Alicante Bouschet, FORTIFIED WINE, OTHER, Port, Portugal, RED, Red, red wine, Touriga Nacional | Tagged douro valley, europe, food, Niepoort, Portugal, portuguese wine, Quinta, red wine, travel, white wine, wine | Leave a comment

What does an 86 year old Port wine taste like; Barros, Colheita 1940, Douro DOC, Portugal, 20% abv., 40 euros for 15 ml

Posted on October 25, 2026 by winellama

If you’ve every travelled to Portugal, you will have left knowing every street in the country goes up hill, both ways. There we were – at the bottom of yet another hill, when we decided to go into Garrafeira Soares, … Continue reading →

Posted in FORTIFIED WINE, OTHER, Port, Portugal | Leave a comment

Some Spanish Wines to Start the Year

Posted on January 16, 2026 by winellama

Everyone has one of those moments – either they enjoy a special bottle, travel to a specific wine region, or they have a wine experience that helps them decide that this wine thing is their new passion. Mine was a … Continue reading →

Posted in Carignan, FORTIFIED WINE, Grenache / Garnacha, OTHER, Palomino, Pedro Ximenez / Pedro Gimenez, RED, red wine, Sherry, Spain, Viura / White Rioja, WHITE | Tagged albariza soil, bespoke tasting, blue slate, Els Pics, Gonzalez Byass, Jerez, Jerez DO, llicorella, oloroso, priorat doq, red wine, Rioja DO, sherry, sherry triangle, spain, spanish wine, travel, white rioja, white wine, wine, wine-tasting | 2 Comments

Aleatico + Nielluciu, Le Rappu, Clos Paoli, AOP Coteaux du Cap Corse, Morsiglia, Cap Corse, Corsica, France, NV, 15% abv., 16 €

Posted on June 17, 2024 by winellama

Ever since I studied the wines of Corsica during the WSET Diploma Wines of the World course, I have wanted to visit the island, birthplace of Napoleon, and see it for myself. We made a trip in June 2024 and … Continue reading →

Posted in aleatico, Corsica, FORTIFIED WINE, France, Le Rappu, OTHER, RED | Tagged aleatico, AOP Cap Corse, AOP coteaux du Cap Corse, Clos Paoli, Corsica, Dominique Lappi, fortified wine, france, French wine, Morsiglia, Napoleon, Niellucio | Leave a comment

Fino, En Rama, Bodegas Tradición, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO, Spain, 15% abv, €25

Posted on November 20, 2017 by winellama

When we walked out of Bodegas Tradición, we looked at each other and exclaimed simultaneously, “Never in my lifetime did I imagine I would pay C$40 for a bottle of Fino!” This, however, is not your average Fino. While a … Continue reading →

Posted in Palomino, Sherry, WHITE | Tagged Bodegas Tradición, En Rama, Fino, Jerez De La Frontera, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO, sherry, spain, Tradicion Bodega, Tradicion winery, wine | Leave a comment

Manzanilla Pasada Pastrana, Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO, Spain, 15% abv, €15

Posted on October 27, 2017 by winellama

Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana is located 30 km east of Jerez in the Spanish seaside town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda housed in a set of cathedral-like buildings built originally on the oceanfront. The Atlantic started receding in the 1800s and … Continue reading →

Posted in FORTIFIED WINE, OTHER, Palomino, Sherry, Spain, WHITE | Tagged Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana, fortified wine, Jerez, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO, Manzanilla Pasada Pastrana, Miraflores pago, pago, palomino fino, partially en rama, partially filtered, Sanlucar de Barrameda, sherry, single vineyard, spain | Leave a comment

Cream, Bodegas El Maestro Sierra, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO, Spain, 375ml, 17.5% abv.

Posted on October 4, 2017 by winellama

During a September 2017 visit to Jerez, Spain, we wanted to find a way to spend some time in a vineyard growing Palomino grapes. This proved to be more challenging than one would think! The grape growing system in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Palomino, Pedro Ximenez / Pedro Gimenez, Sherry, Spain, WHITE | Tagged Bodegas El Maestro Sierra, Cream, El Maestro Sierra, Enotourism, fortified wine, Jerez, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO, palomino fino, Pedro Ximenez, PX, Sherry Spirit, spain, tours in Jerez, white grapes, Wine tours | Leave a comment

Amontillado Viejo Del Duque VORS, Bodegas González Byass, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO, Spain, 21.5% abv, €22

Posted on October 3, 2017 by winellama

Next time you plan to enjoy, say, some manchego cheese and mushroom risotto, pull out the Amontillado Viejo del Duque VORS (Very Old Rare Sherry) from González Byass to pair up with it. This delicious tip was provided by Maribel, … Continue reading →

Posted in FORTIFIED WINE, OTHER, Palomino, Sherry, Spain, WHITE | Tagged amontillado, amontillado del duque, Espana, Gonzalez Byass, Jerez, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO, palomino fino, sherry, spain, Very Old Rare Sherry, VORS, white grape, wine | Leave a comment

Moscatel, Emilín, Bodegas Lustau, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO, Spain, 17% abv, €25

Posted on September 27, 2017 by winellama

During a recent trip to Jerez De La Frontera to learn more about sherry, we planned ahead and were lucky to have the @delfgroup assist with making an appointment at Bodegas Lustau. Originally founded in 1896, today Lustau is a … Continue reading →

Posted in FORTIFIED WINE, Moscatel / Muscat of Alexandria, OTHER, Sherry, Spain, WHITE | Tagged Bodegas Lustau, Delf Group, dessert wine, Emilin, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO, Les Cruces Pago, Les Cruces vineyard, Moscatel, moscatel de alexandria, muscat of alexandria, sherry, spain | Leave a comment

Pedro Ximénez, Bodegas Mons Urium, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO, Spain, 15% abv, €82.50

Posted on September 25, 2017 by winellama

The very first thing that hit us was the overwhelming smell of the yeasty velo de flor as we walked through the bodega doors. Flor is a layer of yeast that protects the developing wine from oxidation – and it … Continue reading →

Posted in FORTIFIED WINE, Pedro Ximenez / Pedro Gimenez, Sherry, Spain, WHITE | Tagged dessert wine, Jerez, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO, Mons Urium, Pedro Ximenez, Premium sherry, PX, Rocio Ruiz, Rocio Urium, sherry, sherryweek, spain, sweet wine, Urium | 2 Comments