When Dr. Filipe Alcobia, the Economic Counsellor of the Portuguese embassy informed Delhi Wine Club that a Portuguese producer, Finagra from the Alentejo region would be in India and would like to invite the members for tasting at a dinner, not only did we feel honoured, it made, President of the Indian Wine Academy, Subhash Arora rush to his old notes as the name of the winery sounded familiar.

H.E. Mr. Luís Filipe Castro Mendes, Ambassador of Portugal

During Prowein in Germany last year, I had been invited to a dinner by G7 of Portugal. This is a group of seven of the largest Portuguese producers who had joined hands in 1992 to promote their wines abroad. The Chairman of G7, Paulo Amorim who had been involved with it from the very beginning informed me that this had been a new initiative for Portugal, not known for business consortia.

G7 and Finagra

In India, a mention of Portugal brings to mind - Goa (and its cheap illegal imitation of Port), Port, Madeira and Mateuse Rosé, instantly. Port is the fortified wine made in the Northern region of Porto-the others being Vinho Verde, Bairrada, Dao and Douro. Central Portugal has Estremadura, Colares, Bucelas and Ribatejo. Madeira is in fact also a fortified wine produced in the island of Madeira, Southern part of Portugal with Alentejo, Setúbal Peninsula and the lesser known Algarve being the other regions here.

Mateuse Rose that used to be so popular in India and rest of the world in the eighties was infact a Portuguese phenomenon- 20 million bottles of slightly fizzy and sweet, cheap Rosé sold in 130 countries, created by the biggest winery Sogrape.

Sogrape was one of the original big seven. It had opted out last January. Replacement process is still under way leaving the current level of G7 to six.

The six remaining G7 companies produce nearly 70 million bottles per year, exporting to more than 120 markets. The companies are Caves Aliança, Quinta de Aveleda, Bacalhoa, Finagra, José Maria da Fonseca and Messias.

Wines of Finagra

The center stage of the evening was Finagra's popular estate, Herdado de Esporão. Seven different wines were served with the Indian sit-down dinner in the sprawling lawns of Mrs. And H.E. Mr. Luís Filipe Castro Mendes, who hosted the evening with élan. The lawns and the residence at Panchsheel Marg were subtly but suitably lit, with the live Indian classical music in the veranda giving a soothing touch to the charm for sixty discerning members present to savour these Portuguese wines.

With 550hA of vines under its belt, Esporão has the single biggest vineyard in Portugal whose northern region is divided into many small and fragmented parcels due to the Napoleonic laws as in Burgundy. Its size makes it possible to produce consistent style of wine continuously.

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