“The Future of Portugal” : our country, with a photo of a rabelo boat on the waters of the Douro River, is on the cover of the latest edition of the prestigious North American wine magazine Wine Spectactor . A remarkable achievement, to which is added a list of “Recommended Wines of Portugal”, with a total of 80 references including reds (28), whites (23) and Port and Madeira wines (29). In this selection, made by Kim Marcus, executive editor and a wine taster deeply knowledgeable about Portuguese wines, there are two nectars from the Douro region Lavradores de Feitoria: the 'Lavradores de Feitoria red 2012' and the 'Lavradores de Feitoria white 2013'.
“We are very proud to see our wines on this short list – of 41 consumer wines – of the best that Portugal has to offer, resulting from the combination of three factors: quality, price and expression of the Portuguese winemaking character. ‘Lavradores de Feitoria’ is the brand that covers our entry-level wines. [a red, a white and, more recently, a rosé] , wines that were designed to be unpretentious, straightforward and accessible to the average consumer. The highlights are the red and white, which, like the rosé, are sold in the modern retailer for €3.99” , says Olga Martins, CEO and Commercial Director of Lavradores de Feitoria. Without a doubt, these wines are characterised by their excellent price-quality ratio.
Part of the batch of 28 reds on this list of “Recommended Wines of Portugal”, of which 22 are from the Douro, the 'Lavradores de Feitoria red 2012' earned 87 points, an excellent performance , reinforced by the fact that the highest-rated wine (with 98 points) costs ten times more than the entry-level Lavradores de Feitoria, which in the United States of America has a RRP of $10. A red wine from blend which combines typical Douro grape varieties – Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca – and which in 2014 had already stood out by winning a gold medal at the 31st edition of the International Wine Challenge, in London.
As for the whites, the 'Lavradores de Feitoria white 2013' has the best performance in the range of wines under ten dollars, with 88 points. There are four and it is the only one from the Douro. The four highest-rated whites – the only ones with more than 90 points: 93, 92, 91 and 91 points – are also from the oldest Demarcated Region in the World, from the 2013 harvest, but the prices are in the order of $45-50. A young, fruity and fresh white that, like the red, is a blended wine, which harmoniously combines the Malvasia Fina, Síria and Gouveio varieties, with grapes from the various farms that make up Lavradores de Feitoria.
