Fado Red 2017

We're sure English cricket fans would resent admitting it but sometimes the occasion calls for an Australian. Times such as operating a barbeque on Christmas day, trying to usher an offensively large spider out of your 'dunny' or upsetting sommeliers by asking for 'French Shiraz.' (It continues to amaze us, the sheer number of banal stereotypes we get into our tasting notes.) Portuguese winery, Terras De Alter realised they were in such a situation.

The founding families of Sociedade Agrícola das Antas and Sociedade Agrícola do Monte Barrão precured the services of legendary Australian oenologist Peter Bright. Peter highlights traditional Portuguese grape varieties but give the wines a new world twist by listing the grape varieties on the front label and delivers a wine with extraordinary intense fruit flavours. Well done Peter, you might even have won over the 'Barmy Army' with this stonker. Just don't bring up ball tampering!

Terras de Alter was founded in 2004 as a joint venture between Sociedade Agrícola das Antas and Sociedade Agrícola do Monte Barrão, family firms with centuries of agricultural history in Alto Alentejo, in cooperation with Peter Bright, world renowned oenologist. Highlighting traditional Portuguese varietals sourced primarily from the Antas and Monte Barrão vineyards in Fronteira and Alter do Chão, Peter Bright masterfully coaxes intense flavours of ripe berry and spice from the grapes grown under the Portuguese sun and blends them in the company’s state of the art winery built in 2008 to create approachable wines.
As one of the world’s most experienced and well recognized wine makers, Peter Bright brings his talents to Terras de Alter as head winemaker and business partner. After studying oenology in his native Australia, Peter came to Portugal in 1981 to hone his craft. By 1993, he was known as one of Australia’s first 'flying winemakers’, travelling first through Europe and then branching out to other continents. Of note, Peter made an enormous impact in South America where he spear-headed the movement to transform the region from a producer of bulk wines into a bottler of premium varieties. After 30 years of living and working in Portugal, it is here where Peter has seen his greatest success. As Peter himself explains, "I am fascinated by grape varieties, and Portugal is of course, an amazing place for varieties." At Terras de Alter, Peter continues to highlight the best that Portuguese varietals can offer for people all over the world to enjoy.