By Carol A. Wilcox Photos by Paul Wilcox
São Miguel do Sul is a red wine produced in the Redondo, Alentejo region of Portugal. Owner Alexandre Relvas and his family purchased the Herdade São Miguel vineyard in the 1990's. In addition to grapes, the vineyard contains 97 hectares of cork trees. Sul is the cork collection of wines (Portugal is the world's largest producer of cork) - a tribute to the region and a commitment by the Relvas family to preserve cork forests in Portugal.
The 2017 (13.5% alc.) is an easy to drink wine with a dark ruby red color in the glass. There are aromas of earth, spice and black fruit. The wine has a smooth taste of ripe fruits and toast, with light tannins and just the right amount of acidity.
The grape varietals used to produce this pleasant-drinking wine include Aragonez, Alicante Bouschet, Trincadeira and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Food Pairings
We served this wine to fellow wine lovers with shrimp cocktail, provolone cheese and salami. It would also pair well with most Mediterranean dishes, and poultry or pasta in a light red gravy.
Details
São Miguel do Sul 2017
Distributed by Quintessential Wines
Price range: $12 - $14
Available in select Cost Plus World Market stores and other wine merchants.