Portuguese Pinot?!

Before you get too worked up, Thomas Hyden Church and Paul Giamatti are not filming another Sideways where they do a Bairrada Boys trip, although why not? Maybe Miles can get hyped on Portuguese wine after trying to rewrite his novel or something.

I drew inspiration for this offering after a quick trip to Porto and Duoro last week that opened my eyes to the modern-day Portuguese wine scene. As a Burgundy lover, I’m always skeptical of seeing Pinot Noir from “other” regions, but when Niepoort is making the wines, I admit I’m VERY curious.

If you haven’t spent any time in Portugal, Porto and the surrounding wine regions are a must. Grab a pastéis de nata (cinnamon is obligatory, not a suggestion) and an espresso from Castro and start opening your mind to a country where the wine scene is evolving at a frenetic pace. Producers are featuring a kaleidoscope of styles and flavor profiles from old and new alike. When we offer Niepoort’s dry whites and reds from Duoro, I’ll go into more detail and why this is becoming one of my favorite wine regions…

History was not always kind to this coastal, maritime wine region. But eventually, the clay and sandy soiled vineyards of Bairrada would become home to a bustling sparkling wine industry. In the early ‘80s, Luís Pato would transform the local Baga grape (thin skinned, prone to malady, temperamental) and elevate it to something beautiful and refined. So a person like Dirk Niepoort who is always thinking outside the box, finds an old parcel of Pinot Noir planted on limestone in a region like this, it’s a match made in heaven. Is it Burgundy? No, nor should it be. It is simply an absolutely delicious glass of Pinot Noir that combines all of the lifted aromatics and high toned fruit of Burgundy with a little bit of that Portuguese sun-kissed ripeness.

And the white? Dry and mineral with ocean breeze salinity aged in large oak foudre from the Mosel for some palate caressing texture versus flavor. Perfect to open as an aperitif or with some crudo, seafood, etc. One of my favorite wines from this past summer that I can’t seem to stop drinking.

The Quick Sip: Niepoort Quinta de Baixo

Founded in 1842, Niepoort has remained family-run for five generations and is one of Portugal’s most influential producers. Current leader Dirk has transformed the estate into a leader of modern Portugue se wine, championing indigenous grapes, reviving forgotten vineyards, and producing wines across Douro, Dão, Vinho Verde, Bairrada, and beyond.

A long-time fan of Barriada and its native grapes, Dirk joined winemaker Sérgio Silva at Quinta de Baixo in 2012. They converted to biodynamic viticulture, with a focus on thoughtful farming and minimal intervention in the cellar.

Today, Quinta de Baixo is a reference point for the “new Bairrada,” showing the region’s limestone- and clay-rich soils can produce world-class, ageworthy wines.