In Afonso Cruz’s book, three stories intersect, just as three generations come together in the vineyard and cellar at Quinta de Chocapalha. Additionally, the wine is composed of three grape varieties: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (known as Tempranillo in Spain and worldwide), and Alicante Bouschet – originally from France but most successful in Portugal. These three origins resulted in a complex wine that was aged for 36 months in French oak. In “Kokoschka’s Doll,” the three stories make sense in the end. In Chocapalha Vinha Mãe 2017, the three grape varieties make sense when blended to create the final batch, which presents an intense violet color at birth with black fruit aromas, floral notes characteristic of the Touriga Nacional variety, and spices from the wood aging. Like the backdrop of the book, World War II, it is a robust and intense wine, but in this case, with a good outcome for humanity and, to our delight, with aging potential.
Our wine selecions
Chocapalha Vinha Mãe 2017
Quinta de Chocapalha
Quinta de Arcossó Rosé
Quinta de Arcossó“The Dark Side of Skin,” among other topics, speaks to us about racism, injustice, and prejudice. There are also prejudices among wine enthusiasts. Probably the greatest of all is towards rosé wines. They are often considered second-rate, much like the black people portrayed in the book have (or still are?) often considered second-class. The wine suggested to accompany this book, therefore, must be a rosé that helps combat prejudices.
This is the Quinta de Arcossó rosé, produced in Trás-os-Montes, a region that is not particularly “renowned,” from a grape variety that has long been underrated, the Bastardo, known internationally as Trousseau, especially in Jura, France. With aromas of red fruit, pepper, and violet in a round and smooth body, it might help you better appreciate the book and break down prejudices!
Lacrau Field Blend
Douro“Eliete,” subtitled as “a normal life,” and The Lacrau Field Blend could also be considered a “normal” wine, as it is produced in the Douro region, Portugal’s most prestigious, and is a blend of grape varieties, which is typical in Portugal. It’s made from the region’s main grape varieties: Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and Touriga Nacional. There’s another analogy between the book and the wine, referencing the past. The book touches on the Estado Novo era, while the wine refers to the field blend or mixture of grape varieties in the vineyard, as was traditional during that political period.
However, as we see throughout the book that a ‘normal’ life is far from normal, this wine also has little in common, in the pejorative sense of the term. It’s a wine where the winemaker aimed to preserve the fruitiness of this blend of grape varieties, revealing aromas of red fruit, and on the palate, it presents itself as a smooth and rounded wine that is easy to drink.
Filipa Pato 3B Rosé Sparkling Wine
BairradaThe Filipa Pato 3B Rosé Sparkling Wine is made from 80% Baga, a red grape variety, and the remainder from Bical, a white grape variety. Similarly, the story told in The Joyful Cry of the Partridge takes place in a predominantly Black society with a hint of white ethnicity. Sparkling wines are the most well-known and successful result of this blending of grape varieties. The traditional example is Champagne (including many whites made exclusively from red grapes, known as “Blanc de noirs”). This wine is produced in the Bairrada region from the aforementioned and traditional grape varieties by a rising Portuguese star: Filipa Pato.
The wine, with its rosé hue—neither red nor white—mirrors the two worlds found in the book and offers aromas of brioche, cherry, and pastry. Its refreshing taste, supported by an elegant mousse, makes the wine ideal as an apéritif, to accompany starters, or as part of a meal for connoisseurs.
Eruptio
Pico IslandStill in summer mode, we recommend a refreshing white wine from Pico Island. This wine shares similarities with the recommended book. It is produced on one of the islands in the Azores archipelago, isolated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, just as the characters in this novel feel isolated from the world due to their blindness.
The wine, crafted from a harsh terroir with volcanic soil and exposed to maritime elements, also manages to adapt to the world, in this case, to the taste of contemporary consumers. It is made from the Arinto dos Açores grape, better known as Sercial, which is also used in Madeira wines.
This grape’s high acidity is balanced in the Eruptio by creamy notes from aging on fine lees. Aromatically, it features saline and dried seaweed notes, reminiscent of the ocean, and finishes with citrus aromas. Recommended for aperitifs, starters, and delicate grilled fish.
Dona Maria Petit Verdot, 2019
Red wine from AlentejoThe Petit Verdot grape variety originates from the southwest of France and has successfully emigrated to Portugal to produce this wine. It is a wine with an intense color that has been lightening with age. Notable aromas of blueberry and blackberry are combined with spices and nuances of wood from the aging process.
The book Whites Can Dance Too addresses themes of migration, intercultural relations, and music. This wine embodies these themes, representing the successful migration of Petit Verdot to a warm and welcoming Alentejo, where the grape can showcase its best qualities. The exotic aromas, increasingly spiced and complex, dance on the palate with fresh acidity, typical of the variety, full-bodied, and with present tannins, which are also characteristic of Petit Verdot. It is especially recommended for those who enjoy powerful and intense wines as well as new experiences.
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