Luis Gutiérrez

One of my favourite olive oils is Dauro de l'Emporda from the same guys that make the Roda wines in Rioja. It's usually easy to find, but of you wait a few weeks the new vintage should be hitting the shopt soon, and it's so impressive when it's really fresh. I can't wait!! I think that, as I heard from Agustín Santolaya from Roda some time ago, the best (or the ones to start the revolution, at least) olive oils will come from wine producers, since they already have the quality concept in their minds. The one from Marques de Griñón is also very nice, but I'm not sure about when it's released (at least the first year waaaay too late!!). Cheers, Luis

Do you guys know Valrhona or Michel Cluziel? Try some of that and you'll see the difference! Cheers, Luis

I have a good rule of thumb give to me by Dirk Niepoort. I think we all know about the different kinds of Porto wines. So, the longer a wine has been in cask, the longer the bottle will keep open, and the longer the wine has been in bottle, the shorter the opened bottled would keep. I think it's a very good rule that is good for all styles and combinations of ageing in cask or bottle. I hope it helps. Cheers, Luis

Hi Mary, I'm new to the forums, but I was also at the dinner Rogelio has perfectly described. It was a lot of fun and a good learning experience. The thing about terroir that Rogelio was telling you about is the discussion about whether the terroir has a big influence in these wines or not. In principle neutral base wines are wanted and most of the character comes from the solera ageing system, the influence of the flor, the ambience in the bodega, etc. However some people say the provenance of the grapes has a great influence in the final product. Tasting the base wine for the Ynocente fino, I must say t had a lot of character, it was not a neutral wine at all. And coincidentally, it comes from one of the best pagos (plots). So the discussion is still open... Cheers, Luis

Hello Paco, I think that the best restaurant for modern & creative cuisine in Porto is Bull & Bear (Av. Boavista 3431, tel +351 22 6107669) where the chef Miguel Castro Silva will take care of you. If you're into wine, an interesting place with a good QPR is A Mesa Com Bacchus (Rua de Miragaia 127, tel +351 914 553 823). It's a very small place with no menu, you just sit down to have whatever they have cooked that day, and the chef/owner Mario will give you some interesting wines, mainly from the Douro region. For traditional portuguese food it's worth going to Portucale (R. Alegria, 598 - 13º, tel +351225370717), inside the Miradouro hotel. It's a big tower and the resturant is on the top floor, so you have a nice view of the city. Tripas a la moda do Porto (tripe the Porto way) is a must there. The deco is like a trip back to the 70s. For fish and seafood, the joints at Matosinhos are probably the best. An old classic and a bit of an insider's secret is Mariazinha (103 Rua Primeiro de Dezembro, Matosinhos Tel: +351 22 923 8461 or R. D. Nuno Álvares Pereira, 184 Matosinhos Tel. +351 22 937 89 52 don't remember which is which; one is the old location and the other one the new one, and I'm not sure if both are open or if the old one is now closed), and we also had a nice lunch at O Manel (Av. Serpa Pinto 424 4450-277, Matosinhos +351229350477), but there's lots of them. Very close is the new wine shop from Vinho e Coisas, worth a quick visit. Enjoy!, Luis Edited for spelling, of course!