Wonderful Wine

No one passing the glass-fronted Adega wine storage facility in Fairways’ Vivo Bistro could fail to be impressed. The redesign of the Fairways Clubhouse some five years ago presented the opportunity to upgrade the previous wine cellar to a state-of-the-art installation to keep the wine in perfect condition. With 125 different wines in stock and around 20 available by the glass, it’s obvious that wine is taken very seriously at Fairways.

Carefully selected to represent classic and more modern styles from the various regions of Portugal, as well as international favourites and those from the New World, there’s a lot of choice. That’s where Fairways sommelier, Daniela Rodrigues, can help.

“At Fairways, we have wonderful wines from all around the world, although our focus is on Portugal.

I love being able to help our members and guests identify which Portuguese grape varieties and regions appeal to them,” she says. “Although many people at Fairways know a lot about wine in general, they are not always so familiar with Portuguese wine.”

One of Daniela’s favourite parts of her job is holding her weekly Wine Masterclass. “I put my heart into each session and try to bring a dynamic approach,” she says. “Although wine is a serious business, wine tasting should be enjoyable and fun.” Daniela makes a point of remembering people’s preferences and says “I’m finding that members are now increasingly asking me for my recommendations when choosing their wine. I find that very satisfying.”

With over 300 types of grape grown in Portugal and a wide range of growing conditions, or terroir – cold and mountainous in the north, to hot and coastal in the southern Algarve – there is a wine to suit every palate.

You might enjoy a dramatic red from the Douro in the north of Portugal that is both fresh and elegant. Or you might prefer a strong, full-bodied red from the Dão region, a bit further south, where the protected, temperate climate produces good quality fruit. If it’s a sparkling white you’re after, the Bairrada region further west is fast gaining a reputation for Champagne-style wine. This region also produces superb red wines, such as Daniela’s personal favourite, Kompassus, made from Baga grapes.

To ring the changes at Four Seasons Fairways, Daniela is making some additions to reflect new trends in taste and improvements in wine making processes. “I think it’s important to showcase the best of what the Algarve has to offer,” she says. “Wine from the Algarve has improved dramatically in recent years. Here, the climate suits the Negra Mole grape, which produces a wine similar in style to a Pinot Noir.” Other new wines that she is introducing include unusual ‘orange wine’, so called for its deep colour produced by fermenting the grapes with their skins. Another introduction is Amphora wine from the Alentejo region, for which traditional clay vessels are used during the fermentation process.

Wines at Fairways start at around €17 a bottle, but there are, of course, more expensive wines, such as Oh Carlos Manuel, which sells at €88 a bottle. The most expensive is €195 for a bottle of Quinta