The Apolónia wine fair is in full swing and there is never a better time in the Algarve to shop for wine
For us wine lovers, the Apolónia Wine Fair is a bit like Christmas; not only does it come but once a year but when we can score our favourite wines at unheard-of prices, it really does feel like a gift.
In fact, it is a good idea to think about Christmas, a time of year when we all need to stock up on wine but when discounts are always pretty thin on the ground, so now is the time to stock up.
Likewise, for those us who like to lay up wines for a few years to get the best out of them, this is also the time to be thinking of our wine cellars, and it was with this in mind that I headed straight for the Bairrada section and nabbed a few bottles of Campolargo Baga 2017.
As any of us who love the Baga grape know, it needs time, and this 2017, although already drinking well, will be amazing in another five- or six-years’ time – €12.99 after the 25% discount.
And for something special, also worth laying up, I got a bottle of the excellent Casas do Côro Reserva red from the north-eastern Beira Interior region with 40% off – from €39.95 down to €23.95.
There are a few wines discounted by 50% and some of these are really worth considering. One of the best bargains is a wine I wrote about in this column a few months ago, Monte da Bonança Origem red, down from €14.95 to €7.45. This 2020 vintage is still very young but the medium-to-full-bodied structure and great freshness of this wine, with bundles of up-front fruit, make it drink well when still young.
Upping the game again, we have the outstanding varietals made by Dão’s Quinta da Pellada from the Jaen and Tounot grapes, both reduced by 50% from €59.95 down to €29.95, from the 2015 and 2016 vintage respectively.
Moving over to the international section, I could not resist buying a bottle of very classy Chardonnay in the form of a white Burgundy from Domaine Bohrmann “Les Belles Gouttes” also reduced by 50% from €39.95 down to €19.95.
These are just a few of the steals to be had amongst some 250 discounted wines from the 2,000-plus labels that make up the full selection of wines at Apolónia, in all price ranges.
If you are looking for a great value-for-money Douro white, Castello D’Alba Reserva is down by 30% from €9.95 to €6.95 and, at the other end of the price scale, the biggest savings of all are to be had with just 10% off the stratospheric prices of the most expensive French wines.
The wine fair finishes on September 25 and, along with discounted wines, champagnes and ports, they also have a range of great wine-related products that make ideal gifts, from natty cork screws to wine coolers, glasses and decanters, with discounts between 20% and 40%.
