Can you imagine buying 1,008 bottles of wine in one year? That’s 200 gallons to be exact – the same amount that each American household was allowed to make for ‘personal use’ during Prohibition. And the go-to grape during this DIY time wasn’t Cabernet or Merlot, it was the bold and juicy Alicante Bouschet - widely planted in California but originally from Portugal. Today, award-winning winemaker Jamie Quendera has crafted a mighty, Reserva-quality red, from rare 100-year-old vines. And the unique twist? Jamie aged the wine for 12 months in custom double casks. The top and bottom are French oak (imparting subtle spice) while the long side planks are American (for vanilla notes). The result is an ultra-smooth, cherry-ripe, well-spiced drop!

Can you imagine buying 1,008 bottles of wine in one year? That’s 200 gallons to be exact – the same amount that each American household was allowed to make for ‘personal use’ during Prohibition. And the go-to grape during this DIY time wasn’t Cabernet or Merlot, it was the bold and juicy Alicante Bouschet - widely planted in California but originally from Portugal.

Today, award-winning winemaker Jamie Quendera has crafted a mighty, Reserva-quality red, from rare 100-year-old vines. And the unique twist? Jamie aged the wine for 12 months in custom double casks. The top and bottom are French oak (imparting subtle spice) while the long side planks are American (for vanilla notes). The result is an ultra-smooth, cherry-ripe, well-spiced drop!

From a winery and winemaker that bring you Stones & Bones, one of our top-scoring Portuguese reds, this is a fabulous, one-off, premium release. It’s a red with two years’ maturity – delicious drinking now, but one with the richness, depth and structure for ageing, too.

It’s made by Vasco Martins at the fifth-generation family cellar, Casa Santos Lima, a terrific blend of 40% Syrah, with portions of Alicante, Touriga Nacional and Aragonez, all aged in French and American oak barriques, to lend layers of toasty vanilla spice to the dense black fruit. A sensational red with amazing depth of flavour. Best to open early and decant, if you can, so all the flavours open out. A great wine to serve with roast lamb, rich casseroles or at a barbecue.

Rarely, if ever, is it seen on its own. That didn’t deter José - a talented winemaker, credited by wine journo Tim Atkin as the man behind Portugal’s wine revolution.

José saw potential in this dark Portuguese star and his conviction has paid off. Aluado is now one of our customers’ favourite reds with over 1000 5-star reviews.

Winning Gold medals almost every vintage, Jose makes the wine at his family estate, Quinta de Porto Franco, just north of Lisbon.

A rich, velvety red, great solo or with grilled meats and stews.

But a huge haul of Golds later and they've changed their minds. The velvety black fruits that are so loved by our customers can now be enjoyed tenfold with the even richer Reserva edition.

José has searched out the very finest, low-yielding and intensely ripe Alicante grapes for this super cuvée, and you can taste the mouth filling difference.

Even more richness and spice, but at only 13%, it's still no heavyweight and has a lovely zip of freshness to all that blackberry, cassis and damson fruit.

Enjoy with richly flavoured casseroles and red meat dishes.

It comes from Casa Santos Lima, a grand, family-run property near Lisbon and the Atlantic coast.

The winery was founded by Joaquim Santos Lima in the late 19th century, and three generations later is one of Portugal’s most go-ahead cellars, with Maria João Santos Lima and José Luís Santos Lima Oliveira da Silva, granddaughter and great grandson of the founder, at the helm.

Amoras brings together four cracking local grape varieties: leafy raspberry Castelão, juicy cherry-rich Camarate, cassis-laden Touriga Nacional and plummy Alicante Bouschet.

Superb as a glass on its own or with pork-bean casserole.

Let’s go back in time! To the 1st century AD and vineyards planted to serve the ruling elite at the thriving Roman port of Troia. Here, on Portugal’s windswept Atlantic coast, the only grape that thrives in the dry, sandy soils and super-hot sun is local star Castelão. This small, dark-skinned grape boasts fathomless depths of flavour – if you know how to unlock it. Back to today and enter Gold-medal maestro Jaime Quendera at Portugal’s most awarded winery, Casa Ermelinda Freitas. Only made in the best years, this Black Red flies of our shelves as soon as it's in stock. So our advice is: if you see it, buy it! Rippling with ripe plums, black fruits and laced with chocolate, with a spicy oak finish. At 14.5% it’s got power, so sip slowly.