Wine #6 - S de Soberanas

I have a friend with whom I have dinner every now and then and where, each time, one of us introduces a new wine to the other. This time it was my friend's turn. While I have a clear preference for the Douro region (north of Portugal), he has a clear preference for Alentejo (south of Portugal). This time he brought a wine called S de Soberanas. And this time, the wine was not from Alentejo. Instead it was from Terras do Sado. Terras do Sado is a name of a wine region that includes a southwest region in Portugal around the Setubal peninsula. However, though this wine reflects this Sado Terroir, it is a wine that is made of typical grapes from Alentejo. And perhaps that's what makes it so amazing.

I actually enjoy some wines from this region quite a lot, like the classical Periquita and Quinta da Bacalhôa, but you don't usually expect a wine of this level from this region. It is a very rich wine combining the freshness of Sado with the typical flavors of Alentejo. This one is only produced in exceptional years, as it was the case of 2004 (the one we drank).

You can read some tasting notes (in portuguese) here.

It is an expensive wine but with a great quality/price ratio. Enjoy!

Yann Tiersen in Lisbon

A few days ago I attended a concert here in Lisbon by Yann Tiersen. Yann Tiersen who achieved world fame after creating the soundtrack for the movie "Amélie" and then for "Goodbye Lenin" raised great expectations for me about what this concert would be. I wasn't under the ilusion that I was going to hear soundtracks for two hours but I was expecting a talented musician and a calm beatiful evening. I got the first part right. I would say that Yann Tiersen is the most talented musician that I've seen in concert. He plays guitar as easily as the accordeon or the piano and he is absolutely amazing with the violin. Unfortunately the concert was much more aggressive than I was hoping for. As I read somewhere it was much closer to Sonic Youth than Amelie. Nonetheless the band was made up of amazing musicians and it was fun to watch, but I was expecting something different. There were only two songs from Amélie and even those were completely altered, and only those completely familiared with this soundtrack could recognize it. One of these songs was, for me (but also for the rest of the crowd), the highest point of the whole concert. The music was Sur le Fil, a less known song from Amelie's soundtrack. You can listen to it here. But this is the original version. What I heard in concert was absolutely unforgettable. It was Yann Tiersen alone playing the violin. You can check a very similar version here. You should wait for the final part to be completely swept off your feet. I hope you enjoy as much as I did. That moment made my night.

Artist #3 - Orquestra Imperial

A few days ago, I came to know a new brazilian group - more like a crowd. considering they're almost 20! - called Orquestra Imperial. It integrates artists from different groups and different musical experiences - people like Rodrigo Amarante (lead singer from Los Hermanos), Moreno Veloso (Caetano Veloso's son), Wilson das Neves (famous drummer who worked with Chico Buarque and Elis Regina), etc.

The group intends to create the spirit of "gafieiras". A gafieira is a place where traditionally people from lower classes would gather around to practice some dances with brazilian music as background.
The true spirit of the group is better grasped "live" and luckily I had that chance this weekend on the lovely gardens of the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon.
It was a lovely surprise to hear such traditional brazilian music in such a refreshing way.
To have a little glimpse of the band check it out here.

Movie #9 - The Godfather

One may wonder: How is it possible that a movie aficionado like me hadn't seen the godfather yet?
Well, in fact, I did see the movie before, but I realized that I did not remember anything about the movie except for one or two blurred scenes. I saw the movie when I was very young and one thing that fascinated me was the fact that the memories I had of this movie was that I had really enjoyed it, even though I saw it at an age when I was more interested in action loaded american blockbusters and when I couldn't sit still for three hours to see such a slow paced movie. So, I decided I needed to devote my full atention to this classic... and what wonderful three hours I spent watching such a cinematic opera prima.
The camera angles, the choice of light, the sets, the dialogues (oh man the dialogues! - leave the gun, take the cannoli; I'll make him an offer he can't refuse.), the acting (Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Duvall in such a constrained but wonderfull part, James Caan, they're all great), all tied together with an unforgetable score... it gives you the feeling that you were entitled to witness for three hours to the events of a mafia family in the 1940's and 1950's in America and you simply believe that those characters will live on after you turn off the tv or walk out of the movie theater (well actually, 18 of them, including the horse don't live on).
Definitely, one of the greatest movies I've ever seen and if this sounds like a cliché that's because sometimes reality is obvious and the majority is sometimes right.
Do make an effort to see this movie if you haven't (or even if you have seen it before, it's always a pleasure).