Portugal's Favorite Wine, Monte Velho, Gets New Look

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Sep 23, 2013) - The Monte Velho brand of red and white wines from leading Portuguese wine producer, Esporão, is getting a new look just in time for the winery's 40^th anniversary. Produced since 1992 at Herdade do Esporão (Esporao's Alentejo estate), Monte Velho wines were launched following the same philosophy as the winery's Esporão Reserva line -- use only high-quality grapes and allow their authentic varietal character to shine through.

Esporão has updated Monte Velho's labels to be more consistent with the rest of the winery's portfolio, reflecting the wines' Alentejo origins. In keeping with Esporão's commitment to environmental sustainability, the new bottles are lighter -- just 14.8 ounces (vs. 16.5 oz.) -- and are packed in simple cardboard boxes printed with a single color, using less ink.

Monte Velho wines are faithful to the spirit and tradition of Portugal's warm, sunny Alentejo region: food-friendly and vibrant, with rich aromas and a smooth palate. Very affordably priced at $9.99, Monte Velho has become one of Portugal's best-selling wine brands and is poised to become a U.S. favorite as well.

The new vintage maintains the same grape varietal blends as in previous years, but the grapes are now grown using stricter environmental practices, in order to produce top-quality fruit. This follows Esporão's holistic approach in adapting a wide range of innovative, sustainable practices company-wide, which garnered them the 2013 Sustainability of the Year Award from The Drinks Business. For more information on the winery's practices, visit www.esporao.com/en/sustainability/projects/.

Esporão's wines are produced by a winemaking team led by David Baverstock (named 2012 Winemaker of the Year by Portugal's Revista Wine magazine) along with Sandra Alves and Luis Patrão.

Monte Velho White 2012 is a blend of the indigenous grapes Antão Vaz, Roupeiro and Perrum. It has a fruity nose with notes of apricots, nectarines and citrus peel, with a long, aromatic finish. This fresh and versatile wine pairs well with simple grilled fish and seafood dishes as well as salads and fresh cheeses. One glass will transport you to a sunny beach on Portugal's Alentejo coast.

Monte Velho Red 2012 is a blend of the Alentejo grapes Aragonês and Trincadeira, along with Touriga Nacional and a dash of Syrah. Syrah has been planted on the Esporão estate for decades and is commonly used in blends from the Alentejo. The wine has wild berry fruit aromas and subtle toasted notes, with delicate tannins. Elegant and versatile, enjoy Monte Velho red with grilled meats or charcuterie, Portuguese classics such as chickpea stew, or even your favorite barbeque or Mediterranean dishes.

For more information on Esporao wines visit Esporao.com or our blog: www.notesfromesporao.com/. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/EsporaoWinesUSA or on Twitter @EsporaoWines. Media interested in samples should contact Courtney Schiessl at cschiessl@cornerstonepr.com.