A researcher in biology who is specialised in south American fish, Henrique even holds a doctorate in the subject. He has been interested in wine for over ten years, a passion he discovered whilst still in his native country, Brazil. There he would enjoy bottles from Chile and Argentina, as well as from Portugal, Spain and Italy. French wines, on the other hand, are decidedly too expensive there. Before arriving in France, he spent time in San Francisco, where he nourished his love for wine by visiting producers in Napa and Sonoma in California.
“I am a researcher at heart, so I put my all into whatever I’m interested in, including wine.” This curious spirit led Henrique to iDealwine in 2018 when he joined the expertise team. Trained upon his arrival in evaluating fine wine, he now spends his days analysing the bottles put up for auction on the website. “We have a bit of everything here, you don’t have to wait long to see a truly fine cuvée pass through.”
What does wine represent for you?
“It’s a lifestyle, it’s part of my day-to-day.” He often chooses the wine before choosing the dish. His favourite food and wine pairing? Cod with passion fruit sauce and rice to accompany a Condrieu – Yves Cuilleron’s Les Chaillets is perfect.
Which are your favourite regions and grapes?
“In terms of red wine, it’s got to be the northern Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. For whites, I love Chardonnay and Riesling. I love the Chardonnay made in Burgundy but also the Jura! And the Riesling has to be from Alsace, of course.”
Have you discovered any nice wines recently?
“I’ve never been particularly enamoured with natural wine, but Domaine L’Anglore is really something special; it’s clean and really well-made. An amazing discovery. We opened a bottle of 2018 Tavel a few weeks ago for my birthday, it was floral and fresh with great balance.”
The bottle of your dreams?
“There are just so many to choose from. As much as I love discovering new things, I think my dream bottle would be a Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Château Rayas.”
Tell me about your summer selection
“Anglore’s Tavel and Tavel Prima are rosé cuvées with structure and defined character, to be enjoyed cool but not chilled – they go down really well in the summer heat. I also tasted some wine from Bandol’s Domaine Tempier, whose whites and rosés are great for the summer, too.
A white Portuguese wine that’s especially nice is Niepoort’s Redoma cuvée. If you’re looking for something a little more powerful and complex, I’d recommend Weinbach in Alsace. And for fans of red, an Argentinian Malbec will go really well with a barbecue.”
