Olly Smith to select the 50 Great Portuguese Wines 2013

Smith’s selection will focus on wines between £7 and £30 that represent “great value for money”.

Olly Smith will select 50 Great Portuguese Wines 2013

Smith was named “Journalist of the Year” at this year’s Portuguese Wine Awards and will spend the next few months searching for his “50 Great Value Portuguese Wines”.

Smith said: “For me, wine is all about enjoyment and embracing new flavours and moments with friends and family.

“I believe that Portugal offers great value for money to create those moments with uniquely characterful wines that the UK consumer will have great fun exploring.”

The 50 Portuguese wines that Smith chooses will be unveiled next April, and Smith added: “I am hunting wines with vibrant modern appeal that show off the flair and unique character of Portugal with local and international grape varieties.

“I am interested in everything from quirky blends to robust classics and as long as the wine is balanced and a wine that producers are proud to share, I would be delighted to taste it.”

Marketing director at Wines of Portugal, Nuno Vale, said: “There is a definite need to boost awareness of our wines and to educate the UK consumer about the quality and versatility that they offer. We believe that there is no one better than Olly to do this, he has a real consumer cut-through that is hard to rival.”

Smith is the ninth wine expert to select “50 Great Portuguese Wines” and previous experts have included Julia Harding MW, Tom Cannavan and Jamie Goode.