PORTOFINO offers the winemaking expertise of international vintners and a distinguished passion for quality food and wine products.
OUR HISTORY
PORTOFINO was founded in 1997, and continues to be led by Winemaker and Co-founder Alejandro De Miguel.
Alejandro began his career as a respected winemaker in his native Argentina where he demonstrated from the start his vision for excellence and passion for everything wine. Several years after his arrival to Canada he was able to bring to fruition his desire to share with consumers high quality winemaking and gourmet food products.
Gustavo De Agostini, originally from Uruguay and Alejandro’s right hand man for over 20 years is now a partner and a respected winemaker in his own right. Together, Alejandro and Gustavo continue to strengthen their commitment to quality products making Portofino one of Canada’s leading food and wine enterprises.
WHAT WE DO
Our philosophy is based in the tradition of superior winemaking – a wine can only be as good as its grape. Thinking outside the bottle, we extended that tradition to all of our food products, sourcing and importing only the best from suppliers worldwide.
Our imported frozen grapes and fresh juices are offered year-round to wineries, U-Vins and winemakers across North America. Our master vintners are consistently on hand to assist and ensure a smooth and successful winemaking process.
Our selection of cooking wines and vinegars are both imported and made in-house. Our products are available for food distributors and processors, and can be ordered with our in-house brand or customized for private label.
Our loyal suppliers are skilled vintners from grape growing regions around the globe where old world traditions are infused with innovative viticulture, guaranteeing the best quality grape.
In great challenges always lies an opportunity for innovation. When faced with the challenge of a cold, long Canadian winter and thus a short grape growing season, Alejandro realized that this was a great opportunity to break some long established traditional barriers in the world of wine.
He no longer had to be constrained to working with local grapes for a short period of time in the year. Instead he could source fresh grapes from anywhere in the world and by keeping them frozen until fermentation take advantage of a year long production season.
Today we have grape growing partners in Argentina, Chile, California and Italy who understand and share our commitment to premium grapes and grape juices.
Our grapes are harvested at full maturity in the cool air of the early morning, gently crushed and frozen in temperature controlled shipping containers where they remain until arrival at PORTOFINO.
THE GRAPE DEBATE:
FRESH VS. FROZEN
Fresh grapes are the basis for premium winemaking, and in an ideal scenario – you grow and you harvest in the same place where you crush and ferment. From the moment the grape is picked from the vine, temperature control is the key to preserving the grapes’ flavours and characteristics intact for winemaking. It is obvious why temperature control presents a challenge when shipping fresh grapes over long distances. The smallest temperature fluctuation sacrifices flavour and aromatics.
For this reason, when it comes to importing frozen grapes are actually better than fresh grapes. Years of experience have proven that there are no quality down sides to freezing grapes for winemaking. The freezing process causes a gentle intercellular breakdown of red grape cells, releasing more juice and colour without any bitter characteristics – think of it as an extended cold maceration.
In the end we are able to work with grapes that have preserved their characteristics, show to be more naturally sterile and more suitable for fermentation. Perhaps the most significant advantage of working with frozen grapes and juice is timing. Timing allows us to make blends and modify our winemaking protocols in order maximize the grapes’ potential and end result.
WINEMAKING PRODUCTS
FRESH FROZEN CRUSH GRAPES
23Kg. Pail
3 pails makes 2 x 23L batches
CHILE
MAIPO VALLEY
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
CarmenerE
ITALY
SICILY
Nero D’avola
ARGENTINA
SAN JUAN
Malbec
FRESH FROZEN
JUICES
21L. Pail
Makes 28 x 750 mL bottles
CHILE
MAIPO VALLEY
Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc
Argentina
SAN JUAN
torrontes
WORLD BLEND CONCENTRATE JUICES
22L. Pail
Makes 4 x 23L batches
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MERLOT
MALBEC
SHIRAZ
RUBY CABERNET
PINOT NOIR
VALPOLICELLA
BAROLO
AMARONE
PINOT GRIGIO
CHARDONNAY
SAUVIGNON BLANC
RIESLING
GEWURZTRAMINER
BLUSH ZINFANDEL
GOURMET FOOD PRODUCTS
It is our passion for wine and food that fuels our commitment to quality products. Our food products, just like our wines, are testament to our love for premium ingredients and our on-going dedication to customer satisfaction.
VINEGARS
{Boxes of 2 x 5 litres}
WHITE BALSAMIC CONDIMENT
BALSAMIC VINEGAR
VINEGARS – CONDIMENTS
{Boxes of 2 x 5 litres}
RED WINE VINEGAR
TARRAGON
WHITE WINE VINEGAR
TARRAGON
BALSAMIC REDUCTION – DECO
{Boxes of 2 x 5 litres}
BALSAMIC REDUCTION
APPLE
BALSAMIC REDUCTION
DECO
BALSAMIC REDUCTION
SPICES
COOKING WINES
{Boxes of 2 x 5 litres and Bag in box of 20 litres}
RED COOKING WINE
WHITE COOKING WINE
Ingredients: wine, salt. Contain Sulphites. 10% alc/vol / 1.5% Salt Added. NOT FOR SALE AS A BEVERAGE.
*Our balsamic vinegar is made from a reduction of pressed red grapes. It is traditional in flavour, dark in colour with a well balanced acidity leaving a sweet taste in its finish.
** Our reduction uses our very own balsamic vinegar as a base. Our balsamic reduce the volume thus concentrating and intesifying the flavours. It’s thick in consistency, sweet in flavour with a soft underlying acidity. Depending on your intended use, each of our unique food items can be packaged and labeled under the Portofino name or with your own private label.
Our food products, standard sizes, packaging and quantities are listed above.
If your preference differs please contact us, as we can easily accommodate variations to the standard request based on quantities and package sizes.
Find Us
Juice & Wine Products Inc.
28 Millwick Drive
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M9L 1Y3
info@portofinowines.com
T 416.740.4411
F 416.740.1700
Toll-Free 1.866.513.2982