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Lancers and Mateus - Representing a Nation of Wine

Started by Ryan Opaz · 9 months ago

Portugal equals Port wine, right?! This statement is dead on for so many of you, but this wasn’t the case if we go back a few generations. In the 1940s, there were two brands that epitomized Portuguese wine to the global market: Mateus and Lancers. Both wines were presente ... Continue reading »

18 comments

  • Mateus was always my parents' wine. They enjoyed it and had it often with dinner. I never really got into it. My preference at that time was for Riunite Lambrusco.
  • It's funny, but I seem to recall the Mateus bottle from the 70's as being even more squat, with lower shoulders than your photo. Maybe I'm thinking of a different brand?


    Like Richard, I was a Lambrusco fan in the mid to late 70's, only I preferred Zonin.
  • Mateus was always my parents' wine. They enjoyed it and had it often with dinner. I never really got into it. My preference at that time was for Riunite Lambrusco.
  • It's funny, but I seem to recall the Mateus bottle from the 70's as being even more squat, with lower shoulders than your photo. Maybe I'm thinking of a different brand?

    Like Richard, I was a Lambrusco fan in the mid to late 70's, only I preferred Zonin.
  • I was a Mateus fan - way too sophisticated for any Boone's Farm..... and it was expensive - maybe $3.50 - $4.00/bottle or so....


    However, Gabriella I think you need to do some additional research on bombers - the





    B2 is the Stealth Bomber making it's entrance long after swing music was at it's peak. Maybe you meant a B29 or B52 - both more likely depending on when your grandparent's started to drink either of these wines.
  • Actually Cornell, you're absolutely correct in that I had meant the B52 and not the B2. Thanks for the correction!


    Out of curiosity, does anyone remember what your friends were drinking? Were the wines you mentioned something you got into on your own or were these wines you shared at parties and family gatherings?



    My Dad was an Ernest & Julio Gallo Chardonnay / Rose fan typically bringing home either the box wine or the jug for as far back as I can remember. In turn, this was actually first wine I purchased and brought to a party. I had actually never heard of Mateus until I saw it on a shelf here in Spain.



    I suppose I'm curious how large a reach Mateus and Lancers had at the time. Were these wines as famous as I've both heard and read.
  • I was a Mateus fan - way too sophisticated for any Boone's Farm..... and it was expensive - maybe $3.50 - $4.00/bottle or so....

    However, Gabriella I think you need to do some additional research on bombers - the
    B2 is the Stealth Bomber making it's entrance long after swing music was at it's peak. Maybe you meant a B29 or B52 - both more likely depending on when your grandparent's started to drink either of these wines.
  • Actually Cornell, you're absolutely correct in that I had meant the B52 and not the B2. Thanks for the correction!

    Out of curiosity, does anyone remember what your friends were drinking? Were the wines you mentioned something you got into on your own or were these wines you shared at parties and family gatherings?

    My Dad was an Ernest & Julio Gallo Chardonnay / Rose fan typically bringing home either the box wine or the jug for as far back as I can remember. In turn, this was actually first wine I purchased and brought to a party. I had actually never heard of Mateus until I saw it on a shelf here in Spain.

    I suppose I'm curious how large a reach Mateus and Lancers had at the time. Were these wines as famous as I've both heard and read.
  • Most of my friends drank beer. I never acquired a taste for beer so it was either wine or vodka for me.
  • Most of my friends drank beer. I never acquired a taste for beer so it was either wine or vodka for me.
  • Mateus and Lancers were the wines bought for "special occasions" or when entertaining. I was really not sophisticated at all when it came to wine but these were certainly viewed as well above the Boone's Farm, Annie Greenspring, etc. Of course this was during college days of having no money so our sights were not set very high.....and $4.00 was a lot of money.....
  • The Mateus bottle has been tweaked over the years. For me it brings back romantic memories during my couple of years of Far Eastern travel - precious pennies squandered on a bottle at a Macau restaurant over-looking the South China Seas. Seemed like a really extravagent indulgance for us budget travellers but as the sun set... etc etc etc
  • Great stories everyone, Thanks Andrew for the vaseline lens... Oh and dad, $4 is still big money to spend on a wine! ;) or wait I remember your up to $5?
  • Mateus and Lancers were the wines bought for "special occasions" or when entertaining. I was really not sophisticated at all when it came to wine but these were certainly viewed as well above the Boone's Farm, Annie Greenspring, etc. Of course this was during college days of having no money so our sights were not set very high.....and $4.00 was a lot of money.....
  • The Mateus bottle has been tweaked over the years. For me it brings back romantic memories during my couple of years of Far Eastern travel - precious pennies squandered on a bottle at a Macau restaurant over-looking the South China Seas. Seemed like a really extravagent indulgance for us budget travellers but as the sun set... etc etc etc
  • Great stories everyone, Thanks Andrew for the vaseline lens... Oh and dad, $4 is still big money to spend on a wine! ;) or wait I remember your up to $5?
  • i have a bottle of mateus it's old maybe 50's 60's how can i fine how old it is? and is it worth $$
  • i have a bottle of mateus it's old maybe 50's 60's how can i fine how old it is? and is it worth $$

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