Olly, who was awarded ‘Journalist of the Year’ at the Portuguese Wine Awards 2012, will spend the next few months tasting his way around Portugal to find his ultimate 50 Great Value Portuguese Wines. When asked what he was looking for from a prospective ’50 Great’ wine he commented: “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. Go to slideshow "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." Olly’s selection will be unveiled at a tasting in April that will be open to members of the trade. A special consumer tasting will also take place in the evening. 50 Great Portuguese wines by Olly Smith will also be supported by a high profile PR and Marketing campaign that represents a significant investment for Wines of Portugal. Marketing Director at Wines of Portugal, Nuno Vale, said: ‘We are absolutely delighted that Olly Smith has agreed to compile the 50 Great Portuguese Wines 2013. 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.” Olly Smith will be the 9th expert to select the 50 Great Portuguese Wines. Run on an annual basis, the initiative aims to showcase the sheer diversity of Portuguese wines.