Page 26 - Code de Vino, #17/23, a/w 2018

24 Space of taste Code de Vino #17 Code de Vino #17 Portuguese Winemaking — Varieties, Regions, Traditions 25
Lisboa and Tejo. Lisboa and Tejo are two regions that never Enogastronomic pairings Refined, expensive red wines can be very tannic when
fail to show the right way to combine the strength of Portuguese young, but they become smoother with aging. Among
varieties with the acknowledged qualities of international grapes, If you ever find yourself standing in front of a wine rack Portuguese wines, the most tannic are the classic red
including Arinto and Chardonnay, Touriga Nacional and Shiraz or studying a wine menu offering a choice of Portuguese wines, wines of Barraida and Douro, which make a delightful
(Syrah). In the first case, the acidity and minerality of Arinto here are several simple tips on food pairings. pairing with cheeses, game, roast meat and other dishes
mixes well with Chardonnay's body. In the second pair, with rich sauces.
Touriga Nacional adds structure and a depth of flavor which Acidity. Pick a crisp, white wine with high acidity if your dish
soften the rich notes of black pepper in Shiraz. is highly acidic as well, for example, salads with an acidic As for meat (without which Portuguese cuisine is hard
dressing, vinegar, tomatoes, lemon sauces or capers. A milder to even imagine), smoother and lighter red wines can be
Setubal Peninsula (Peninsula de Setúbal) — Castelão wine will be too weak against such bold flavors. White wines paired with white meat and the simplest red meat dishes.
and Touriga Nacional. Along with being the most famous from northern Portugal will make a good pairing here: Vinho Powerful and tannic red wine might overpower the taste
Portuguese region thanks to its famous fortified muscatel wines, Verde, Dão, Bairrada, Beira Interior, Beira Atlântico, Lafões, of these moderate dishes. Try smooth red Alentejo, light
the Setubal Peninsula is also home to another signature variety Terras da Beira, Terras de Cister, Terras do Dão, Minho, and easy-drinking red Ribatejo (Ribatejo DOC), elegant
used to make wines with excellent aging potential (comparable or from the cool areas of the Lisboa winemaking region Palmela (Palmela DOC), Algarve (Algarve DOC),
to those produced from the Baga grape in Bairrada). (Lisboa VR) — Bucelas (Bucelas DOC) or Obidos (Óbidos DOC). or Alenquer (Alenquer DOC), light red from the Obidos
The "harshness" of Castelão can be softened by the balance The high acidity of sparkling wines is also a good pairing region (Óbidos DOC) or good, ripe red wine from almost
and floral aroma of Touriga Nacional. with this type of food. any other region. The fresh acidity of red Dão (Dão DOC)
can cut through the richness of many such dishes.
Alentejo and Algarve. Aragonez, Trincadeira, and Alicante Sweet. A delicious dish with moderate sweetness (perhaps
Bouschet are the trio most often used for Alentejo red blends. from vegetables, fruit or a small amount of honey) matches Powerful, strong red wines from Douro, Dão, Bairrada
Alicante Bouschet, a variety of French origin, found its second well with wines with a note of sweetness or rich fruity character. and Alentejo can overpower delicate tastes in food. While
home in Alentejo, which is now the main terroir for this grape in Try red or rosé Vinho Verde wines. Delicate red Alentejo (including powerful tastes can completely hide the flavor of delicate
Portugal. The grape is used to make wines with a concentrated VR) with pronounced fruity flavors make a great pairing as well. white wines. Both white and red wines aged in oak can
color and structure, and good aging potential. Aragonez wines overpower dishes with refined flavors.
are full-bodied yet elegant, while Trincadeira adds floral notes Served with dessert, dry Portuguese wine will most likely taste
and acidity. When skilfully blended, these varieties reveal in one flat. This is the ideal time for a glass of dessert (vinho doce) Wines with pronounced aromatics. Aromatic dry wines
another their best qualities. The most southern wine region or fortified (licoroso) wine: sweet Muscatel from Setubal, famous go well with seafood and slightly spiced Asian dishes,
of Algarvi followed the example of Alentejo and now also Port wine or Madeira. Muscatel is an excellent pairing for many especially Indian or Thai, except for sweet and sour food.
produces such blends. desserts, especially if they contain almonds, chocolate, coffee Such wines are an excellent choice if the dish contains
or citrus peel. onion, sweet pepper or ginger. In this case, choose wines
containing the aromatic variety Fernão Pires, which
The archipelago of Madeira and the Azores (Madeira, Açores) —
Malvasia Fina and Verdelho. Verdelho is a white grape variety Try LBV Port wine with coffee cake or chocolate mousse. is predominant among the wines of the Lisboa region,
and in Bairrada is known as Maria Gomes. Other aromatic
used in the best Madeira wines. It is also the main variety in the Madeira goes well with the local bolo de mel pie, tropical fruits, wines — white Alvarinho and Loureiro (Vinho Verde),
amazing vineyards of the Azores, which are so unique they have and desserts with nuts or milk chocolate. and Muscatel, which is sometimes made dry (seco)
even been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The in the Setubal Peninsula.
vines grow in special reservoirs called "curraais" carved directly Bitter. Red wines with strong tannins are tough to pair with food.
in the volcanic rock. This grape makes incredibly aromatic and Some ingredients can even accentuate the bitterness of tannins, Seafood. It is a common belief that fish and seafood are
well-balanced wines. The addition of Malvasia Fina makes this such as egg yolks, cream, melted cheese, spinach, celery, dill
traditional blend of Madeira and Azores moderately crisp and and many spices. With these flavors, white or rosé wines are best paired with white wines. But some white fish sauces
make a good companion for red wines. If the fish is
more rounded. a better choice.
cooked in red wine, the pairing becomes even better.
The Portugese prefer red wine with traditional salted
cod (bacalhau), octopus (polvo guisado) or calamari (lula)
in red wine sauce.
Moderate consumption principles
Red wines (especially the monovarietal Baga from Wine in Moderate is an EU program supported by the Wines
Bairrada) are surprisingly good with fresh tuna, while red of Portugal (ViniPortugal) association of Portuguese
wines from Vinho Verde (Amaral, Alvarelhão, Espadeiro winemakers. The program is designed to promote responsible
varieties) go well with grilled sardines (sardinhas assadas). and moderate wine consumption. Wine is positioned as
But it is believed that white Portuguese wines taste best a premium product intended to be consumed slowly and
with salmon and ocean herring. As an experiment, you in moderation. The program is designed to educate the
might try pairing swordfish (espadarte) with a dry rosé.
population about the social risk and health hazards of alcohol
abuse and supports cultural changes in the approach
Pairing with cheeses. There is a great diversity of cheeses to wine drinking, making moderate consumption trendy.
with markedly different tastes. Many cheeses do not go
well with certain wines. But some wine and cheese ViniPortugal's "A Copo!" (A Glass) campaign has been
pairings are simply divine. The best wines for cheese supporting this program since the end of 2010. As part of this
include, for instance, dry or sweet white, red, Port or campaign, wine is presented as a product meant to be
Madeira wines.
consumed daily in a healthy way, at gatherings of family
and friends, during meals or to unwind, setting a new trend
Baga from Bairrada is excellent with soft goat cheese,
Curraletas — tanks, carved of moderate and responsible wine consumption.
from volcanic rock in the Azores just as Tawny Port is with Serra da Estrela cheese
(Queijo da Serra DOC) and walnuts.