Catavino » portuguese wine

Goodbye 2011, Hello Future

Ryan Opaz — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:59:56 +0000

Today seems to be the day we say goodbye for good. Seems logical to end it all on the last day of 2011. The journey has been fun, but in reality, it’s only just begun. We’ve just arrived back after a week in the UK with family and friends, filled with good wines and festive meals. I suspect the first weeks of 2012 will be welcomed in with a bit of restraint as we work to get our middles back to that svelte shape we all think we have.

As for Catavino. Someday we might do something with it. From time to time, we’ll be poking around, cleaning up some old posts and optimizing the archive a bit, but that’s about it. All our wonderful writers have said their goodbyes (Rick Fisher, Quentin Sadler, Andrea Smith, Oliver Styles, Sonia Nolasco), many of which left us speechless, and almost made us change our minds, not to mention the numerous emails, and messages, imploring us not to keep going. But alas, the book (or blog) is officially over.

This is far from the end. We have some great new projects lined up, so your not getting rid of us that easy. You can still follow us at:

Ryan Opaz

Gabriella Opaz

Vrazon

Thank you to all the people who helped make Catavino what it is today. We deeply appreciate all the friendships it brought us, wines we have tasted, and places we have visited. Looking back it seems like a bit of a dream, but we trust the memories will continue as you explore the vast and delicious wines of the both Spain and Portugal. Remember, no matter how much you love a grape, wine, style or region, never stop exploring new wines, foods and ideas. We only grow by expanding outside our comfort zones!

So here’s to a great 2012, new beginnings and fresh starts.

Cheers and Thank you all.

Ryan and Gabriella

10 Delicious Reasons Why You Should Visit Portugal!

Andrea Smith — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:15:26 +0000

It’s been almost four years since I called Portugal my “home away from home”, translating to a half decade of savoring Portuguese food and wine on a regular basis – something I’ve never taken for granted.

Consequently, while searching for information on Portuguese gastronomy, I stumbled across Catavino’s Facebook page. Immediately drawn to Ryan and Gabriella’s story, it echoed many similarities to my own adventure. So, I reached out, expressing my shared enthusiasm and appreciation for Iberian wine and food. (photo by Ryan Opaz)

The shock came soon after when Gabriella hinted that I write for Catavino. Me? A writer?! Are we speaking of the same person who dreaded school writing assignments, or even writing thank-you letters?! The idea was dreadful, as I neither thought myself qualified, nor that my writing would be interesting enough for people to read. But Gabriella gently coaxed me into the fold, with the help of her editing magic and continued support; I’ve been pecking away at the keyboard for well over 3 years now.

Aided by the research I was required to do for Catavino, I have developed an appreciation for some relatively off the wall flavors; dishes that I would’ve stayed clear of if they weren’t ordered by fellow diner. What a shame it would have been to miss out on so many extraordinary flavors. Portugal has brought out the proud “foodie” in me, the person who spends ten minutes deciding on the cake or tart I should savor at the pastelaria; the person who requests additional bread to mop up the garlic, cilantro, butter and white wine sauce from the ameijoas á bulhão pato; and the person who lingers over every single drop of their (espresso) café, scraping around the inside of the cup with a spoon for that coveted foam.

Hence, my mouthwatering tactics begs the question: have you visited Portugal yet? Assuming the answer is “no”, what if you were given ten delicious reasons as to why you should take your next vacation to Portugal, would you be convinced? Let’s give it a try:

Simple, Fresh Comfort Food

I cherish the fact that you can enjoy a delicious, home-cooked meal from any one of the numerous “mom and pop” locales throughout Portugal. Simple and inexpensive – as a result of their locally sourced seasonal meat, fish and produce – you can savor hearty, traditional dishes even in the heart of Lisbon at such family-run establishments such as A Tasca do João. Or if you’re needing a breath of fresh air out in the country, Portugal’s picturesque little aldeias are the perfect spot to sample comfort food at its best; whether you’ve got a free invite to stay with friends or you’re paying to stay at one of the many aldeia guesthouses for a luxurious weekend getaway, you’ll always be treated and fed like one of the family!

Intriguing Regional Liquors & Spirits

Though having Portuguese wine is a must; you really haven’t had the full Portuguese experience until you’ve tried their colorful variety of liquors and spirits! Whether you end your meal with something sweet, or ease into a nightcap with something dry and powerful, there’s a sumptuous flavor for everyone. Licor Beirão, the “Liquor of Portugal”, from the central Beiras region, is made from a secret 100-year old recipe that shows a delectable sweet, herbal flavor. From the southern Algarve region, you have Licor de Amendoa Amarga, made from bitter almonds and portraying an addictive marzipan flavor, most notably from the brand “Amarguinha”. Licor de Alfarroba is made from aguardente (brandy) and the seedpods of the Alfarroba (Carob) tree; which is also used in many Algarvian desserts. It has unique flavor that I would describe as a mixture of fig and chocolate and makes an amazing digestive. But if you really want something to knock your socks off then pour yourself a glass of aguardente bagaceira, or Bagaço as it’s commonly called. Consider it Portugal’s version of grappa, made from leftover pomace. The best Bagaço is said to come from the pomace of Vinho Verde grapes in the northern Minho region and is distilled on open flame from small wine producers. However, as this method is illegal, the only way to find it is if you upon a small, local restaurant where the owner generously pours you a shot from his “unmarked” bottle. If this falls upon your lap then you’re in for a treat! Otherwise, you can go for the Macieira Centenário, a legal and respected brand. And last but not least, if you’re in the Lisbon area and can’t make it up North, then try ginja, a traditional cherry liquor from the town of Obídos served in a chocolate cup. We’re talking pure heaven!

Meat, Sausage and all Things, well Meat Oriented!

Although nearly half of Portugal is coastline, where fish graces the majority of our meals, not an hour inland you can savor roasted, stewed and grilled meats. The most prized meat originates from the southern region of Alentejo, where certified, free-range novilho (beef) and vitelão/vitela (veal) are raised, of which the majority is equivalent in quality to Angus Beef. The region is also well-known for their certified, free-range black pork, made into delicious chouriço de porco preto (black pork sausage), presunto (Portugal’s version of prosciutto) and fresh pork cutlets. A good way to enjoy Alentejo’s meat is on a traditional tabua mista de carne- a mixed meat board. And of course, they still produce plenty of “regular” pork, such as chouriço de sangue (fresh blood sausage) and cacholeira (smoked sausage made with liver, blood, kidneys and pork fat). Many of these sausages can also be found in Portugal’s famous Sopa da Pedra (Stone Soup) or Cozido á Portuguesa (Portuguese stew). But don’t miss out on the northern interior regions of Trás-os-Montes and Beira Alta, which are known for producing some of the best, hand-made enchidos (cured meats) and chouriço (sausage) in the country; such as my favorite alheira – a soft, fresh sausage made from a mixture of pork, pork fat, poultry meat, garlic, paprika and olive oil, and served Mirandela style: deep fried and topped with a fried egg. Albeit rich, it’s absolutely delicious!

Bacalhau

Yes, I mean salt cod! And even though salt cod is common in various Southern European countries, the Portuguese boast of their 1,001 different ways of preparing it! Fresh fish may be abundant, but Bacalhau has played an integral part in Portuguese history and culture. So whether you like it just simply boiled, or fried with sautéed onions and garlic like I do, the buttery texture and heartiness of Portuguese Bacalhau will win anyone over!

Fish & Shellfish

Ferran Adria has stated, “the best fish in the world is Portuguese”, and equally acclaimed chef, Thomas Keller, supposedly only consumes Portuguese fish. When considering that Portugal is the highest consumer of fish in Europe, and 4th in worldwide consumption, it should be of no surprise to you that the Portuguese are equally smitten with their scaly friends. Indeed, for a country that has an extensive Atlantic continental coastline of approximately 943km (586mi) and an additional combined 917km (570mi) around the Azorean and Madeira islands, there is plenty of area for the experienced Portuguese fishermen to bring in numerous and delicious varieties of Portuguese fish and shellfish. Portuguese fish recipes are prepared in vastly different ways, from boiled to baked, or even stewed with rice or potatoes, but nothing beats a simple grilled fish with a little sea salt and olive oil for lunch, accompanied by a deliciously effervescent Portuguese white wine. Keep a lookout for popular Portuguese fish like dourada (dourade or gilthead bream), robalo (seabass) and some of the healthiest fish you can eat like carapaus (mackeral) and sardinhas (sardines)-the latter of which the Portuguese do best as they’re huge part of their summer culture. And trust me, once you’ve had fresh Portuguese sardines, you’ll actively seek them out like the rest of us!

Bread

There is a deliriously irresistible aroma of baking bread that wafts through the streets of Portugal from late in the evening to the early morning hours. Unfortunately, I’m not sure whether it’s more of a pleasure, or a torture, to endure the buttery, rich aroma when that late night craving hits, but if you can wait until those bakery doors open, you won’t regret it. Making your own bread at home may be nice, but here in Portugal, there’s no point when fresh bread is everywhere, as the bakeries feed into the supermarkets and local restaurants throughout the day. Plus, there is no shortage of styles, as each Portuguese region specializes in a different bread (pão), such as the chewy and crusty Pão de Mafra or a richly dense Broa de Milho. And if your trip coincides with a holiday, you just might sink your teeth into special recipe such as Folar da Pascoa, Portugal’s delicious Easter bread.

Handcrafted Cheese

All you cheese lovers out there, Portugal is your destination for cheese heaven! Soft and stinky, rich and creamy, hard and nutty, it doesn’t matter because they have them all! I am so obsessed with Portuguese cheese that I went so far as to break them down into 3 bite sized summaries: A Lil’ Stinky But Smooth And Creamy; Not Too Soft, Not Too Hard And Not Too Stinky; Hard, Rugged and Nutty. With any luck, you might also gain a new level of appreciation for the hard working laborers who make this delectable treat so readily available for you, such as the shepherds of Serra da Estrela, whose dying craft is threatening the availability of high quality, handcrafted Serra da Estrela cheese. Clearly it’s an art, and one that I wholeheartedly try to support at least once a day.

Coffee

Ahh, the delicious aroma and flavor of Portugal’s coffee, a well-honed tradition that’s been an integral part of Portuguese culture for centuries. As a result of the Portuguese colonization in excellent coffee-growing regions like Brazil and Angola, Portugal was not only one of the first European countries to bring coffee to the continent, but was also partially responsible for the universal success of coffee. Nowadays, with cafés on every single corner of the city, we both start and end our days with great quality coffee costing an affordable 55 cents; hence, it won’t break your bank for a little indulgence!

Pastries

Of course with such an abundance of cafés and coffee drinkers, it’s of no surprise that the Portuguese are master pasteleiros, and my, what a sweet tooth they have! Historically influenced by wine and convent life, pastry making went on to create Lisbon’s most famous pastry, Pasteis de Belem. Though you can find a selection of the most popular pastries in almost any café or pastelaria in the country, the unique regional pastries are a touch of sweetness with individuality.

Unique Wine Experiences

People never stop asking me why I came to Portugal, and though I usually say “for several reasons”, Portuguese wine captured my heart. From the moment I came across Portuguese wine during my studies at the Culinary Institute of America, it entranced me, with its numerous strange-sounding native varieties that twisted my tongue into a thousand knots, and its elusive presence. I was hooked and decided to visit. But don’t let tricky names and limited availability scare you, come visit Portugal and experience them in their native surroundings. No where else in the world can true Port and Madeira wine be produced and no where else in the world can you find such palate-tickling wines like Vinho Verde, Vinho Verde Rosé and Vinho Verde Tinto, or a surprisingly tasty Tinto Espumante that is perfect with the delicious regional dish Leitão Assado. And with over 300 native grape varieties to choose from, it’s difficult to not enjoy even basic table wines that can include award winning grapes such as Gouveio and Arinto. Then again, if you want a warm smile and some professional guidance, swing by any of these local wine bars: Os Goliardos, Chafariz do Vinho and Garrafeira Alfaia. In the world of wine where you can find so much of the same thing being done and re-done, there’s never been a better time to try something completely different!

So those are my 10 delicious reasons, and if you still don’t believe me, even Turismo de Portugal has backed me up this year with this enchanting video called “Taste Portugal” which is a culmination of everything food and wine that Portugal has to offer.

Finally, if you’re keen for more information on Portuguese food and wine, check out Fodor’s Portugal 9th Edition, where I’ve added loads of secret gems to experience in the greater Lisbon area. You can also find me on Twitter and perhaps re-launching my own blog again. And of course, you can find me here in Portugal, ready to guide you on a deliciously unique experience!

To Gabriella & Ryan Opaz,

Thank you for a deliciously eye-opening journey through writing,

Andrea Smith

The Never Ending Journey: 6 Years of Transformation

Gabriella Opaz — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:13:12 +0000

Not surprisingly, I’ve delayed writing this post for weeks, dutifully trying to answer the question, “what happened over the past 6 years and how does one summarize such an experience in one article?” Admittedly, it’s absolutely impossible. To write a one off post on how our lives have changed feels as inconsequential as writing a paragraph on the death of reason. Well, then again, if you merged both topics, you just might have something!

If someone asked me 7 years ago if I would be prepared to live hand to mouth for half a decade in order to write about Iberian wine, in a country I had never been, speaking a language I had never uttered, to meet people from around the world that would eventually become life long friends, I would have offered a very cheeky grin and suggested they lay off the whiskey. If that very same someone went on to suggest that I would eventually find myself on the shoulders of Cristiano Van Zeller in a quaint restaurant in Matosinhos during Essencia do Vinho; sipping fresh olive oil with 2 Italian grandmothers in Umbria; sharing a glass of wine with the President of Croatia while overlooking the city of Zagreb; riding horseback high above the vineyards of Rioja, or simply enjoying horse sausage among new friends in their cozy and familiar apartment in Budapest, I would have asked them to seriously consider refraining from all stimulants, including acid. The notion would have been so preposterous, so out of my realm of understanding, that even the mere engagement of such an idea would have provoked a very quizzical look.

Nothing is Impossible

Allow me to repeat this statement: nothing is impossible. If there has ever been a truer nugget of wisdom, I have yet to encounter it. From day one, I have experienced more flavors, aromas, sites and sounds than most people have encountered in their entire lives; each and every one of these I would have initially defied impossible to experience. I might even have gone so far as to say they didn’t exist. Oh, how wrong I was. I still remember my head exploding when sitting down to a table full of sherry wines in Jerez, each vastly different in their color, each profoundly unique in their flavor and each perpetually misunderstood by the world at large. Like eating 1,001 different types of cured Spanish ham, Sherry opened my mind to the immense amount of diversity existing in the world. How did I not know about this? I would ask myself. How could I have generalized all Sherries as the same? This was a mistake I had made many times over the years, continuously doubting that life has a little magic to throw our way as long as we’re open to the experience.

Love Grows over Time

Prior to moving to Spain, I had imagined the Spanish landscape similar Greece, with white adobe houses, gorgeous blue waters and slinky cats skirting around every corner. Add a touch of New Mexican dessert with stunning orange sunsets and wild horses, and a dash of Hollywood pizazz where every woman had a sassy, no bullshit sexiness like Catherine Zeta- Jones, and you essentially have my image of Spain. It was naïve and childlike, sweet and completely out of sync with reality. The clue-stick eventually hit after landing in Madrid, one cold January morning, when I stepped out of the taxi to long barren city streets covered in cement and lined with dive bars, shoe shops, bakeries and enough pharmacies to make Pfizer have a mini orgasm. Taking a long hard look around me under a gray-blanketed sky, tears rolled down my cheeks. “Where the hell are the cats, the gorgeous blue waters, the stunning views? Damn it, where is my Zorro!”

It took many months before my appreciation for Spain grew into a full blown addiction. Though musky, cigarette infested banks, bar floors littered with cheap unabsorbant napkins, and haughty Spanish grandmothers decked out in pearls, fur shoals and bright red lipstick when taking out the garbage, I couldn’t help but eventually turn the corner. Despite the cultural differences, I so appreciated our varying ways of tackling the world – okay, maybe not the cigarettes in public buildings, but everything else was icing on the cake. It wasn’t, however, until that first spring morning when enjoying an array of tapas and wine on a sun dappled terrace that I became hooked.

What is Spain to me? It’s rugged, boisterous and opinionated. It loves nothing more than to tell you a fabulous tale, a juicy story, enhancing every bit of drama it can muster. It desperately cares about appearances, unwilling to do anything that might cause a raised eyebrow, but will nail you to the wall if you care to throw down a good debate. It’s stunning, geographically diverse, culturally passionate, and filled with some of the loveliest people I have ever encountered on the planet.

If there was ever at time the Spanish culture was more beautifully exemplified it was on a long and arduous train trip coming back from Paris. Having broken my foot on a biking tour, I was resigned to carrying my gear, with crutches, from Beaune to Dijon, from Dijon to Paris, from Paris to Irun, and finally, from Irun to Madrid. My saving grace was the telephone call made by my company requesting a porter to be present at every station to help me through the transfer. Not so bad, I thought, but when arriving to Paris, where a chestnut brown haired kid with brilliant green eyes helped the invalid off the train, I was met by my surly knight in matte gray smelling of cheap cologne and stale nicotine. His job was specifically to help me, but rather than lend a hand, he chose to instigate a fight through backhanded insults, flippant remarks, and a death-defying joyride through the vacuous station of Gare du Nord. Passing sunburnt tourists and hunched old men playing cards on wobbly wooden benches, we eventually arrived to my train with only a few minutes to spare. Hours later, the train hiccuped to a slow halt in Irun, awakening me from a deep slumber – limbs found sprawled out in a garage sale like fashion. Stumbling off the train, two men with toothy grins and a rickety chariot boisterously shouted, “Here is our adventurous woman! How was your trip so far guapisima?!” Blocking the sun from my eyes, I let several days of trapped air slowly escape my lungs in a deep relaxed sigh, while attempting to explain my arduous story from the crack of the bone to my Formula one wheelchair ride. Taking my hands, the shorter rounder Porter with bushy black caterpillars for eyebrows giggled, “Ah, this is why you should’ve simply stayed in one of our many bars enjoying a good Spanish wine with friends – a little laughter, good tapas and less drama! Sounds better, no?” Helping me into my final train, the lankier porter returned with a clear plastic cup filled with table wine. “Hasta luego Gabriella!” he chirped excitedly, as he placed his sun-kissed hands on my head while kissing on either cheek. “And remember, more wine and less biking!”

Despite all of the hardships we’ve had while stumbling our way through culture shock, poor customer service, and a sincere lack of immediacy for anything, I can’t help but smile for the number of wonderful experiences I’ve had in Spain, equally matched in Portugal.

Appreciating the Moment

Portugal on the other hand is vastly different from Spain. There is a sweet gentleness that spills from its pours. Many Portuguese speak with a singsong whisper, a gentle “sh” sounds that lulls you to sleep, and a trusting embrace that creates a heartfelt feeling of family. From warm delicious soups, sumptuously sweet Moscatels and vast amounts of boisterous laughter, Portugal has become a fast friend, a country that I will never deny an invitation to visit.

When I think of Portugal, my mind immediately goes to mouthwatering grilled fish and a glass of Arinto. I imagine long walks along the boardwalk in Lisbon with a gentle breeze consistently at my back; gorgeous, bright sunny days and beautiful train rides through the rustic Portuguese landscape. My mind also wanders to a magical afternoon spent at Cortes de Cima listening to Opera as the late summer sun casts deep orange shadows across rows of stunning vines; lunch with friends among the thriving green landscape of Rias Baixas, and the stunning terraced lands of the Douro.

Granted, I may never fully appreciate the vast number of cold showers and freezing cold bedrooms we’ve experienced throughout Portugal, but I can say that a glass of Port and a warm fire will always make up for it. How do I know this? Spend a cold, overcast evening at the Villar d’Allen Estate in the heart of Porto, and you will quickly realize how incredible company, a good conversation and roaring fire with a bottle of great port can make all the difference in the world. With 300 years of stories embedded in every crack and seam, the house literally breathes. You cannot walk a foot without stumbling upon a historical artifact dating back to the 17th century, or a book from the 14th. It’s absolutely incredible, a work of art, but come evening, when the cool winds bury themselves deep into your bones, you start eyeing that port as if it was a elixir of the Gods. And fortunately, when you’re at the Allen’s, it usually is.

This type of living museum is unique to the Villar d’Allen Estate, but Portugal as a whole is a testament to living history, and an incredible reason to visit!

The Never Ending Story

In short, for as long as I live, or visit, Iberia, you will never lack stories. If anything, this is merely a transition, a blip in the radar, a short evolution if you will. There is too much left to share, to experience, to communicate for us to stop cold. If anything, it’s simply a chance for you to keep experimenting, to keep pushing your cultural, gastronomical and vinous boundaries to perpetually try something new. We’ll never stop, and we hope you won’t either!

With a Full Heart and Much Appreciation,

Gabriella Opaz

(Photos by Ryan Opaz)

Cooking up a Farewell Feast with Moscatel

Sonia Nolasco — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:46:00 +0000

Parting is such sweet sorrow. That Bard really knew what he was talking about, didn’t he? It’s this way with Gabriella and Ryan’s announcement that Catavino is saying goodbye. My emotions were mixed at hearing the news. Initially, I was disappointed that I wouldn’t have my monthly outpouring of a favorite Portuguese dish, wine or region that I’m used to sharing with all of you through the lens of an expat living in America. And I thought of how much I would miss your comments at the end of my stories; the inspirations, the exchanges, the camaraderie of like-mindedness.

Then that other saying sunk in: the only constant is change. And it sounds like Gabriella and Ryan’s change of plans is a positive one. With that in mind we have only to be thrilled for them and grateful for the time they brought us Catavino. It’s a sweet sorrow indeed. Personally, I’m very happy to have stumbled upon Catavino one day. It’s given me a voice in an area I rarely have time to dabble in because of day-to-day responsibilities. It’s also increased my appetite to doing more of this type of writing—when and on where, I don’t know, but the seed has been planted. Then another thought sunk in: maybe I’ll finally start my own blog. But that’s still to be determined. Actually, I have a few personal writing projects I have been neglecting. Maybe I’ll focus on that instead. Who knows? But for now you can find me on Twitter @reddishSonia and on LinkedIn.

For my last Catavino recipe piece, I’m inspired only by the sweetness in life. By the sweetness that Gabriella and Ryan have shown me, the sweetness that you the reader has bestowed on me with each of your “likes” and “tweets” and “comments.” How could I translate this sweetness into Portuguese food and wine, I thought? The answer: Moscatel. My favorite is the Moscatel from Setubal. And this summer the Moscatel de Setubal Reserva 2006 was awarded first place in the 11^th annual Muscats du Monde wine competition in Frontignan-la-Peyrade (Maison Voltaire) in the Languedoc Roussillon Region of France. Sweet!

But Moscatel, which I regularly have at home, is not simply a lovely drink to accompany my espresso or a piece of decadent chocolate. It’s also an excellent wine to cook with, especially when using gamier meats. In this piece, I want to pay homage to some of the places and people that have inspired my cooking with Moscatel. The first recipe that follows below was inspired by a duck dish at the Pousada de Palmela in the district of Setubal on a vacation to Portugal. Theirs was fancy, schmancy and delicious. Mine is a rustic roasted dish, refined only by the Moscatel. The second, a lamb dish, is inspired by Catavino reader Pedro Almeida who in my Beira Baixa: Roads Less Traveled piece suggested I visit the restaurant Pe de Vinho in Azeitao near Setubal, since I shared with him that my husband’s grandparents live nearby. His description of the restaurant’s Moscatel and honey smothered lamb made my mouth water. I have yet to try it, but I couldn’t wait, so I concocted my own recipe here at home. The third one pays tribute to one of my favorite Connecticut restaurants, The Schoolhouse at Cannondale, not too far from where we live. It’s not Portuguese, but it offers up a hot chocolate that I’m certain will delight anybody (young or old) no matter where they hail from on the globe. There are traces of honey and candied zest in it topped with homemade marshmallows. In my version, I created a hot chocolate spiked with Moscatel, which always leaves hints of orange and honey on my tongue. Since I’m not a very good baker, I stayed away from attempting to make the marshmallows. But you can purchase some or finish the chocolaty elixir off, as I like to do, with a dollop of whip cream and flurries of cocoa powder.

Cheers to Gabriella and Ryan’s new beginnings—and a happy holiday season and New Year to everyone!

It’s truly been a pleasure and privilege to write for Catavino.

Muito obrigada,

Sonia Andresson-Nolasco

Duck Moscatel

Inspired by Pousada de Palmela

Ingredients:
1 duck
1 head of garlic
6 shallots
1 large onion
1 large lemon
1 large orange
Fingerling potatoes
Red young potatoes
Fresh rosemary
Fresh parsley
2 cups of Moscatel
1 cup white dry wine
Olive oil
Black pepper
Red pepper flakes
Garlic powder
Dry rosemary

Preparation:

Day Before: Wash the duck and cut off excess fatty skin. Slice the onion and cover the bottom of a baking proof tray with it; make sure the tray is large enough to accommodate the duck and the potatoes. Place the duck on top of the onions. Sprinkle the salt, garlic powder, black pepper and red pepper flakes on duck to taste. Squeeze on it the juice of the lemon and orange, including into the carcass and stuff it with a couple of whole garlic cloves, rosemary sprigs and a couple of shallots cup lengthwise. Scatter the rest of the garlic cloves and shallots around the duck, leave some of the garlic with its skin on because when the dish is done, it’s a treat to squeeze the roasted garlic out and use as a spread on toasted bread. In a separate bowl whisk the Moscatel and white wine and then pour over the duck and inside the carcass. Add a cup and a half of olive oil and marry all the ingredients by rubbing them together all over the duck. Cover the tray with foil and leave in the fridge overnight or at least a few hours before roasting.

Day of: Wash the potatoes and cut them lengthwise and leave skin on (since cooking with skin make sure they’re washed well). In a large bowl add salt to the potatoes to taste, garlic powder, olive oil and dry rosemary. Make sure the potatoes are covered in the mixture and set aside. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees or desired temperature depending on your oven, and place the duck in it covered with the foil for about 20 minutes and lower temperature to about 450 degrees. Remove from the oven and add the potatoes and put back in the oven without the foil this time. It’ll likely take about an hour and a half for the duck to roast. When the duck skin starts to look crispy, remove from the oven and turn the duck and bathe it with the marinade, and also turn the potatoes. Let it roast until the skin is crispy and potatoes start to get crispy at the edges, too. If the duck is still not crispy enough but the potatoes are or vice versa, remove either one and set aside covered with foil and place the item that needs more cooking back in the oven. Finish the dish with freshly chopped parsley. Note: if you like fruit with your gamey meat, you can add apples or figs to this dish, too. Wine: A Dao Jaen or Douro Tinta Roriz.

Lamb Moscatel

Inspired by Pe de Vinho via Pedro Almeida

Ingredients:
1 Rack of Lamb
Red young potatoes
Dry oregano
Fresh rosemary
Fresh parsley
Black pepper
1 lemon
2 Table spoons of honey
2 cups of Moscatel
Garlic powder
Paprika
1 head of garlic
Olive Oil

Preparation:

Day Before: Season the lamb with the salt, garlic powder, paprika and black pepper to taste. Squeeze the juice of the lemon on both sides of the lamb rack in a baking tray large enough to accommodate the lamb and the potatoes. Drench with one and half cup of olive oil (or to taste) and a generous amount of dry oregano. Reserve a few drops of the lemon juice and add to a small bowl, along with the honey and the Moscatel. Whisk all the ingredients together and pour over the lamb. Add the rosemary sprigs and garlic cloves to the tray and cover with foil and let it sit in the fridge overnight or a few hours before roasting.

Day of: Wash the potatoes and cut lengthwise with skin on. Season with salt and garlic power to taste and cover with olive oil and set aside. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees or according to your oven and add the potatoes to the tray. Place in the oven, roast for 10 minutes and lower to 450 or 400 degrees. When the rack of lamb is showing some charring, remove and turn and then place back in the oven. Roast again until the lamb shows color on the other side. Keep in mind that lamb is best served medium, so don’t overcook. You can use a thermometer to help. Insert away from the bone; should be ready at 140 degrees. Another trick is to heat up a skillet and quickly char both sides of the lamb before putting back on the tray and in oven; this seals up the moisture in the meat. If the potatoes aren’t crispy yet, remove the lamb and place on a cutting board covered with foil. Let it rest while the potatoes finish. Once the potatoes are done, remove and set aside. Cut the rack of lamb into individual chops and add back into the tray to smother in the sauce and serve with chopped parsley. Wine: An Alentejo Syrah or a Setubal Castelao.

Hot Chocolate Moscatel

Inspired by the Schoolhouse at Cannondale

Ingredients:
1 3.5 oz of semi-sweet bar of chocolate (I used Pure Icelandic Chocolate)
2 cups of milk
4 Tablespoons of Moscatel (or to taste)
Whipped Cream
Cocoa Powder

Preparation:
Chop the chocolate bar and melt in a cup of simmering warm water. Once it’s melted add the Moscatel. Boil the milk and add to the melted chocolate. Pour into mugs; add whipped cream and cocoa powder to finish. Note: You can also let cool in the fridge and serve cold in the warmer months. Wine: A shot of Moscatel. The more Moscatel, the merrier!

Beira Baixa: Roads Less Traveled Part II

Sonia Nolasco — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:13:50 +0000

Editor’s Note: In Part II we continue our travels through the Beira Baixa, pairing two area reds with a regional duck dish.

I enjoy reading wine labels, but I can’t ever recall a time when one jerked a tear out of me. But two bottles of red from Quinta dos Termos in the Beira Baixa region of Central Portugal have managed to do just that. There may be more personalized wine labels out there, but I have yet to lay eyes on such heartfelt words on the back of any bottle. Realizing there will be nuances lost in translation, the label on the 2005 Tinto Reserva, reads “Though it may be drinkable as of now, with pleasure, it will improve greatly with time in the bottle, gaining the complexity of the grand wines of this region, still undiscovered by the Portuguese.” My emotion is also likely influenced by my gut that these aren’t words merely to describe a wine and its region, but almost an outcry from an area of the country that’s often overlooked. It’s also the region where most of my family comes from.

In Part I, we touched on the challenges the Beira Baixa faces as it remains somewhat of an anomaly to the rest of the country, let alone the world. We pressed the parallels between this overlooked region and its undiscovered wines, which are denominated Beira Interior D.O.C. encompassing the three sub-regions of Castelo Rodrigo, Cova da Beira and Pinhel. In Part II, we’re delving deeper into the two Quinta dos Termos bottles, one of which (Seleccao 2007) was the only Beira Interior wine named to Tom Cannavan’s 50 Great Wines of Portugal in London this summer. We’ll also be pairing them with a rustic regional dish.
The 2007 Seleccao is a blend of Trincadeira (Tinta Amarela in the Douro), Rufete, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo in Spain) and Tinta Cao.

As soon as it hit my lips, I understood why it made Cannavan’s list with a smooth body, fruitful, balanced tannins, interesting but not complicated. It’s a wine that today’s market would approve of, and despite originating in a “undiscovered” wine region, it certainly stands up to the most famed in Portugal. But it was the 2005 Tinto Reserva that entranced my tastebuds. Maybe because it tasted like I was truly discovering new flavors. In my case, it transported me back to the Beira Baixa with a mineral, salty quality I rarely find in a robust red. This might be attributed to the combo of the granite rich soils in the region and the higher percentage of local grapes in this particular blend. It’s a mix of the local Marufo grape (which has endless regional and national synonyms, but is most commonly used in the Pinhel wine region of the Beira Baixa). Also in the blend is the local Rufete varietal, successful in the region as well, along with the Dao wine region Jaen (from neighboring Beira Alta) and Trincadeira Preta that does well throughout Portugal in general. I haven’t had the chance to try any of their whites, but when their oenologist Virgilio Loureiro (see Part I) was interviewed by the RTP network’s wine show “Hora de Baco,” he shared his excitement about whites made from the Beira Baixa indigenous “Fonte Cal” varietal. Whites, he said, that have the potential for aging.

The two reds paired very nicely with the regional dish of “Pato a Moda da Beira Baixa” (duck and rice), which was baked in a ceramic pot I purchased at Tucha Gift Shop, a Portuguese store on Ferry Street in Newark, New Jersey. The ceramic pot authenticated the experience, harking back to rustic cooking in villages like those in the Beira Baixa. (Too bad I don’t have a wood-burning oven to make it close to complete.) Ceramic pots conserve and distribute heat more efficiently at a lower temperature. It’s also an excellent way to seal in moisture that keeps a tougher meat, like duck, tender. Beira Baixa cuisine is heavily based on gamey meats and river fish. It’s common to find wild boar and squab on the menu, as well as elaborate recipes prepared using locally-raised lamb, goat, duck and rabbit. The baked dishes are by far my favorite (see duck recipe below). One of the more laborious recipes is the “Cabrito Estonado a Moda de Oleiros.” It’s also one of those “gastronomical one-of-a-kinds” I allude to in Part I. It requires submerging a young goat in boiling water, and peeling its coat as it softens without ripping the skin. Then the innards are removed through a small puncture and it’s left to dry overnight. It’s then seasoned and placed in the oven. The result is crackling crispy skin like that of the famous “Leitao a Moda da Bairrada” (roasted suckling pig from the Beira Litoral). There are also the hearty soups, ideal meals during the harsh winters, which have been perfected and marked with the “sugerelha” herb commonly used in this area. There’s even a soup festival in the village of Proenca-a-Velha, and next month there are several mushroom festivals. The festival in the village of Alcaide, in the county of Fundao, offers workshops and a bevy of other mushroom-related activities. A must-try is the Miscaros (a type of mushroom) with eggs and “Farinheira,” a wheat flour, pork fat and seasonings (like paprika) sausage. The historic Bed and Breakfast in Belmonte housed in an old convent, dedicates part of its menu to local mushrooms with inventive recipes like the mushroom cappuccino.

The production of smoked sausages like the Farinheira (for commercial and home consumption) is also customary, following the annual “Matanca do Porco” (the killing of the pig) at the start of winter. In addition to the cheese from Serra da Estrela, there’s also the Castelo Branco cheese, the Amarelo da Beira Baixa and the Picante. Though it’s not uncommon to find Serra da Estrela cheese in America, it’s tougher to come across other Beira Baixa cheeses. (Check out Catavino’s Portuguese cheese report here) But try Murray’s in New York City, which sells the Amarelo da Beira Baixa that in 2009 was named the best cheese in the world (yes, the world) in a blind tasting held in the Big Apple. When in the Beira Baixa, you can learn more about the area’s cheese at the Cheese Museum in Covilha, which is also home to the University of the Beira Interior. Another treasure is the olive oil. The most recognized olive oil in Portugal and among the diaspora around the globe is generally from Tras-os-Montes, Ribatejo or Alentejo, but the olive oil of the Beira Baixa is also one of the DOP (protected origin stamp) olive oil-producing regions of the country, mostly using the “Galega” olive. In Belmonte, folks can visit the Olive Oil Museum.

Though there’s much more to explore in the Beira Baixa, such as the “most Portuguese village of the country” Monsanto, and its geo-restaurant “Petiscos & Granitos,” I wrap up our travels where we began in Belmonte at Quinta dos Termos with gratitude for the high-quality wines they’re producing, which serve not only to compete in the wine market but also to help put Beira Baixa on the map. It’s a brave new world for both the region’s wine producers, as well as, the pioneering families making the Beira Baixa their new home.

Note: Share with us your favorite Beira Interior D.O.C. wine. And to those in the U.S., have you gotten your hands on any here? If so, tell us where.

Cheers,

Sonia Andresson-Nolasco

PATO A MODA DA BEIRA BAIXA

1 duck
2 onions
1/2 cup of olive oil
6 slices of Pancetta (traditionally toucinho)
1 head of garlic
1 bushel of parsley
1 ½ cups of rice
1 chourico (Portuguese smoked sausage)
1 lemon
3 egg yolks
Salt to taste

PREPARATION
Dice the onions and mince the garlic and add both to a large pot (big enough to fit the duck) with the olive oil and the pancetta cut in to strips. Once all ingredients are golden, place the duck on top of them (either whole or cut into four parts) and add salt to taste. Sear the duck on both sides without charring. Remove the duck and set aside. Add water (about enough to cover the duck since you’ll eventually place it back in the pot) and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling add the duck and the chourico (reserve some chourico slices to top the dish). Let it boil again until the duck is cooked (about 20-30 minutes). Remove the duck and set aside. Sieve the broth; remove any extra fat and reserve. Save the onion, garlic, pancetta and the chourico for use later and bring the broth to a boil again. Add the lemon juice and the rice when it begins to boil. After it boils simmer until rice is cooked. While the rice is cooking puree the reserved onion, garlic, pancetta and chourico and set aside (Though in most recipes these ingredients are discarded, my mother’s tip is to puree them to add an extra layer of flavor. It works beautifully.) Then break the meat of the duck off the bones and shred it (not too thinly) and set aside. Once the rice is cooked add a layer of it on the bottom of the ceramic pot (or any bake safe tray) and then add a layer of duck and one of the pureed ingredients. Keep doing that until you run out of ingredients. Finish it off with a few slices of chourico and place in a preheated oven (475 degrees or depending on your oven and then bake for 20-30 minutes at about 375 or 400 degrees). Fifteen minutes before removing the dish from the oven, beat three egg yolks to cover the top of the dish (another of mom’s tips) and put back in the oven for the remainder of the time. Remove and finish with freshly cracked black pepper and parsley.

Beira Baixa: Roads Less Traveled

Sonia Nolasco — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:54:35 +0000

Editor’s Note: In this PART I of “Beira Baixa: Roads Less Traveled” we delve into the area’s challenges while highlighting its largest private wine producer in the Cova da Beira wine region. In Part II, we’ll explore more about its wines, and pair two with a regional dish.

I have this fear that one day the primeval hamlet of Bemposta do Campo, in the Beira Baixa region of Central Portugal where my mother’s family is from, will disappear. Sometimes, I feel as if it was a mirage to begin with or that it’s a top-secret destination that my family guards and sustains simply with love and memories. I may sound mad, but there is somewhat of a basis for my fear. For the last 30 years or so, there has been a significant decline in population in these villages from North to South and in between. There are some with only 70 to 200 residents and most of them elderly folks. This has led to closing of schools and lands left uncared for. There are times I think all of Beira Baixa will fade into nonexistence.

There are, of course, endless socio-economic factors and such at play here. And though the scenario has been grim at times as tourists opt instead for coastal experiences, for example, or residents migrate to the big cities or abroad, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Tourists in the recent past have been seeking more authentic rural lifestyle-based escapades that these interior villages can provide, coupled with centuries of history and gastronomical one-of-a-kinds. Younger generations choked by the high-cost living in urban areas have sprung up in these forgotten lands as well, taking advantage of quality living far from traffic jams, more space and in many cases a manageable two-hour drive to the cultural hubs of Lisbon and Porto. Some have started up businesses, while for the first time in their lives taking a stab at farming on fields, usually inherited from their grandparents. Case and point is my cousin Nelson, who moved his family from Vialonga in the outskirts of Lisbon, to open up a car repair shop in Idanha-a-Nova, one of the more prosperous Beira Baixa villages, and has planted fruit trees and vines in a nearly abandoned piece of land in Bemposta that belonged to our grandparents. His parents have retired in Bemposta, too, building a home where our grandparents’ stables used to stand. My parents are immigrants living in America, but own a vacation home in neighboring Pedrogao de Sao Pedro and twice a year return, taking care of a picturesque piece of land my grandfather grew his vineyard on. My other cousin Paulo Jorge, an executive living in Vialonga, is building a summer home smack in the middle of grounds that I and my nearly 30-something cousins played on as kids while our grandparents planted, watered and picked crops.My uncle, who is retired from the Portuguese Navy, has also built a vacation home and planted vines in Bemposta. His son, Bruno Caldeira, has promoted Bemposta through the “Bemposta on the Road” photo exhibit that has visited London, Helsinki, Tallinn and Compostela de Santiago. It’s a beautiful thing. Is it enough though? I’m not sure. But it’s something.

The villages in the enigmatic Beira Baixa are probably at even greater risk than say the interior villages of the sought-after Alentejo in the south where Lisbonites and others have been purchasing traditional country homes called “montes” as the trend picked up in recent years. Beira Baixa, however, may share blame for not always marketing itself enough, which is thankfully gradually changing. The big success story is the push for the coveted cheese from the Serra da Estrela, which has helped the national park and the villages it cradles stand out. But Serra da Estrela villages fall both under Beira Baixa and Beira Alta. Confusing, I know, which is why calling either one just Beira Interior, as it’s sometimes done, can be messy. They’re distinctly divided as North and South, similar to Upper and Lower Alentejo. But in terms of wine, to distinguish it from the established Dao wine region in Beira Alta, the three wine sub-regions (Castelo Rodrigo, Cova da Beira, and Pinhel) in Beira Baixa are denominated Beira Interior D.O.C.

There have been more efforts by locals and national celebrities, like Catarina Furtado, touting her Beira Baixa origins on TV, which helps educate about the region. Her roots are in Penamacor, considered the county Bemposta belongs to. The district is Castelo Branco, the main city in the area. In general the Beira Baixa remains an anomaly to most. Even the accent is unique with a lisp-like “sh” similar to our Spanish cousins, but without switching the “B” for a “V” and vice versa as they do in Beira Alta, which helps pinpoint more quickly where those folks are from. There’s also the Beira Litoral (to make matters more complicated) which completes the three Beiras. But the latter is coastal and home to the heralded Coimbra University, Figueira da Foz beach and the “Venice of Portugal” Aveiro, so it gets plenty of play.

The confusion crosses oceans, too. In Portuguese communities in America, it’s a rarity to bump into someone from Castelo Branco among the vast regions represented. Tell them you’re “Albicastrense” and watch the blank stares widen. Hardly any immigrants I have met here realize that those born in Castelo Branco district are Albicastrenses. The stares lessen when you simplify that you’re near Serra da Estrela, whose residents have built a name for themselves in these communities.

This identity crisis spills over into the wine industry in the Beira Baixa. In 2009 when the RTP network’s wine show “Hora de Baco” visited Quinta dos Termos in Enguias in the county of Belmonte, which is one of the larger and very delightful Beira Baixa villages with the greatest Jewish community in Portugal and the birthplace of Pedro Alvares Cabral who discovered Brazil. It’s also where my father’s paternal family is originally from. The show interviewed the then oenologist Virgilio Loureiro as well as the proprieter and wine producer Joao Carvalho at Quinta dos Termos, the biggest private producers of the Cova da Beira wine region where there are many more other wines to discover. But Quinta dos Termos Seleccao 2007 red was the only Beira Interior wine named to Tom Cannavan’s 50 Great Wines of Portugal in London this summer.

In some ways, the Beira Baixa shares the same challenges Portugal has faced all along when marketing its brands internationally. Often overshadowed by more easily identifiable countries, like Italy, Spain and France, as wine quality has increased and the marketing gained momentum in the last few years, it’s finally getting some attention. The hope is that Beira Baixa’s story will unfold similarly. But it may face an even greater hurdle that Loureiro poignantly underlined. He lamented that the Beira Baixa is practically undiscovered by the Portuguese let alone the world. A shame, Loureiro argued explaining that the Beira Baixa’s hilly landscape is special and unlike any other in the country. Its lands are wrapped by the Serra da Estrela and Gardunha mountains and peppered with wild pine forests and a soil rich in granite. It’s also where rivers like the Zezere begin before flowing into the Tagus River in Lisbon. And, it has a continental climate with scorching summers and very cold winters, a winning recipe for some of the most notable wine-producing regions in the world. One great example is France’s Burgundy wine region.

And as we come full circle, I tap my original point that it’s the returning native sons and daughters that are breathing new life into the villages of the Beira Baixa, which also applies to local wine success stories like Quinta dos Termos. This venture has thrived because Carvalho invested the fruits of his day job labors in a vineyard that at its core is the house he was born in.

In Part II of our travels through the Beira Baixa, we’ll taste two Quinta dos Termos’ reds my father was kind enough to bring back from one of his trips to Portugal. We’ll pair them with a regional dish that I prepared with my mother. We spent long hours in the kitchen, which transported me to the bygone days when my late grandmother’s daughters—my mother and her five sisters came together to prepare rustic meals for the whole family, while we kids peeked inside in between the commotion we caused playing along the narrow, cobblestoned streets that in despite of my fears haven’t disappeared.

Cheers,

Sonia Andresson-Nolasco

Aldeias de Portugal Part 2: A Luxurious Weekend Getaway

Andrea Smith — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 09:48:51 +0000

I am absolutely in love with Portugal’s picturesque little villages called Aldeias. Recently, in Part 1 of my aldeia experience, I recounted the memorable weekend I spent with Rita’s family at their home in Avecasta, an aldeia in Ribatejo and how in their gracious hospitality, filled my appetite with the freshest, homecooked meals using all local ingredients and showed me some marvelous historical and natural sites around the countryside. When I arrived home, however, I was left wondering (and hoping) if such a wonderful experience could be repeated if I visited other aldeias on my own.

Last June, I seized the opportunity by searching for a pretty little guesthouse out in the country over a long weekend and found Quinta da Moçamedes. Quinta de Moçamedes is a charming little bed & breakfast in the north center of Portugal near Viseu, in the tiny aldeia of São Miguel do Mato and surrounded by several other aldeias. The recently opened Quinta was rebuilt from a 12th-century stone manor with the added bonus of rating “superb” on Booking.com; hence, my expectations were quite high when we arrived.

Upon entry, we were warmly greeted by the owner and operator, Antonio Borges – an exceptionally lively and gracious guy – who just happened to be a designer and painter by trade. After a long and leisurely conversation, followed by a stroll around the Quinta, he escorted us to our room, a small cozy space with soft lamps and a very large and comfortable bed. The walls were thick stone from the original structure and worked as natural air-conditioning by day and heat by night. Bidding adieu, he later returned with chilled wine glasses brimming with fresh strawberries, mint and red wine, a house favorite.

As the Quinta does not have a formal restaurant on the premises, the family often prepares meals for guests upon request or invites them to enjoy a large family-style meal for a small additional charge. Having already accepted his invite, we enjoyed our drinks and slices of homemade cake on the Quinta’s patio with a beautiful 180 degree view of the surrounding aldeias in the valley below, as the sun gently set behind the Caramulo mountains while dinner was being prepared.

Our family dinner, on the first night, was not only with Antonio’s entire family, but also with a full-house of hotel guests who had all (to every guest’s surprise) accepted the kind invitation. We sat around two large, handcrafted wooden tables and benches in the lobby dining room: one reserved for the adults and one for the children, including Antonio’s three little ones. The meal was simple yet plentiful, with platters of traditional Portuguese churrasqueira grilled chicken, both spicy and non-spicy, accompanied by heaping bowls of bread, potato chips, salad and several large decanters filled with a Dão red wine. The majority of the guests were Portuguese but there were also a few couples from Sweden. After dinner, we celebrated Antonio’s wife’s birthday with a gorgeous cake and bottles of espumante while singing happy birthday to her in both Portuguese and Swedish! With full cups of sparkling wine in hand, we conversed well into the morning hours, a truly wonderful experience.

Breakfast each morning was simple but homemade, including two delicious pastries, an apple cake and coconut tapioca along with fresh local cherries in season. Antonio was always around the Quinta, checking up on everyone to see how we were enjoying our stay or if we needed anything. And aside from treating us to more of his homemade sangria while we lounged at the pool, he was more than happy to give us plenty of recommendations for what to see and do around the area. Here are some of the highlights:

Our scenic drive through the valley and up the mountain, passing by sweet little farms and several aldeias. Near the top, we came across an aldeia literally perched on the edge of a cliff with an incredible view of the valley below. Having had the “bright” idea of driving the car down the narrow dirt roads of the aldeia, we eventually were stuck with the car pointing off the edge of the cliff! Suggestion, don’t do that! Fortunately, after several nail-biting attempts, we eventually broke loose, allowing us for a safe travel back to the aldeia.
Finding a small café/restaurant, after the traditional lunch hour, that were kind enough to offer us the cabrito assado (roast baby goat), the special of the day. Served with roasted potatoes and onions, rice with chouriço, a fresh salad and washed down with a cold beer on a hot sunny day, we were in heaven!
Coming across Quinta da Comenda, an agro-turismo estate dating as far back as the 11^th century that had a guesthouse and vineyards open to the public to purchase their organically grown wine. Though they didn’t offer tastings, or have any recent vintages for sale, we went ahead and bought 2 whites, a red and a sparkling. Unfortunately, we later found out that they were a bit past past their prime, but still drinkable all the same. Hopefully they’ll make some new vintages in the future.
Exploring the antique town of Vouzela on a chilly, full-moon evening, we strolled along the dimly-lit cobbled streets, lined with more eerily beautiful 11^th century stone buildings and chapels and a Roman bridge.

So yes, we had some great moments on a our weekend getaway to aldeia country, especially as a result of the attentive, friendly and caring hospitality of Antonio Borges’ and his family at Quinta de Moçamedes. Homecooked food, personal attention and literally eating with the family, you couldn’t help but feel like one of their own! It was one of the most memorable evenings I’ve had in a hotel, B&B or otherwise. And I can now say that my great experiences visiting and staying in aldeias can most certainly be repeated and should definitely be repeated in the near future. On your next trip then, make some time to experience Portugal’s aldeias, you won’t regret it!

To Antonio Borges and the Quinta de Moçamedes family, thank you for making us feel like family!

Andrea Smith

Harvest 2011: A Look Around Spain and Portugal

Ryan Opaz — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 13:19:17 +0000

What is the harvest looking like in Spain and Portugal? Having put in a few calls from across the peninsula, the answers varied tremendously. So rather than interpret it from our standpoint, we felt it would be more appropriate to post information directly from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. However, if you’re a winery that wasn’t included, please send us an email, or leave a comment below, with your take on the 2011 Vintage! Thanks to everyone who submitted, and we hope this year turned out to be a great one for you!

Cheers!

Linaje Garsea - Ribera del Duero, Spain

In general, we have noticed older grapes reaching sugar levels 10-15 days earlier than normal, predicting an early year, but a very healthy, and probably alcoholic year, as in 2003, 2005 and 2006.

Following from this and tasting grapes, the first grapes entered the winery by the end of August, around the 25th and the last will be harvested by the beginning of October. It’s important that we have some clouds, no rain, which will help the grapes evolve to ripeness. Looks like it could be a very good vintage, at this point. - Juan Garcia

Pago de Cirsus – Navarra, Spain

Harvest started at Pago de Cirsus on August 26, slightly earlier than in previous years. The first variety we picked was the Sauvignon Blanc, followed by the Chardonnay. Both are in excellent sanitary conditions. The DO Navarra estimates that the harvest will be over 74 million kilos in the region, a drop of 14.5% over last year, mainly as a result of the reduction in the number of vineyards and the dry weather conditions so far this year. We are harvesting red varieties now, starting with Merlot, followed by Tempranillo, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. We expect wines from the 2011 vintage to be of high quality. – Yolanda Ortiz de Arri

Clos Figueras – Priorat, Spain

The temperatures this past July were much lower than we’re accustomed to in the Priorat, however, August was quite hot. At Clos Figueras we were 10-14 days early in the grapes maturation, making very a short vacation for us this year. The white grapes (Viognier, Garnacha y Chenin Blanc) were harvested on the 19th and 25th of August, while the reds were preselected by bunch in the winery to avoid overripe grapes that might produce higher alcohol and burnt fruit flavors. The Syrah was harvested from the 26th to the 31st of August, followed by the Garnacha on September 4th through the 16th. – Anna Cannan

Cava Josep M Ferret Guasch – Cava & Priorat, Spain

The 2011 harvest in both DO Cava and DO Penedès is pretty good. In our case, the Sauvignon Blanc that we harvested was at its optimal point of maturation, showing good structure and acidity. Considering that rain that we had during the harvest, we fortunately didn’t lose much alcohol, making for a pretty decent harvest. - Josep Mª Ferret Guasch

Vinos Ambiz – Madrid, Spain

Fabio has been publishing a play by play of the harvest on his website, so make sure to take a peek. Here are some tidbits from a recent post.

Last Saturday (17th) and Sunday (18th) we harvested all grapes from our new vineyard in Villarejo de Salvanés (Spain). Incredibly, and in contrast to all expectations, we managed to pick all the grapes and we don’t have to go back another day to finish off. We had calculated at least 4 days of picking, but we did it in only 2 days. Two reasons for this, I think: Firstly, we had an amazing turnout of volunteers to help us pick: friends, friends of friends, and consumers who buy our wines, etc. On Sunday there were 16 of us! Secondly, I think that the vineyard is actually less than a hectare, which is the size we had just assumed it was, for some reason or other! I’ll have to check it out on SigPac as soon as I can. This is a free online application by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture. It’s a bit like Google Maps, but focussed on agriculture, ie it shows the type of crops planted, the boundaries of each individual plot, easy-to-use tools for measuring distances and areas, etc.

No rabbits here in this vineyard thankfully, like in Carabaña (see this post from last week), where they ate a significant percentage of our grapes! I think this is because this vineyard in Villarejo is completely surrounded by other vineyards and olive groves, whereas in Carabaña, the vineyard is surrounded by grassland and low hills, which seems to be more rabbit-friendly territory. Some of the grapes we harvested were affected by oidium or mildew, which appeared suddenly over the last two weeks. This was our fault entirely because earlier this year (in Spring – early Summer) we decided not to spray any sulphur powder, because the vines and grapes looked so healthy and vigorous. I think maybe a preventive powdering will be required next year. - Fabio Bartolomei

Finca Sandoval – Manchuela, Spain

This was the earliest harvest ever in Manchuela, a season-end heatwave made the grapes shrivel fast! We started for the first time in August: August 29th for Bobal, followed by Syrah, and finishing them both by September 12th, a very healthy and promising vintage. Touriga nacional was picked on September 15th, but we had to wait longer for the Garnacha, Garnacha Tintorera and Monastrell, in hopes that the high altitude vineyards will minimize the heat effect. – Víctor de la Serna

Bodegas Chivite - Navarra, Spain

Harvest 2011 is looking good, for our vineyards in the North of Navarra at the Arinzano estate we have picked most of our Chardonnay already and started on the Tempranillo around the outer edges of the estate. The grapes for our Gran Vino de Pago de Arinzano will no doubt be picked in the next week or so. We had a chance to taste the Tempranillo grapes from our “home” vineyards surrounding the winery and they were delicious, ripe and juicy with black fruit character. Overall the yields will be down this year but the quality will be very good, with more concentrated fruit character. This will be a vintage to look out for in the future! – Jo Thompson

United Wineries – Spain

Generally, the quality of the 2011 vintage has been excellent. Both winter and spring were kind to us, allowing the vineyards to evolve at their optimal rate, except for a few zones that were hit hard by hail storms such as Utiel y Requenta. By summer, the weather was incredibly hot and dry, whereby the grapes ripened quickly and made for a smaller harvest. However, the grapes themselves matured well, in good condition and the fruit showed impressive concentration and flavor in the younger wines. The whites and rose grapes were, quite early in the harvest, relatively low alcohol and good fruit. – Carmelo Angulo, Chief winemaker for Lagunilla and Berberana

Cortes de Cima – Alentejo, Portugal

5th August was a record early harvest start at Cortes de Cima, with the first lot of Gouveio grapes arriving at the winery. (gallery above)

This year for the first time, the largest portion of our white grapes come from our new Alentejan coastal vineyards which we started planting in 2008, near Vila Nova de Milfontes, 4km from the Atlantic Ocean. It’s exciting for us to see the impact that the cooler Alentejan coastal climate has had on these white varieties. It is easy to see the coastal climate reflected in the good flavors, acid and freshness of the white juices now fermenting away in the winery.

Spring was wet and warm (“tropical”) and is being blamed generally throughout Alentejo for a reduction in quantity due to attacks of mildew in some areas. The summer growing season was warm, without any great heat spikes, and has continued warm and dry throughout the harvest months – great weather for the grapes to reach optimum phenolic maturation.

As we approach our final weeks of harvest of Vintage 2011, prospects look very promising for a good to excellent vintage. Of the grapes already picked, Syrah and Touriga Nacional are looking best, while Aragonez is less good this year. – Carrie Jorgenson (thanks to Carrie for the great harvest photos!)

Symington Family Estates – Douro, Portugal

It has been a challenging growing season in the Douro. After a “changeable” March, the unseasonably hot months of April and May sent vine development racing ahead of schedule. June brought damaging meteorological events: localised hail in the Douro Superior, a lightning strike which scorched some vines in the Cima Corgo, and a single weekend of 40º+ C which caused sunburn in susceptible grapes, notably Tinta Barroca, across the Douro. July and August were cool, and rainfall has been less than average every month through July.

But after useful amounts of rain in late August and early September, Charles Symington, head winemaker, decided to push back the start of harvest to near normal dates for SFE’s port-producing vineyards across the region. Harvest began the week of 12 September under ideal conditions of clear, hot, sunny weather which is holding. Initially high baumés are coming back from their post-rainfall dips, phenolic maturity is progressing well, and we expect to harvest each of our unique Douro grape varietals at near perfect levels of ripeness. According to Charles “We are very well placed for an excellent vintage, with average to low yields. – Cynthia Jenson

Quinta do Gomariz - Vinho Verde, Portugal

2011 was a pretty cool and moderate year regarding the quantity of rain. In our sub-region (Ave) in the middle of July the plans were to harvest about 2 weeks earlier, comparing with 2010. But, then in August we had 2 weeks of some rain, and we had to delay the harvest in 2 weeks. We had to control the botrytis, which we manage to do, and our analysis tell us that the sugar and acidity content are the normal for our grape varieties. So we are expecting again a very good year, with very aromatic and fresh wines. – Vítor Mendes

Aldeias of Portugal Part 1: Staying with Friends

Andrea Smith — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:17:44 +0000

Aldeia in Portuguese means village, but many of these places are smaller than how a “village” is traditionally defined, with only a handful of houses and a café. However, it is as a result of these little settlements that Portugal’s history, traditional lifestyle, culture and festivals have been preserved and maintained. Most of these aldeias are nestled in the central and northern part of the country, where the buildings and houses are predominately constructed out of “xisto” or schist stone and granite. The people who live in an aldeia tend to be a combination of retirees, shopkeepers and either part-time to full-time farmers, who both work and consume almost entirely from their local community’s economy.

Back in May, an English student of mine, Rita, invited me to stay a weekend at her family’s home, located in an aldeia called Avecasta, outside of Ferreira do Zezere in the central region of Ribatejo. The family’s house was large and beautiful, and though not in the tradional schist style, the surrounding houses were. It had a spacious vegetable garden in the back dotted with fruit trees and lovely outdoor patio with a traditional churrasqueira (grill) and dome stone oven. Inside, there was both a “winter” and “summer” kitchen, with the latter built in their old barn, complete with an old-fashioned open chimney and stove area for rustic, large pot cooking. Next to the kitchen was the family’s mini-winery, complete with crusher, stainless-steel fermenting tank and several large and small oak barrels for storage which one could convienently draw wine from when desired. And a couple of miles down the road, they had a large piece of land for both their grape vines and olive trees. With so many commodities, one might assume the family had considerable wealth, but this was not the case. From my understanding, most everyone who lives in the aldeia have houses equipped with similar commodities; tend to make wine, olive oil (there was a small building in the center of the aldeia with an olive press for the community to use), vinegar; and raise at least some type of farm animal on their land. This was confirmed when we took a walk around the area and I saw houses with pig pens, goats, ducks and sheep. I was even greeted by the amusing site of an elderly woman walking down the street with her goat on a leash, which is apparently the norm! And just like any small community, everyone knows everyone here and they all gather at the sole café of the village to catch up on gossip and local news.

When we returned to the house after the tour of the aldeia, Rita’s parents instantaneously provided me with food, much to my delight, which was a hearty lanche (snack) of scrambled eggs from their hen house with presunto accompanied by slices of local cured cheese and fresh bread. This generous treatment continued over the course of our visit, as we were given several homecooked, traditional Portuguese meals, including a lunch of stone oven-roasted bacalhau com batatas á muro -a roasted salt-cod torn into small pieces with roasted potatoes, onions, smashed garlic and mixed with olive oil and cider vinegar. We also savored a dinner of churrasqueira grilled chicken with grelos- delicious “cabbage greens” native to Portugal and a simple salad of lettuce and onion. And of course, every meal was accompanied with wine, a homemade red and white. This was my first experience tasting homemade wine of this style, quite pleasant for everyday drinking, though the high alcohol content could knock your socks off! However, what was the most impressionable aspect of our visit was that apart from the bacalhau, absolutely every ingredient in our meals came straight from the family’s garden, cellar or henhouse, which lacked even a smidgen of chemical or fertilizers; and lord, my stomach has never felt so good!

When traveling around Avecasta, there were several equally picturesque aldeias, one of the prettiest being Dornes, a 12th century aldeia covering a hilltop peninsula in the beautiful Rio Zezére and surrounded by luscious evergreen mountains. Walking down to the boat dock, we put our feet into the cool crystal-clear river water, a gorgeous site, which also happens to be where Lisbon’s drinking water is sourced from! Rita and her sister also took me to see some hidden sites around the countryside. We hiked up one of the many hilltops where the foundations of some of the country’s old-fashioned windmills used to stand, though recently, the locals had one rebuilt that mills grain from time to time. We also walked down an ancient Roman stone path where an arched Roman stone bridge still stood, fully-functional and explored part of an intriguing cave, whose tunnels went right under Rita’s aldeia and was once used as a fortification for Roman troops!

After experiencing the Portuguese countryside, I have never felt so spoiled by the incredibly fresh food, the kindness of the locals and the natural beauty of the environment around me. Leaving Rita’s family with my arms filled with two liters of homemade wine, a basket of freshly picked nesperas (Japanese plums, a popular late-spring fruit grown in Portugal) and my lungs full of clean, crisp country air, it was the first time I felt reluctant to return to the busy city. But could such a wonderful experience be repeated at another aldeia? What if I was staying in a local hotel as a tourist instead of being an invited guest to a local family? Well, you’ll have to wait and read Part 2 of Aldeias of Portugal to find out what happens!

To Rita & her family for introducing me to Portuguese country hospitality,

Andrea Smith

In the Big Apple: Dinner and a Movie Portuguese-style

Sonia Nolasco — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 18:05:41 +0000

Earlier this month, I somehow managed to convince my husband to go watch a nearly five-hour long movie. But it wasn’t just any movie, it was one based on the novella “The Mysteries of Lisbon” by the 19th-Century Portuguese author Camilo Castelo Branco, and starring some of my favorite Luso actors (mixed with a French cast) popular on Portuguese soaps and domestic movies, such as Adriano Luz, Ricardo Pereira, Jose Afonso Pimentel and Maria Joao Bastos.

It’s not every day that a movie inspired by a Portuguese writer and with predominately Portuguese actors gets play at the Lincoln Center in Upper Manhattan or at the IFC Center in the West Village. Granted, these are exactly the types of venues that would show a film directed by Chilean-born Raul Ruiz, probably best known for his 1999 Proust-inspired “Time Regained,” unlike at mainstream movie houses like the Loews where Blockbusters are the norm. Still it was a rare, proud moment to see “The Mysteries of Lisbon” written on an American marquee. Though slow-paced, and in my opinion, best watched at home or in a mini-series format, the movie is a masterpiece, if I may. It’s full of intriguing characters whose eventual back stories make the premise come full circle. There’s love, romance, betrayal, redemption—and of course mystery.

The story revolves around a young boy named Pedro (Joao Arrais) who lives in a boarding house run by Father Dinis (Luz). At first Pedro is presented as a bastard child, but as the plot unfolds we learn who his mother is and the people that have played a significant role in determining his fate, including a Portuguese businessman who makes his fortune in Brazil at first introduced to the viewer as Come-facas (Knife-eater) and then later as Alberto de Magalhaes (Pereira). As each new piece of the puzzle of Pedro’s past unravels, it’s emphasized on a cardboard puppet theater the boy received as a gift from his mother and on which he manipulates the figures to reflect each stage in his own life.

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, but then again, lengthy films have been my thing for quite some time. As early as 12, I rented Doctor Zhivago and watched it all on my own. But this time, I sweetened up the deal for my hubby by throwing in an equally interesting dinner experience. In line with the evening’s Portuguese theme, I reserved a late-night dinner at the Macao Trading Company on Church Street, where east meets west and Asian and Portuguese cuisines fuse. It was dinner and a movie in the Big Apple, Portuguese style indeed. As a side note: Macao (or Macau) was a Portuguese colony from when the first Portuguese traders settled there in the 16th century until 1999.

We entered through iron wrought doors that opened into a dark, almost seedy looking place with what appeared to be “found objects” from travels arranged in a way that evoked a storage space of sorts. It had the gangster, underground, gambler feel Macao once had a reputation for. We were certainly transported. The décor melds the two cultures with Chinese wood-carvings and blue and white Portuguese tiling, for example. The menu is also a mutation of the two worlds. To start, I ordered the Portonic, a concoction of Dow’s White Port served over ice with Tonic, Cucumber and Mint. After walking a few very long New York City blocks in muggy rain from the movie to the restaurant, this crisp drink was exactly what I needed to get in a Macao state of mind. I had picked the restaurant for its Portuguese influence as well as its late-night menu serving until 3:30 am—a blessing given the movie’s length. It was past midnight when we arrived. The late-night menu was a much abbreviated version of the dinner menu, but we enjoyed it nonetheless and have been enticed to return to try the full offering.

We kicked it off with the steamed chicken and pork belly (Toucinho in Portuguese) dumplings and the Shrimp Toast in spicy soy mustard. The dumplings are delicious, but what took us aback was the shrimp toast. It was thick like French toast but coated in the mustard shrimp spread. We’re still talking about it! My original plan was to have the Organic African Chicken Piri Piri with preserved lemon as my entrée from the dinner menu, given what seemed to me as an inventive take on the Portuguese-African Piri Piri chicken, which I love. But on the late-night menu, I opted for the Brisket and Short-rib Beef Burger with a francesinhas sauce and white cheddar. Here the restaurant travels to the Porto region of Portugal where the Francesinha beer sauce-drenched sandwich is king and has been considered by AOL Travel as one of the Top 10 sandwiches of the world. The wine had to also be Portuguese, of course. We ordered a 2005 Muxagat Vinho Tinto from the Douro. The medium-bodied red paired well with everything. It was quite late by this time, but we still had room for one last thing, the Malasadas stuffed with vanilla cream. They’re a take on the doughnut-like confections especially popular on the Portuguese island of Madeira. Our travels through Lisbon and Macao ended there. It was dinner and a movie unlike any other we had embarked on before.

Cheers,

Sonia Andresson-Nolasco