Vinho Verde: a greta value trio from Pingo Doce

Branco, Loureiro and Alvarinho

Here are three bargain Vinho Verde own label wines from the Pingo Doce supermarket.

Let's start with the Branco at just 1.59€ made by Carlos Teixeira. Cleanly made the Branco has 10% of alcohol with the spritz in the finish that is typical of a certain popular style of Vinho Verde. Perfectly OK without being exciting but at the price.....

The Loureiro is also made by Teixeira. This is more full-bodied than the Branco and costs just 1.99€ a bottle. Amazing value. 

Finally a a firm favourite – the Alvarinho made by Anselmo Mendes for just 3.98€. OK it is not as fine or exciting as some of Anselmo's other Vinho Verdes but this is a very decent example with some concentration. Having tried this, it is well worth exploring the rest of Anselmo's remarkable range of wines both from the Vinho Verde but also from other parts of Portugal.         

Rabo do Pêxe: another fine dinner

2016 Dory Lisbon Regional Wine 

Last Thursday we went back to Rabo do Pêxe. We did our usual thing of choosing a few starters and then having some Sashimi and Sushi. Fortunately we had booked as Rabo continuous to be very popular.

We started with a bottle of the 2016 Dory from AdegaMãe. This is a blend of Viosinho, Alvarinho, Arinto and Viognier making a quite rich and concentrated white, while at the same time with an attractive freshness probably provided by the Arinto. It is made by Anselmo Mendes and Diogo Lopes.  

Almond coated prawns – a signature dish

Ceviche of scallops with ginger

Duck ham with pear 

Selection of Sashimi

Selection of Sushi

Having dispatched the Dory we decided to take a look at the 2014 Riesling from the same wine-making team. The 2014 Riesling is quite lean and crisp, so I couldn't decide whether I had chosen our two wines in the right order. The Riesling would have worked with the prawns and scallops but not with the duck. while the Dory could have gone with the sashimi and the sushi, although the Riesling happily paired with the raw fish. Will have to go back!     

2014 Riesling

(above and below)

Allo Allo ....

2016 Allo, Vinho Regional Minho

Allo is a delicious, crisp white made from a blend of Alvarinho and Loureiro from Soalheiro, specialising in making a range of fine Vinho Verdes. This is not a Vinhoi Verde but a Vinho Regional Minho. Lowish in alcohol – 11% – it is a good apéro and working very well this evening with some grilled prawns. The name – Allo – is a blend of the initial letters from Alvarinho and Loureiro. Just under six euros from the Garrafeira Campo d'Ourique.

An Alvarinho to relieve the stress of Lisbon in June

 2016 Alvarinho, Viñho Verde, 

Anselmo Mendes, Pingo Doce own label

It is well-known that spending time in Lisbon in June can be extraordinarily stressful – friendly people, too many good restaurants to choose from, pleasant temperature.... I could go on but it would be bad for my blood pressure....

Fortunately help is to hand to reduce your anxiety, if you have a branch of Pingo Doce close by. Venture in and grab a bottle of their own label 2016 Alvarinho, Viñho Verde made by maestro Anselmo Mendes. At 3.98€ a bottle it is an amazing bargain even at sterling's shrunken value due to Brexit lunacy. Lovely crisp lemony fruit with plenty of refreshing acidity.

Actually come to come to think of it – grab at least two bottles.....you know it makes sense!  

Some Portuguese treats

Relaxed dinner by the Tagus at Atira-te ao Rio

(This post was originally published on Les 5 du Vin on 26th July 2016.)

Portugal remains a treasure trove for good value wines in all three colours with many from their storehouse of native grape varieties. It is also possible, for those prepared to take a punt, to find some remarkable old wines at bargain prices.

How long this will last is perhaps now a question worth asking for, in 14 years of coming to Lisbon during July, I can never remember a year when Lisbon has been so full of visitors. It seems that many have now discovered the attractions and value of Portugal's capital. It is a hot destination and not just because it was 37˚C yesterday up from 36˚C on Sunday.

2015 Alvarinho, Vinho Verde, Pingo Doce own label 3.98€

Anselmo Mendes is a Vinho Verde specialist making a whole range of wines from this northern Portuguese region including a very fine single vineyard Alvarinho that I cited last week. This own label from supermarket Pingo Doce is at the other end of the scale. It does, however, offer both plenty of flavour and just amazing value. This Alvarinho that has both texture and a clean refreshing acidity – ideal as an apéro or with some grilled prawns, for instance.

2009 Dona Berta Vinha Centenária, Reserva Branco

Dona Berta – a quite opulent Douro white made from a range of grapes: Códega do Larinho, Rabigato, Viosinho, Gouveio and Malvasia Fina. We enjoyed this at at Pedro's Garrafeira Alfaia in the Bairro Alto. There is no wine list, so either you tell Pedro what sort of wine you would like to drink or you choose it from the shelves.

2014 Arinto dos Açores sur lies, DO Pico, Açores, António Maçanita     

Another of Pedro's choices, this is a rare Arinto from the Azores. Only 1600 bottles are made of this precise, saline and mineral wine. It was a fine foil for the sea bass baked in salt that Pedro's wife cooked for us – what a treat!

Sea bass cooked in salt

 

Some golden oldies

NV Terras Altas Dão, José Maria da Fonseca 

In last Tuesday's post I mentioned a couple of old wines that we had bought from the Garrafeira Nacional in the Mercado da Ribeira at Cais Sodre. We bought eight as these bin ends, offered at 5.95€ each – buy three, get the fourth for free. It was such a compelling offer that we bought eight on the basis that if a few were undrinkable, they would still have been good value.

To date we have drunk and enjoyed five of our eight bottles, so feel that we already have had a bargain. Last Friday night we dispatched a further three. Firstly came the quite deeply golden NV Terras Altas Dão, José Maria da Fonseca. We have no definite information about this white wine. José Maria da Fonseca no longer make a white from the Dão. It is, however, thought it may well have come from the 1960s. Although it naturally had some oxidation, it was certainly still complex, clean and precise with some touches of dried honey. 

A pair from the Ribatejo – Dom Hermano 1985 Reserva and 1980 Garrafeira  

It was fascinating to taste this pair of Dom Hermano reds from the Casa Agricola Herd. de D. Luis de Margaride in Almeirim. Both were in good shape with 12.5% alc but the 1980 Garrafeira, with a production of 50,000 bottles, had considerably greater length and complexity than the 1985 Reserva. The 1980 Garrafeira was bottled in November 1984, while the 1985 Reserva bottling was in March 1987.

Majestic tasting (13.5.16) – my white picks

La Roche blanche, 2015 Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu sur lie from Lay & Wheeler closed with a screwcap. At £7.90 from Lay & Wheeler this attractively saline Muscadet with good concentration respresented one of of the best value wines in this Majestic/Naked/Lay & Wheeler tasting. To enjoy now but also with the potential to age. 

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On Friday Majestic held their summer press tasting at Kings Place near Kings Cross. Although I have been to several concerts in the venue's basement, this is the first tasting I have been to at Kings Place. It was held on the ground floor in an attractively light and airy room overlooking the canal. 

2014 Les Monts Damnés, Sancerre, Pierre Martin, Lay & Wheeler £18.70. Pierre Martin is a very good young producer in the little village of Chavignol close to the town of Sancerre. To the north Chavignol is dominated by the steep slopes of Les Monts Damnés – the damned slopes because they were and are so hard to cultivate. 2014 is a very good vintage and this will benefit from a little more time in bottle as it is currently a little closed in the finish. 

The 2014 Sancerre from Comte Lafond costs £27.50 a bottle or £24.75 for a mix of six bottles. I would far rather have the more interesting Pierre Martin, Sancerre (above) for £18.70 a bottle.    

Wonderful 2014 Vouvray Bretonnière – called Vin de France due to Clochemerle stupidity and petty jealousies. Some honey, toast, weight, length and balance – should age beautifully. £22.30 from Lay & Wheeler seriously good Loire Chenin Blanc. The 2015 Vouvray Cuvée de Perruches, Domaine des Aubuisières from Bernard Fouquet was another very good Vouvray and at a great price – £9.99 a bottle or £8.99 for mixed case of 6.  

There were a number of rather bland and anonymous whites in this tasting. However, the 2015 Alvarinho from Casal Ventozela from Portugal's Vinho Verde region stood out being delicious and with real character. Good value at £9.99 a bottle or £8.99 for mixed case of 6.  

Good Sherry remains a great bargain and this Pedro's Almacenita Fino is no exception. Lovely yeasty character for £10.99 a bottle or £9.89 for a mix of six.  

From Grands Chais de France this Château de Champteloup is a delicately sweet Coteaux du Layon for £10.99 or £8.99 for a mix of six. Would make a good apéro or with rich chicken and pork dishes – also blue cheese. Likely to struggle against most desserts.    

Two wonderful fish meals – Praia d'Adraga and Porto Brandão

While exploring the region around Lisbon this week, CRM and niece, Z, enjoyed two wonderful fish meals.

The first was in the Restaurante Maré Viva at Porto Brandão, a short ferry trip from Belém. Here we had a very substantial but very tasty Arroz de tamboril e gambas (monk fish and king prawns cooked in a tomato and wine sauce with rice). As always, a very warm welcome from Antonio Castela and his wife. And, as always, some conversation about football. The restaurant reflects Antonio's dedicated support of Benfica - we are surrounded by banners, flags and photographs. Interestingly, this is a restaurant that is a truly Portuguese family restaurant. As far as we could tell, we were the only non-Portuguese customers.
A visit to the magnificent cloisters in the Monasterio dos Jerónimos and a walk along the Tagus helped build up our appetites. And we managed to slip in for a couple of Pastéis de Bélem before we returned to Lisboa.

The cloisters, Monasterio dos Jerónimos, Belém (CRM)

The second was at Praia d'Adraga, a favourite spot close to Almoçageme on the Atlantic coast just north of Lisbon. This week the breakers were impressive but it didn't stop Z from dipping her toes in the sea!

 Impressive breakers at Praia d'Adraga (CRM)

Not only is Praia d'Adraga an idyllic beach set in a picturesque cove but it also boasts one of the best, if not the best, fish restaurants in the Lisbon area. The fish is always the freshest of fresh, the highest quality and cooked to perfection – simply grilled and brought immediately to the table. Plain boiled potatoes and salad provide the perfect accompaniment, enhancing the delicate fish flavours. This time we started with some amêijoas a Bulao Pato (a wonderful traditional dish – clams with coriander and garlic) then opted for robalo (sea bass). Washed down with a glass of good Alvarinho (2010 Muralhas Vinho Verde), this was a prefect lunch which set us up to explore the nearby World Heritage Site of Sintra.

Sintra Memorial to those who fell in The Great War – spotted in the trees (CRM)

Sintra – a restaurant balcony (CRM)

Praia da Adraga: beach patrol with the Portuguese Maritime Police

The confrontation: animated mobile phone conversation

Close up of two of the protagonists

Our regular readers (or reader!) will probably recall our fondness for Praia da Adraga and its excellent restaurant on the Portuguese Altantic coast close to Sintra. See here and here.

Last Sunday we headed across from Lisbon to Adraga, having taken the precaution to book a table for 2pm. Unlike France, Portugal understands the pleasure of having extended eating hours. Lunch, for example, can often be taken at noon or at 3pm.

Unfortunately 2pm on a sunny and very busy Sunday proved to be a mistake as the restaurant was still jammed packed with those who had arrived at 1pm. This meant that we didn't actually sit down to eat until after 3pm. Fortunately we weren't in a rush and shortly after we arrived a confrontation between the Portuguese Maritime Police and a couple of very obstinate women provided a great show for the best part of 55 minutes, which kept us thoroughly entertained.

Our view of the show started when two Portuguese Maritime police officers walked purposefully on to the beach and stopped in front of two women lying on the beach sunbathing. As we were a good 100 metres away, we couldn't hear what was being said, so had to piece together what was going on from movements and gestures etc.

It was soon clear that the confrontation was over the women having chosen to pitch their towels and folding chair in the area where there are shelters for hire. They were close to one that hadn't been hired, so its cover and awning hadn't been erected. The policeman was clearly pointing out the parts of the beach where they could sunbathe. I assume that the women had already refused to pay for a shelter, so the Maritime Police had been called.

The beach and the shelters

The arguments raged on and on with the blonde woman having an animated conversation with someone her mobile phone. At one point the policewoman left the beach returning with a large folder. Perhaps the women were about to be arrested for towel trespass and hauled from the beach in manacles.

The solution – pay for a beach shelter!

Eventually the women, obviously with great reluctance, paid for a beach shelter and the police departed. Why the women thought it was worth losing nearly an hour of sunbathing time on the beach and all the hassle just because they weren't prepared to move their towels or, alternatively, pay for a beach shelter is beyond me.

Anyway once we were finally seated in the restaurant with its great views out to sea, a bottle of deliciously refreshing 2010 Vinho Verde Alvarinho was swiftly ordered and nearly as quickly consumed.

2010 Alvarinho Vinho Verde, Soalheiro

Sintra and Praia Adraga

Camara Municipal de Sintra (Sintra Town Hall): above and below

Last Thursday we took the train up to Sintra from Rossio Station in Lisbon. Then strolled along from the station to the centre of the small town. 

Palácio Nacional de Sintra

Buildings in Sintra

Looking from the centre of town back towards the town hall

Then it was back to Sintra Station to get a taxi to take us to Praia Adrega. Curiously the taxis in the centre of the town are apparently only allowed to circulate in the town.

The beach at Praia Adraga was virtually deserted with the customary, creamy Atlantic rollers to watch. Once again the small stream that follows into the sea at Adraga had changed course over the beach during the winter. Either the stream or winter high tides (or a combination of the two) has destroyed the small wooden broadwalk that runs from the car park across the stream to the beach. 

Praia Adraga

We had time to sit for half an hour on the beach before heading for a latish lunch (2pm) at the Restaurant Praia Adraga. One of the good things about Portugal is the relatively flexible eating times. In many parts of France the chances of being able to sit down to lunch at 2pm are decidedly slim. Indeed it can be tricky from 1.30pm.   

Ameijoas à Bulhão Pato

We had a table by the window overlooking the ocean. Lunch as ever here was excellent – a dish of ameijoas à Bulhão Pato (clams cooked in olive oil with garlic, chilli and coriander) to share between the four of us. This was followed by simply grilled seabass and turbot – again shared. We drank a very good bottle of 2009 Alvarinho, Vinho Verde, Muros Antigos.

Sea bass (in foreground); turbot (behind)

Restaurante Adraga, Praia Adraga

Never known the sea to be calm@Praia Adraga

I've written about this restaurant before but worth doing so again as I think it is one of the great fish restaurants of the world. It's not sophisticated, although there is, I think, Barca Velha, on the wine list but it does brilliant grilled fish as well as clams in garlic and delicious crabs. Reasonably priced, the restaurant is the only building of any substance in a wonderfully unspoiled cove and beach. Furthermore the staff are friendly and welcoming. If you get a table by the window you have an uninterrupted view to the USA.

The unglitzy Restaurante Adraga from the beach: window looks out over the ocean

Today three of us had Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato (clams in garlic and coriander), a crab and then a perfectly cooked sea bass accompanied by a bottle of 2008 Alvarinho. In Brittany or Nantes, Muscadet would be the ideal choice but here in Portugal, Alvarinho works extremely well. Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato is a speciality in these parts and is cooked in a similar way to moules marinières except there is less liquid. You need plenty of bread to mop up the juice.

Very fresh crab

2008 Alvarinho Quinta de Gomantz

Restaurant Praia da Adraga: tel: 21 923 00 28