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.         

2017 Adegga Wine Market Lisbon 1st December 2017: short vertical of Soalheiro's Terramatter

2016 Alvarinho Terramatter, Soalheiro

2014 Alvarinho Terramatter, Soalheiro

After the 2016 Séries there was a tasting of three vintages of Soalheiro's Terramatter, made from organically grown grapes and not filtered. The 2016 is attractively citric and vibrant with a touch of spritz in the finish – youthfully exuberant!

The 2015 was aromatically very closed, although the palate was vibrant. My guess is that this is between youth and maturity and just now needs more time in the bottle.

Finally the 2014 had a more more evolved, deeper yellow colour. On the nose and palate it showed some oxidised development that added to the complexity of the wine rather than detracting from it. 

Once again this short tasting demonstrated the ability of Alvarinho from Vinho Verde to age well and gain complexity. However, when young these wines can be enjoyed for their youthful vibrancy. 

Evening of Portuguese modération

2013 Val-Bôa Vinho Verde, Jorge Albuquerque da Quinta 

Last evening we enjoyed a quite Lisbon soirée de la modération at home with a small group of #winelover friends. We kicked off with the lightly frizzante 2013 Val-Bôa Vinho Verde, which I believe is a blend of Trajadura, Pedernã e Azal. This made an attractive, light apéro.

Next up was another bottle of the 2014 Arinto dos Açores sur lies from António Maçanita. We had had a bottle on Saturday night, which was disappointing and short. This one was much better with more zip and a much longer finish. It proved to be a good foil for a monkfish and tuna ceviche.

We opened two reds with the rich beef stew – a 1992 Garrafeira from Encostas da Nave from the Cooperative do Távora in Beira. Still quite youthful for a 1992 with some attractive spicy fruit but quite marked acidity, which softened with time in glass – a bargain for 12€! The second – the 2002 Quinta da Viçosa from João Portugal Ramos – was very impressive with a rich opulent nose, palate beautifully balanced and long. Yet another bargain albeit at 32.50€ for a great Portuguese red. The equivalent in quality and age from a classic French or Italian appellation would cost much more.      

For the cheese we went back to the Açores with the rare and complex 2014 Terrantez do Pico also from Antônio Maçanita. It a very attractive honey and floral character, is finely textured, precise, well balanced and long. Very fine! 

 

 

To close the evening we opted for the still very youthful 1991 Colheita from Niepoort, which was bottled in 2008, and had the customary elegance and finesse associated with Niepoort. Although 25 years old one of our knowledgeable guests likened it to a 10-year old tawny. 

Lisbon scenes we like:

 The Castello in late afternoon sunshine 

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