Appetizers with Vinho Verde
When tasting appetizers, pairing them with Vinho Verde, a white wine specialty from northern Portugal, enhances the flavor. The appetizers may seem familiar, but upon closer tasting, they reveal differences—typical Portuguese crab cakes are made by mixing fresh crab meat with onions and stuffing it into crab shells before frying; one is already satisfying. The crab meat is mixed with a light salad dressing and onions, then topped with cheese and slightly baked—I believe this better brings out the freshness of the crab meat. Another dish, clams in tomato sauce, perfectly balances the rich aroma of the sauce with the freshness of the clams, though there are a few too many clam shells, making it less enjoyable. The appetizer is paired with Vinho Verde, another specialty from Portugal aside from Port wine. It has a fruity aroma, and its "young" sensation perfectly highlights the "freshness" of the seafood.
Main Course with Port Wine
The Portuguese seafood stew. The sauce made from tomatoes, onions, and curry is the highlight, rich and flavorful without overpowering the sweetness of the seafood. The bright red sauce showcases carefully selected ingredients like crab, scallops, mussels, and large shrimp, each variety appearing plump and tender, confirming the Portuguese culinary philosophy of "using the best ingredients to make the best dishes."
Portugal has a brilliant history of red wine, and its famous sweet wine, Port, once replaced French wine as the drink of choice among the British royal family and nobility. The red wine paired with the main course is Port; the aroma after opening the bottle is already rich. Before fully oxidizing, it is worth trying; the grape flavor is rich, and the mouthfeel is smooth. Port wine is actually a fortified wine like sherry, with the main difference being that the grape distillate is added before fermentation is complete, during the fermentation of the grape juice, because the yeast dies under high alcohol conditions (over 15 degrees), while the alcohol content of Port wine often reaches around 20 degrees. Since fermentation is halted before the grape juice is fully fermented, Port wine is always sweet.
Port wine is not only suitable for seafood but also pairs well with richer dishes, such as pork, pig's trotters, and a dish of stewed tripe with green beans that the host later added for us. Green beans, also known as chickpeas, have a flavor similar to peas and are commonly used in Portuguese cuisine. This dish showcases skill in its simplicity; the stewed green beans and tripe are infused with a special sauce, rich yet not greasy, and very flavorful. Pairing this meat with Portuguese red wine is also excellent, such as MARQUES DE BORDA, which has a rich aroma; before fully oxidizing, it is worth trying; the grape flavor is robust but slightly astringent. After full oxidation, the aroma transforms into a unique dried orange peel scent, and the mouthfeel becomes more pleasant, though still a bit astringent, but it interestingly complements the meat flavor.
Pairing Wine with Desserts
For example, chocolate mousse paired with red wine, pouring Port into the mousse mixes the wine flavor with sweetness, creating a unique sensation, truly living up to its reputation. Another dish, orange pancakes, is quite ordinary, but the use of orange juice and orange liqueur as a sauce, paired with ice cream, creates a blend of different flavors, bringing out a fresh and unprecedented feeling.
