What do an Alentejo red blend and a gouveio from the Douro have in common

Me. They have me in common.

When everything seems to be chaos around me, I turn to simple pleasures. Wine, food, books, good conversations, nature, and art. I try and tune everything else out. I learned this during my cancer journey. And as I recover from surgery at a gradual pace, and boy, is it slow, I've found happiness in these things over the past few months.

That being said, I haven't produced much writing, which I also love to do. I know, and I am sorry about that as well. My energy right now for writing is not fully back, and I have to be true to my body. However, I’ve been working on grape guides, Portuguese travel guides, and a few other things I’m not ready to share yet. I won’t set launch dates for any of these things as every time I do, life gets in the way. But I will let you all be the first to know!

I know this weird phase won’t last. I still feel low on energy because my body is healing. This will take some time due to my recently diagnosed heart condition. Thankfully, it’s being treated properly now. I wanted you to be aware of what was going on while things are slower here on my Substack.

If you do like this Substack and want to support me financially, your support makes a significant difference. Your support allows me to spend more time creating content for you. I can’t work for free as much as I wish I could. If you don’t want to commit to my newsletter, you can always buy me a coffee.

Wine tastings on Zoom with friends

This spring I did a lovely birthday tasting with a wine friend in France, and it was exactly what the doctor ordered. Okay, not really since I’m on heart medication, but I'm fine; everything is F.I.N.E.¹ I didn't drink much, so don’t worry.

Before the tasting, I sent my friend photos of ten Portuguese wines from my collection. I wanted her to see what she could find in France. Then, she could choose food pairings for us to enjoy together. She knows what I like. I trusted her to make some fun pairings for us as she always does for my birthday tastings. I was able to simply prepare and have Scott open the bottles for me.

The wines

Quinta de Cidrô Gouveio

Gouveio, verdelho do Dão or godello in Spain is a grape both countries want to stake claim to. It was first recorded in the Douro in 1531, so regardless if it is Portuguese or Spanish, it has been in Portugal for quite some time. It grows in tightly packed bunches, making it highly susceptible to fungal diseases and grey rot. However, it’s naturally drought-resistant and thrives in dry, warm climates, particularly in the Douro Valley.

At Quinta de Cidrô, you’ll find both single varietal wines and blends with some international grapes as well. In São João de Pesqueira, where Quinta de Cidrô is located, the warm continental climate here is shaped by the region's schist and slate soils. They hold onto heat during the day and release it at night, creating the perfect conditions for growing grapes.

The wine is beautiful and I wish everyone could taste it. It starts with orange and honeysuckle, then shifts to ripe green pear and ripe peaches. Next, cedar and cream notes come in, balanced by a hint of citrus pithy bitterness. It makes me not want to stop sipping.

Herdade da Lisboa Convés Alentejano 2021 red blend

The winery has been around since the 18th century in southern Alentejo, near Vidigueiro. João Cardoso and his two sons purchased the land in 2011. TThe property has 100 hectares of vineyard and use sustainable practices. The climate here benefits from cool Atlantic winds and a nearby mountain range, the Serra do Mendro. At night, cool air moves down. This leads to a large diurnal range, which means there is a big temperature difference between day and night.

Convés means "deck of a boat. Convés is a blend of 50% Aragonez, 30% Alicante Bouschet, and 20% Syrah. Aragonez brings flavors of red and black fruits. It has a medium body and the grapes ripen early. It thrives in areas exposed to a gentle breeze, so in the micro climate they have at Herdade da Lisboa is perfect. Alicante Bouschet offers rich tannins and a deep color. It also has intense notes of dark red fruits, much like Vinhão. Syrah adds depth with its dark fruit flavors and spice. It also balances tannins and acidity, giving structure to the wine.

The wine is full of dark cherry, black plum, black raspberry, and has a tangy bite of sour cherry towards the end. It has an earthy feel, like walking in a forest and munching on a dried leaf (yes, I might have tried it). There’s also a touch of pepper and tannins but they don’t cling to your mouth and you don’t need food to enjoy this wine. It is a very easy-drinking red for the summer; I serve it slightly chilled.

The food

Salmon pâté is a easy to whip up or you can purchase already made if your market has one that uses smoked salmon. You definitely want that smokey flavor in the dip. Make sure it has lemon and fresh herbs, nothing too crazy. I get mine from Whole Foods, they have a really good one. Or you could make your own. Below is a basic recipe, obviously you can change the amounts of ingredients based on your taste. I served it with toasted baguette.

• 150g smoked salmon

• 200g cream cheese

• 1tbsp crème fraîche

• 1 lemon, juiced

• chopped dill

Combine everything and enjoy!

Paired with the gouveio it was another level of delicious. The pâté mellowed the cedar and acid notes in the wine and left you with a super juicy wine. I was able to pick up hints of herbs which was brought out from the dill in the dip as well as lemon thyme. It was a perfect pairing.

The Turkish pide recipe is here. It is a Middle Eastern flatbread baked with a filling, usually with meat or cheeses and shaped like a boat. The recipe is great, however red pepper flakes to me are never allowed in anything I make. I refuse to even have them in my home. Yes, I am a pepper snob. We grow our own hot peppers all summer then dehydrate them and grind them into spices for the rest of the year. So use cayenne or Thai, and make sure it is fresh. If you cannot find fresh ones, buy a good quality cayenne or Thai chili pepper spice, look for color freshness, the duller the color the older it is and the potency isn’t as good. I prefer making my own, not everyone is a pepper psycho like me, so if you have small spice companies near you, go support them. I would avoid the bulk stuff sold at grocery stores. Sorry, I’ll get off my pepper soap box now.

Don’t go crazy with the spice as you want it to pair well with the Alentejo red blend. The pairing brought out a lot of pepper notes, cherry, and loads of juicy freshness. It enhanced the wine's complexity and made it even more easy drinking.

1. F**ked up, Insecure, Neurotic, and Egotistical - Louise Penny, who is one of my favorite living authors. I adore the world she has built in Three Pines and wish it was a real place. I would move there tomorrow.

Herdade da Lisboa Convés Alentejano 2021 red blend is available in the US from The Vinho