portuguese wine

One of my favorite restaurants in Hamburg is located in an unassuming house on Evans Street.  It’s called Cozy Thai cozythaihamburg.com  and it offers a delightful respite from the usual Western fare. The menu is large and versatile enough to intrigue carnivores, seafood lovers and vegetarians alike. Several enticing dishes with ingredients ranging from shrimp, pork, chicken, beef, eggplant, peanut sauce, basil leaves, bell peppers, bamboo, coconut, rice and hot pepper sauce make this a top of the list culinary adventure.

You’re having a casual lawn party this weekend and several of your guests will be expecting a fairly dry, easy drinking white.  You could opt for the usual suspects – Pinot Grigio, un-oaked Chardonnay, dry Riesling or a Sauvignon Blanc but predictability and cost may be an issue. Therefore, go green (green as in Verdi, that is). 

In Portugal there is a traditional folk music referred to as Fado, which is known for its mournful and melancholy sound (Fado means destiny or fate). The wine on the other hand could not be more different.

The 2013 Fado White blend from Portugal is all about brightness and sunshine.  Made from a blend of Siria, Arinto and Viognier, Fado is straw with a hint of gold color.  The aroma is fruity, floral with a hint of herb garden.  Flavors leading off with peach blend with citrus and tropical fruit; combine with ample minerality to create a somewhat complex but not over complicated wine.  

We have been singing the praises of French and Spanish value wines over the last few months and rightly so, but we should not ignore the underrated and low-priced Portuguese wines.

The calendar says its early June but the temperature feels more like the end of July or early August. These are tough days for drinking bold red wines (I’m sweating just thinking about it) or even oaky Chardonnays. It is time for something light, crisp, and refreshing.

Many of you are probably thinking Pinot Grigio which would be a good guess, but actually what I have in mind is a classic (albeit not quite a household name) wine from Portugal known as Vinho Verde.