Wine is a must at every meal. It is a
real pity that Portuguese wines are not given their due. They have everything
from the the full bodied reds from the Dão or Alto Alentejo regions to the dry
whites from the Minho region. And there is the well-known export of
Portugal - the rosé wine (Mateus).
It is best to sample of the wines of region you are travelling in, for
example in the Lisbon area, try the Colares (near the Sintra hills) and
Bucelas, while for an aperitif or sweet wine ask for the rare and much appreciated
Carcavelos
The Vinho Verde (green wine) from the Minho province is a wonderful surprise.
Native to Portugal, it is aromatic and zestful. The wine tastes like a
cross between champagne and chilled cider. A semi-sparkling wine, the
slight fizz on your tongue, is the hallmark of a vinho verde. The grapes are picked early and
the wine drunk young. It is mainly a pale-yellow in colour but some have a suggestion of
a light green. These wines have a lower alcohol content than other
wines, usually 9% . Beer is popular in Portugal - in
Southern half of the country it is the Sagres, and in the
Northern, Bock. Portugal makes some excellent dessert wines
& liquers - Muscatel, made from muscat grapes, Ginjinha, a cherry
brandy, and the famous Port & Madeira wines. Portuguese
brandy
goes very well with a cup of strong coffee. |