What was the last wine from Portugal that you enjoyed?
I recently had the opportunity to try a white and a red blend from Premium Portugal Wines. I paired the wines with a recipe for Pastéis de Bacalhau (Salt Cod Fritters) from Portuguese Recipes. They may not have been up to my Mother-in-law’s standards, and my shaping of the fritters could use some practice, but they sure were delicious. I also couldn’t resist picking-up some Pastéis de Nata (custard tarts) for dessert.
Anta dos Lobos started producing wines in 1999. These wines come from sustainable vineyards planted in Eastern Portugal, more specifically Herdade da Cabeceira and Vale D’Anta, in Evora, Alentejo.
2017 Anta dos Lobos Selection Vinho Branco $15.99
This white wine is a blend of Arinto, Antão Vaz and Chardonnay. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks under controlled temperatures.
There are aromas of lemon, grapefruit pith, pine nuts, beeswax and papaya. This is a dry, medium bodied wine with medium+ acidity. At its core, the palate is savory, but it also offers notes of lemon, beeswax, grapefruit pith, tangerine rind, pine nuts and pineapple with a medium finish.
This wine paired well with the Pastéis de Bacalhau, but it also went beautifully with salmon fillets baked with a topping of Greek yogurt, fresh dill and Dijon mustard.
2017 Anta dos Lobos Selection Vinho Tinto $15.99
This red wine is a blend of Aragonez (Tempranillo), Touriga Nacional, Castelão and Trincadeira. It was also fermented in stainless steel tanks under controlled temperatures.
After the bottle was open for five hours, there are aromas of leather, tobacco, dried cherries, black plum and blackberries. This is a dry, medium bodied wine with medium+ acidity and medium tannins. The palate is bright and concentrated with notes of leather, sour cherry, raspberry, minerality and a savoury, medium finish.
When last I checked, these wines were available at:
BC Liquor Store 8th and Cambie and Peninsula Village locations
8th Street Liquor Store, New Westminster
High Point Beer and Wine Store, Vancouver
Wall Center Fine Spirits, Vancouver
Liberty Wine Merchant, North Vancouver
Please call ahead for pricing and availability.
Deb, where can I buy those Pastéis de Nata here in Vancouver?
Cheers,
Lance Berelowitz DipWSET
Well, you could do what I did and buy them frozen at Safeway, but really they are not the best and should only be sought after in a pinch lol! Union Market (https://unionmarket.ca) used to make some pretty good ones. Then there is also Natas Canada, which you can find on Instagram. It is my understanding that they were making Pastéis de Nata available for pickup at Whole Foods in Burnaby if you pre-ordered them…not sure if they are still doing that 🤔
Thanks Deb!