Discovering the food and wines of Portugal

Exploring unusual cuisine with an adventuresome friend is a delightful and eye-opening experience.

My last adventure was at an Ethiopian restaurant, where the first course was a warm hand washing. Necessary when one eats with one's hands.

One typical dish is a flatbread covering a dish like a pizza with various stews, vegetables and meats arranged on top. You then rip off a piece of the spongy flatbread and pick up a mouthful of a dip that’s fragrant with Ethiopian spices.

On our next adventure, a venturesome friend and I walked the waterfront of downtown Seattle. It was a beautiful day and our aim was to pass the time in Pike Place Market, at galleries and exploring the new additions to the waterfront until Lonely Siren, a Portuguese restaurant in the market, opened at 3 p.m.

The tasty dishes at Lonely Siren are based upon the influence of chef/owner Randal Ventura's grandmother, who first introduced him to the flavors and ingredients of Portuguese food.

Since Portugal faces the Atlantic, traditional dishes are decidedly fruits of the sea. Grilled whole sardines and pasteis de bacalhau (salt cod fritters) are the usual country fare. The porco a alentejana (braised pork cheeks with clams and potatoes) is in a rich broth that should be sopped up with the house made papo seco bread.

We feasted on marinated olives, grilled pineapple, Batatas Bravas, a layered block of sliced potatoes and Manchego cheese pressed, cooked and then presented on a bed of smoked onion soubise and red pepper bravas sauces.

A visit to this place is a must. The food is like dipping a toe into Portugal cuisine. I want to go again and again.

But even before this delicious adventure, I had been enjoying Portuguese dry reds that are now readily available locally. And while researching, I came to know a bit more about Portugal than just fortified wines and explorer Ferdinand Megellan.

Located on the edge of the ocean, the Portuguese for centuries were masters of the oceans.  And ingenious inventors.

At its peak during the Age of Discovery, Portuguese inventions were mainly improvements of tools and techniques of sailing, navigation and coastal cartography.

The ship known as the Man-of-War was the product of extensive Portuguese nautical experience.  As was the gun port and the larger, heavier metal astrolabe, a precursor of the sextant.

Another astonishing discovery - the ukulele was developed by Portuguese immigrants in Hawaii.

Innovations in the kitchens include salted cod, tempura (introduced to Japan by Portuguese sailors) and the citrus fruit preserve marmalada.

But more importantly, are the recent value driven wines of Portugal.

One of the world’s best summer wines - Vinho Verde - is from Portugal's verdant northwest. It’s a straw-colored, spritzy white that pairs well with the many seafood dishes. This low alcohol wine is made from indigenous grape varieties such as Alvarinho (Albari?o), Arinto, Avesso, Azal, Loureiro and/or Trajadura.

Another wine region that I’m grateful for is Alentejo where cork, olive oil and wine are the key commercial products. Alentejo is in the south-central part of Portugal, bordering Spain on the east and the Atlantic Ocean on the west.

There are in seven sub-regions in Alentejo and the undulating hills are planted to vines of Abundante (Grenache), Alfrocheiro, Alicante Bouschet, Periquita, Rabo de Ovelha, Tempranillo and Trincadeira.

The 2020 Guarda Rios from this region is a fantastic red blend of Aragonez, Trincadera, Alicante Bouschet and Syrah. Great aromatics with intense black fruits, it offers a perfect choice for an everyday wine. Found at Silverdale’s Grocery Outlet.

For centuries, Portugal’s best recognized wine region was the Douro where producers made a fortified wine called Port or Porto. Grapes used for this fortified wine are the fragrant Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Cao, Tinta Barroca and Sous?o.

After joining the EU, the country’s wine industry received a boost to upgrade their equipment and systems and as a result, production of unfortified wines beyond Mateus and Lancers began in earnest.

The grapes from the spectacularly steep slopes produce full-bodied dry reds that are value driven. Like the 2020 Gaios Tinto, a blend of Tinto Barroca which is similar to Zinfandel, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Nacional. Perfection with grilled meats and veggies.

The Vinhas de Xisto Reserva 2019 Tinto is a lovely blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Sous?o, all grapes used in the production of Porto. This wine scored 91 points and at four years old, smooth and graceful.

The D?o region just south of the Douro is situated on granite slopes where small bodegas produce some very approachable, elegant and affordable wines. At least 80% of their production is red.  DOC regulations require that at least 20% of the wine must include the Touriga Nacional grape.

The 2020 Opta is a gorgeous blend of Touriga Nacional, Alfrochiero and Tinta Roriz. It’s a fruity, spicy, smooth wine that garnered gold at the International Wine Challenge. Found it at Grocery Outlet in Silverdale.

Lisboa is the large coastal Vinho Regional (VR) with nine DOC subregions and is Portugal's largest producer of wine by volume. Breezes off the Atlantic help keep the vineyards cool to maintain the wines’ acidity and aromatics.

One of my favorites, the Mina Velha Reserva 2020 Vinho Tinto scored 89 points and a best buy. A blend of Syrah, Tinta Roriz, and Touriga Nacional from hillside vineyards, it’s a bomb of black fruits with a hint of French oak and yet smooth and elegant. Another inexpensive Silverdale Grocery Outlet find.

This summer, treat yourself to the delicious dishes and wonderful wines of Portugal.

Mary Earl has been educating Kitsap wine lovers for a couple of decades, is a longtime member of the West Sound Brew Club and can pair a beer or wine dinner in a flash. She volunteers for the Clear Creek Trail and is a longtime supporter of Silverdale. Contact her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Exploring wins from Portugal without leaving Washington state