Join us this coming Saturday, October 26 for a free tasting of Port and Carcavelos wines, from 2-4 p.m. We will be pouring samples of ruby and tawny port, along with carcavelos, to showcase the differences in flavor and complexity. Carcavelhos is the smallest wine appellation in Portugal, located west of Lisbon. The wines are made from a blend of white and red grapes which is fortified and aged 10-20 years in barrel. A bit lighter than port, its flavors of dry fruit and honey make it excellent with fruit or nut tarts. Mark your calendars for this free tasting.
On November 9, our in-store tasting will feature wines from Madeira. One of Thomas Jefferson’s favorite beverages, Madeira is a wonderful addition to the Thanksgiving menu. Incredibly versatile, it ranges from dry to sweet. The younger Madeiras or Rainwater are superb for cooking; use them in soup, stuffing or cream sauces, or add to sautèed wild mushrooms. An older, more complex Madeira or a sweeter Bual or Malmsey is delicious with dessert.
Mole negro sauce is back in stock. Made in Oaxaca, this renown Mexican culinary center is famous for its seven different mole sauces. We typically like to use this mole negro sauce on chicken or pork but this time of year, make turkey mole with Thanksgiving leftovers! Dilute the mole to the desired consistency, heat and serve the sauce over roast meats, or simmer bite size pieces of chicken or pork in the sauce. Serve with rice and corn or flour tortillas.
Churros & hot chocolate – Drinking hot chocolate during inclement weather is a delicious way to warm up. And if you’ve got churros to dunk into the hot chocolate, it’s sooo much better. We have churros “porras” (a thicker style of churro, made in Spain) and authentic Spanish thick hot chocolate. We taste tested the churros and be assured, they are really great, and incredibly easy to prepare while the chocolate is simmering. The porras are frozen in Spain and only require 3-5 minutes of baking in a 350 degree oven.
Cured Duck Breast Prosciutto NEW! A stellar alternative to cured pork, this rich duck breast is dry cured using the same technique as cured ham. Made from Muscovy duck, it is buttery and mild with a touch of saltiness. Serve it thinly sliced on a charcuterie board.
Quinta dos Pesos Vintage Carcavelos 1991 ($39.00/500 ml) Carcavelos is a fortifed wine with bright acidity, almost like a cross between port and madeira. The 1991 Quinta dos Pesos offers up aromas of honey and toasted nuts with flavors of dried fruit such as raisins. Bright caramel notes, nutty hints and a touch of earth offer up medium sweetness. The finish is long and clean. Shelf stable for about six months after opening. This is really good!
The wines of Quinta dos Pesos offer a glimpse into the long history of Carcavelos, one of Portugal’s great Vinho Generosos and perhaps its rarest wine. Situated in the village of Caparide, in the hills behind Estoril west of Lisbon, the estate was acquired by Manoel de Boullosa in 1963. Its vineyards were painstakingly restored over the course of the next twenty years. In keeping with ancient tradition, a mix of white (Arinto, Gallego Dourado, Ratinho, Rabo do Ovelha) and red grapes (Joao Santarem, Espadeiro Tinto) from its three hectares were co-fermented and aged in cask for many years. A small quantity of the vintages 1987-1991 were commercialized, and the remaining wines continued their long sleep until 2018, when they were tasted, selected and blended with minimal intervention. The results were revelatory, and confirm the high esteem afforded Carcavelos over centuries.
Thanks for reading!