From: Alenquer, Portugal
Blend: Arinto, Antão Vaz, Roussanne, Marsanne, Viosinho, Sémillon
Taste: This surprisingly mineral and elegant white wine has a ton of personality and versatility. Exuberant white fruits meet zesty lemon, peach, and fresh apricot alongside a hint of hazelnut. These aromas carry on to an equally impressive palate, and the wine finishes on a fine mineral edge. You'll love this wine if you’re a fan of Bordeaux Blanc, Albariño, Chablis, etc..
Pairing: Seafood is probably the most obvious pairing, so we’ll start here. Just about any cod preparation, especially Bacalhau (we love it served as a fried fritter), will be fantastic with this wine. Other seafood pairing ideas include charred/grilled/canned/smoked/baked/fried fish or shrimp. Crab cakes or scallops also make wonderful partners. Non-seafood pairings include cheese tortellini or pasta with pesto, dishes incorporating chickpeas (see below for recipe), Salade Niçoise, or most Mediterranean cuisine, avoiding anything too heavy.
Mediterranean Smashed Chickpeas
By David Tanis
About. Quinta do Pinto is a woman-owned and operated winery that is driven by the seemingly unstoppable force of the sisters Rita Cardoso Pinto and Ana Cardoso Pinto. Initially established by their father and enjoying the support of additional oenologists and winemaking staff, Quinta do Pinto is an estate that illustrates the proud tradition of the Alenquer region of Lisbon in producing wines that are internationally recognized for their exceptional quality.
The estate itself is made up of 63 hectares (156 acres) of vineyards that sit on mostly south-facing slopes of hills in the area between the Montejunto mountain range and the Tejo river. This particular region of the Lisbon Wine Region is protected by natural barriers against the cold and damp wind coming from the nearby Atlantic Ocean, which allows for the cultivation of vineyards without the use of chemical interventions to maintain the health of the vines against potential mold or pests.
In fact, the winery has been certified by the Portuguese government for Produção Integrada, a standard of sustainable agricultural practices and management which is defined by the European Union as “a farming system where high quality organic food, feed, fibre and renewable energy are produced by using resources such as soil, water, air and nature as well as regulating factors to farm sustainably and with as few polluting inputs as possible.” This minimum intervention approach to viticulture is based on the professed philosophy of Quinta do Pinto that “wine is made in the vineyard” and permeates not only the way that they choose to act as stewards to their vineyards, but also in the fact that they are constantly making efforts as a winery to further commit to sustainable agricultural, winemaking, and sales practices.
Portugal’s Alenquer region – a rural escape located just outside bustling Lisbon – has long been a quiet achiever in the premium European wine scene. Now, masterful winemakers like António Cardoso Pinto at Quinta do Pinto and his family, are bringing the world’s attention to the superior grapes produced here.