Tom and Melody's wine blog » Portuguese wines

Dona Sophia (2007) and Villa Farnia Montepulciano D’Abruzzo (2008)

Tom & Melody — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:43:23 +0000

Last night we had friends over for dinner. After a lengthy cocktail hour full of good conversation (and perfect gin martinis) we sat down for dinner and some red wine. We drank several bottles, two of which I am listing here. Both were fabulous.

I had prepared a totally organic dinner. For starters, I stuffed a well salted and peppered grain-fed chicken with a lemon, fresh thyme and 5 cloves of garlic. I put the chicken in my cast iron skillet and drizzled it with olive oil and cooked in a hot, 425 degree oven for one hour. Then, I added carrots and potatoes (from the farmer’s market), more sprigs of thyme and 5 move cloves of garlic to the skillet along with about 1/2 cup chicken broth. Then, I turned down the oven to 350 and let it roast another hour and a half. I also sauteed a pint of pole green beans (freshly picked), and made a salad with freshly picked lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and onions. So, I think dinner was delicious and healthy. For dessert I served some decadent chocolate cookies that I had prepared earlier in the day accompanied by some lemon sherbet.

I was too busy to write down my wine-tasting notes, but I can tell you that these two bottles of wine were a hit. Fabulous.

Tonight we are having a less-expensive wine that Tom bought on sale at the grocery store. I will blog about it tomorrow night (assuming we don’t finish it tonight). For dinner tonight, I am making a chicken stroganoff made with boneless, skinless chicken strips sauteed in butter, fresh mushrooms and onions sauteed in butter, then, the addition of a thickened chicken broth and sour cream to simmer. I am going to serve it with buttered noodles, sliced fresh tomatoes and sauteed Swiss Chard. Yummy!

Dona Sophia (2007)

Tom & Melody — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 23:05:38 +0000

I finished the rest of this Portugal “Dona Sophia” wine Friday night after a long and arduous work week. Tom opened a bottle of something new that he had purchased at the grocery store. I opted to have the remaining glass of this because I really like it.

This is an opulent, richly-colored red Portuguese wine with a mouthful of black fruit and a balance of acidity and tannins.

We grilled hamburgers for dinner. I picked two warm, ripe juicy tomatoes from the garden to serve on the burgers. I also sauteed asparagus in olive oil. It was a great way to celebrate the end of the work week.

Quinta Da Alorna Vinho Tinto (2005)

Tom & Melody — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 01:24:34 +0000

This Quinta Da Alorna Vinho Tinto 2005 from Portugal was one of my Christmas gifts from Tom. (I received a nice collection of a variety of wines.) It is a Wednesday night and we have had a demanding work week so far. So this wine is a real treat tonight. Tom chose it because I am cooking chicken (in the skillet) with potatoes.

The wine is delicious. It is fruity and full bodied with very gentle tannins. This wine is a blend of Tinta Roriz, Castelao, Syrah, and Alicante Bouschet. The nose is berries and spice. On the palate is black cherry and ripe raspberries . The finish lingers and is very satisfying. This is an exceptional mid-week quaff and will pair well with our chicken.

Dona Ermelinda DOC Castelão (2004)

Tom & Melody — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:53:36 +0000

This Dona Ermelinda Palmela DOC 2004 is made from the Castelão grape in Portugal. Interestingly, Tom chose this wine to go with leftover pizza. We see from a previous post that we chose this wine for pizza another time! We also had it with home-made soup.

This Portuguese wine is medium body and fruity. In the glass it is deep purple rimmed with garnet. The nose is a very fresh spice. On the palate is soft tannins, oak, dried fruit, and fresh cherries. This is a keeper: bold, audacious, and delightful!

Tom: This Dona Ermelinda Palmela DOC 2004 has a fruity (blackberries) and slightly vegetal nose. It comes across as a big red, and so it should be good with pizza.

Dona Ermelinda Palmela DOC Castelão (2004)

Tom & Melody — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:05:45 +0000

This Dona Ermelinda Palmela DOC 2004 is made from the Castelão grape in Portugal. I chose this wine to go with our dinner of homemade soup and bread. The weather has turned a bit cooler, my day was busy, and I had some soup in the freezer for a night like this one!

This medium-bodied Portuguese wine is quite wonderful. The color is a dark purple. The nose is spicy yet it also has an earthy, bramble-like quality as well. The palate has soft tannins, wood and cherries. The finish is aggressive and long lasting. This wine makes for a great pre-dinner sipper and will also go well with our dinner. This is undeniably a big and delicious red, sure to please those of you who don’t object to a dry, lip-smacking, powerful red. Cheers!

Dona Ermelinda Palmela DOC Castelão (2004)

Tom & Melody — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:27:07 +0000

This Dona Ermelinda Palmela DOC 2004 is made from the Castelão grape in Portugal. The winery is just south of Lisbon in Palmela, which was founded in 310 B.C.

I chose this wine to go with pizza tonight (another very hectic day at work). This medium-bodied Portuguese wine is rich and fruity. It is a deep purple color. The nose is spicy and fresh. On the palate is soft tannins, oak, and dried cherries. It is a bold and assertive wine that will hold its own with pizza. It is delightful; there’s not a thing I would change about this wine.