J’s been working some late nights lately, so I’ve been doing a lot of the grocery shopping and cooking; I hit the store when I 
leave work and either head down to J’s when he’s done working or start prepping dinner at my place and wait for him to come up. I usually text him in the late afternoon to see if there’s anything in particular he’s craving for dinner, and I either take his cravings as my inspiration or veto them altogether and go my own direction. Yesterday his response was “Beef?!,” which, for whatever reason, sounded perfect to me as well, so I wandered over to Whole Foods (“the Foods,” as J and I like to call it) and grabbed a nice, big Rib Eye steak (which J grilled to perfection), some beautiful Spring green beans (which I sauteed with some white wine, shallots and garlic), and a crusty sourdough baguette. The perfect Wednesday night dinner, right? Totally – except that this week is Portuguese White Wine week for the CorkPopper Project, and white wine isn’t generally a great match for a big, honkin’ piece of meat. Oh well, sometimes you just have to go with your cravings….. and when your meal and your wine are both delicious, it doesn’t so much matter that they’re not perfectly paired.
The 2008 Quinta de Romeira is made from Arinto grapes (a varietal, I must admit, I’ve never heard of or tasted before) grown just outside Lisbon in the Bucelas DOC region. Clear and day bright and light straw in color, this wine has some lovely key lime, passionfruit, orange blossom and just a hint of slate on the nose. The orange and lime are pronounced on the palate, with lots of bright acidity, medium alcohol, a medium-long finish and medium-plus complexity. In short, a surprisingly delightful white wine no matter what you’re eating for dinner.
Give it a try yourself. You can find it at K&L Wine Merchants for just $11.99/bottle.
4.5 corks popped!
Cheers!
