Wine First

>> Funding for this series has been provided in part by the following.

>> VGAN Chocolate, Norwegian flavor, available in Walmart stores.

[ Wind howling ] >> I'm Liora, and I'm a sommelier.

>> And I'm Maya, and I'm also a sommelier.

>> And I'm Yolanda.

My expertise is food.

>> In every episode, we are going to travel to beautiful wine regions, selecting three wines that define each area.

>> And present them to local chefs who will be challenged to prepare amazing dishes for those wines instead of the other way around.

>> Will the chefs succeed in making dishes that match the wines?

>> It all remains to be seen as we put... >> Wine first.

>> Portugal is one of the wine producing countries of the world, which is why we are here.

>> We are in the exciting city of Lisbon.

We are heading to two very important wine regions to find our special wines.

>> And, let's not forget, local ingredients.

>> So, come on, girls, let's get to it.

This time around, we are traveling to two wineries close to Lisbon, but also a third in the Alentejo region to find three wines and ingredients for renowned Portuguese chef Joao Rodrigues.

Will he manage to create three fabulous dishes to match our wines?

>> I love challenges, so let's go.

>> We'll see.

First up, the Esporao winery in Alentejo.

Alentejo's Montado ecosystem, with its cork oak forest, gives Herdade do Esporao great conditions for agriculture.

With 700 hectares of vineyards, olive groves, and other crops, the winery grows 100% organic.

We start our visit by climbing the impressive tower in the middle of the winery for the best view.

>> What a beautiful place.

And the view -- Could you tell us a little bit about the history?

>> We are in what we call the historical center in Herdade do Esporao.

These buildings are from the 15th century.

>> I see a lot of vineyards.

What kind of grapes do you grow?

What kind of wines do you make?

>> Mostly we make wines with blends of grapes with typical Portuguese grape varieties.

It's a dry climate with both the influence of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.

So we are in a transition of Atlantic and Mediterranean climate here.

>> But you have so many local varieties.

That's what Portugal is known for, isn't it?

>> We are the country in the world with the most diversity of vineyard per hectare planted.

>> On our way here, I saw some kind of wooden boxes.

>> So, it's an ecosystem both with trees, with bushes, with herbs, and with animals.

The boxes that you saw actually are boxes for the bats.

>> Aye.

Okay.

>> So have 30 bat boxes in here in Esporao because they eat half their weight per day in insects.

So they help us with the pest control.

[ Bats chittering ] >> Maya and I join Joao to have a closer look at the vineyards guarded by bats while Yolanda starts to taste her way through the winery's orchard for her first ingredient.

>> They're actually delicious.

>> Wow.

>> And hot.

>> And hot.

[ Both laugh ] >> Yolanda tastes her way through pumpkins, herbs, and discovers something very local.

>> A little cut of Iberico pork, porco Alentejana which is our local breed from the region where we are.

They free-range, so they feed on herbs and mushrooms and especially on acorns.

Acorns, you know, that's what you see the marble here in between the meat is fat has this amazing flavor because of the acorns and the special type of fat.

What do you think?

>> It's heaven.

Oh, my goodness.

I could definitely taste this nuttiness.

The first taste is the grilling, and then comes a very subtle flavor above the herbs, which is nuts.

Oh, my God.

That is an explosion of flavors.

I'm going to go for that one.

>> I think it's a wonderful choice.

>> Thank you so much.

>> Cheers.

>> Salud.

>> With the first ingredient chosen, it is time to choose the first wine.

>> It's so great to be in the vineyard.

>> In here, we choose to plant white varieties because of the proximity with the lake, with the water.

So it gets a bit more humidity and it adapts better to white varieties.

>> Finally.

>> It's time to taste the flavor of all this labor.

>> Esporao, it's one of our signature wines.

It's a blend of white traditional grape varieties 100% from here in Herdade do Esporao.

>> I really love the white peaches, the high acidic.

I can really see that it's a good wine for food.

>> It's rich, it's generous without being over complex or difficult to understand.

It really translates the place where we are.

>> And it's got freshness.

>> It does.

>> It makes you want to take another sip.

>> Yes.

It does.

>> Cheers to that.

>> Cheers.

>> Cheers.

>> The search for our first wine is not over.

And where better to have a look than in the wine cellar, which is quite exciting, I might add.

>> And we have arrived at the center of the universe.

What do you think's gonna happen when I move this bottle?

>> I don't know.

[ Laughs ] >> Hi.

>> Oh, hi.

>> Hello.

>> I see you found our treasure.

>> Yes.

>> This is the wine that's the icon wine of the estate.

It shows our soils, our grape variety diversity as well.

And the main variety that compounds this wine are Aragonez, Trincadeira, so these two Portuguese grape varieties and also some Cabernet Sauvignon and some Murcas.

>> It's a very fruitful wine.

But I also feel this sweet spices, almost like cloves and a little bit of cinnamon in it as well.

>> It has a distinct spiciness in the aftertaste that is kind of like... What I like also is that it's very concentrated without being too extracted.

There's, like -- You can taste that there's a lot of fruit, and they're all there, layered together with those spices.

What do you think?

>> I think this is the one.

>> This will be our baby from this winery?

>> Yes, it is.

>> Cool.

>> Cheers.

>> Cheers.

>> Cheers.

>> One down, two to go.

For our next wine and ingredient, we travel to Casa Santos Lima, a winery responsible for 40% of all the certified wines in the Lisbon region.

The estate has been in the Santos Lima family for five generations and offers ideal conditions for producing quality wines.

We meet the boss of the estate, Jose Luis.

>> If you look out to this beautiful view, you see the colors is different on different plots.

>> Yes, the leaves, they get different colors according with the different varieties.

>> Oh, so it's the variety.

>> The darker color is for red varieties that produce dark juice, the greener ones for white varieties, and then this kind of patchwork of colors from now until middle November.

It's beautiful, and it's always changing every day.

>> Believe it or not, this is actually a broken femur, so about this part somewhere here, on this type of dinosaur, which is called an Apatosaurus.

And it used to live here 'cause Jose actually found this in his vineyard here.

And when he found this, he thought, "Well, there must be more," so he actually found more pieces, loads of pieces scattered all over the vineyards.

And these make up part of the very long backbone of this dinosaur.

So I wonder if these remnants of dinosaurs actually give anything to the soil.

Is there a whiff of dinosaur in the -- in the aroma and taste of the wine?

Who knows?

There is only one way to find out whether or not the grapes have a Jurassic imprint by visiting the vineyard.

Do you think we're gonna find some remnants of dinosaurs here?

>> Well, we never know.

>> What about some fossils from a seabed, maybe?

>> Look at this.

Oh, yeah, might be something.

>> This is a real one.

You see?

You can keep it.

>> [ Gasps ] >> It's a big clam, huh?

>> Wow.

>> Everything Jurassic.

So this is Jurassic soil.

That makes the difference in our wines.

>> That's unbelievable.

>> Yeah.

The roots, they go deep.

>> Yeah.

>> Some elements, the water and the minerals, they get are from this period.

So more than 100 million years ago.

So, in fact, when we bite these grapes and when we drink this wine, it's like drinking recycled life.

>> Circle of life.

>> So what happened 100 million years ago is now influencing the quality of the grapes that we are picking.

>> While I'm making archeological discoveries in the vineyard, Yolanda is treated to a feast at the estate.

>> I feel like a fairy invited to a royal banquet.

So many colors, so many textures.

Is all this growing around here?

>> Yes, it is.

We have organic vegetable garden, so we produce them locally here.

>> So they all grow in the same area as your wines grow, right?

>> Exactly.

They benefit exactly from the same conditions, the same terroir.

>> The temptations are plentiful and they don't disappoint.

I love all the different shapes and different shades of purple.

This one even matches my skirt.

>> It's perfect.

>> Amazing.

No matter if you are cooking fish or meat, you always use the vegetables from around here?

>> Sweet potatoes.

>> Wow, sweet potatoes.

Look at this.

Look like a nice flower, huh?

>> Yes, I love them.

I'm gonna try it out.

>> Yeah, go ahead.

>> I know it's raw.

I know, I know, but let's see.

>> I'll join you.

[ Both crunching ] >> That was crunchy.

But it's actually not bad, huh?

>> It's actually really good.

They're raw.

>> Obviously I can feel all the -- we call it the flower sensation, right?

Because it's the anchor to gluten there, but it's so good.

I'm gonna go with this.

>> I think it's a great choice.

>> When I was a child, this was my absolute favorite vegetable.

And it has this wholesomeness, this texture.

It's quite the bold vegetable, but also it's very versatile.

I'm very curious to see what the chef is gonna do with it.

[ Glasses clink ] >> Cheers.

>> Salud.

>> With the ingredient chosen, it's time to get serious about finding the second wine.

I join the grape pickers and get to know one of Portugal's most beloved grape varieties.

This is beautiful.

Which grapes are these?

>> This is Touriga Nacional.

>> But here they're bigger.

>> Yeah.

>> The leaves are getting all ready with the autumn colors, you see?

And you can even taste them.

>> This is super sweet.

>> Super sweet.

>> So, this is Touriga Nacional.

A lot of winemakers think it's the best grape of all.

People are picking these by hand, drive them to the winery.

There, they crush the grapes, they make the wine.

Next time you buy a bottle of wine and enjoy a glass, think about the people who are sweating in the sun here, picking all these grapes.

I love this work.

I should come every year and help out with the harvest.

>> Well, you are hired, then.

We'll keep you.

Promise that, now.

>> Maya joins Jose Luis at the winery where the harvest is well on its way to become delicious Portuguese wine.

>> This wine is fermenting.

The skins are still inside, but you are getting some oxygen... >> Yeah.

>> ...to get a perfect vinification, okay?

>> I'm going to pick out one wine that we are going to give to the chef.

Do you have any suggestions for me?

>> We can start with the LAB.

It's a tribute to the Labrador's tradition of breeding in the family, produced from four different grapes -- the Tinta Roriz, Syrah, and Touriga Nacional.

>> I feel a lot of fruits in this wine.

It's very fruit-driven.

>> Very smooth.

>> What do you have for me next?

>> Red Blend Portugal.

It's a wine we produce with a lot of the different varieties.

So here we have a medium-bodied wine.

>> As we looked at in the facility that if you have the color in the skin, you need to have the skin in.

You also have the tannins here.

So if we have the skin a little bit more, we're gonna have more color, and normally we're gonna have more tannins.

You still feel the fruit.

It's a little bit more structured, a little bit more body, and the tannins a little bit more as well.

You have a final wine?

>> Colossal.

>> Thank you very much.

>> Part of the blend here is the blend of four grapes -- Syrah, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, and Alicante Bouschet.

>> I think it's still very nice balance.

More tannins, more structure.

You have this, like, fruit sweetness in the finish.

>> It is.

>> And that I think would be very good to maybe have some root vegetables, too, but would also be amazing to different meats.

I find it very interesting because you find so many different aromas.

I also find some nutmeg in it, which I really liked.

And, also, the wine reflects the area with the Touriga Nacional.

It's more Touriga Nacional in the wine, which we tried and we seen the production with it.

That's why I would like to have this wine.

>> Very good choice.

>> Thank you.

>> After a great day of Portuguese scenery, it is time to check out what Lisbon has to offer.

[ Singing in native language ] >> When people who are not in wine talk to me and ask me, "Oh, what do you do for a living?"

"Oh, I taste wines."

"But you taste wines every day?"

"Yes, sometimes I taste 100, 150 wines a day," and they're like, "[ Gasps ] Aren't you drunk?"

"Of course not.

I spit it out."

And they go, like, "[ Gasps ] You spit out alcohol?"

>> Try so many wines, and you try it so many times, you will absorb, you will absorb.

So I actually got quite drunk.

>> A toast to an amazing, fun day.

>> Salud.

>> Salud.

>> To search for our last wine and ingredient, we head off to a historical place.

We are at Quinta de Sao Sebastiao.

>> And we are so excited to find out what's happening behind these gorgeous gates.

>> Coming to this place is like stepping into another era.

What a different place.

It's beautiful.

>> Thank you so much.

>> We are located here in the Arruda dos Vinhos.

>> Arruda dos what?

>> Arruda dos Vinhos.

>> Arruda dos Vinhos.

>> Or something like that.

[ Laughter ] >> Basically, it's the root of wines.

>> You have a church?

>> Yes.

Yes, we have a church.

>> Could you show us?

>> Yes.

>> Oh, wow.

There's so much colors.

>> This church was named after Saint Sebastian, the name that gave the name to our Quinta as well.

That was basically a saint warrior that was killed by a Roman emperor.

He dedicated his life to defend the Christians.

>> May I do a little recommendation?

Hats off in the church.

[ Chuckles ] Not that you'll get killed.

[ Laughs ] >> You're not getting killed, but... >> The valleys, with different sun exposures and slopes of fertile land, have the influence of the maritime air calmed by the mountains and create a balanced microclimate perfect for the grapes and for the wine production.

Yolanda has found a horse and a dashing horseman to help her find her ingredient.

>> Hello, there.

>> Hello.

How are you?

We have here a gem.

We call it uvada, or "wine jam" because it's made with wine must and also with this apple.

And this is a Portuguese variety of apple named bravo mofo.

It's very aromatic apple.

This is the grape produced here in this region.

This is Castellan, and Castellan is the name of the variety -- is one of the varieties very typical in Arruda dos Vinhos.

>> The grape, there is a lot of sweetness, but at the same time a high acidity and the skin is quite strong.

It's quite thick.

>> So it gives color to the wine.

>> The apple has a little bit of a sand texture also.

So I guess it's gonna give a lot of texture to the marmalade.

Let's see the final product, huh?

>> This is kind of like a jam or a marmalade without sugar added.

So we don't add sugar because the grape must is already very sweet.

So people here used what they had as sweetener, a natural or a fruit sweetener.

>> The texture of the apple translated directly here.

At the same time, I bite the pieces of apple, but I'm thinking of grapes.

Maybe I'm just...really, really channeling.

>> Or not.

>> I like this end result, this combination.

I'm all about bringing things together.

So I'm going to bring this to a chef.

The sugar here, if it is too high, becomes difficult to pair with the wine.

It can make it taste much more bitter than it tastes.

So actually, you lose the pleasure of drinking the wine while you are eating the dish.

So I'm pretty sure this is gonna be quite the interesting challenge for the chef.

>> With the last ingredient in place, it is time to settle on the third and final wine.

>> I joined Filipe and even more horses.

This is beautiful.

>> Portuguese Lusitano breed -- our own breed.

So it's a very versatile horse.

It used to be a work horse, but nowadays it's a dressage horse.

>> He looks like he's one with the horse, like he's one entity.

>> Exactly.

>> So, Filipe, we're gonna taste some wines.

>> We'll start with Quinta de Sao Sebastiao Reserva 2017.

We tend to blend our own varieties with the French ones.

>> I can feel that pepperiness from the Syrah, and I like that when you get this almost savory notes and pepper, good spice, a little bit of punch to the wine, but it is very soft, like you said.

The Merlot is just making the wine very mellow, soft tannins.

Just glides down your throat.

More wine.

>> More wine.

>> Yes.

>> This one represents a little bit the relation of these two activities we have here in the Quinta.

One is the horse, the other is the wine.

The name "Arreios" means "the harness of the horse" -- the relationship between the humans and the nature.

This one is two varieties, which is Touriga Nacional and Cabernet Sauvignon.

This is a very ripe Cabernet Sauvignon you get from the lower areas.

>> Cabernet Sauvignon has very thick skin and normally a lot of tannins, but as it ripens and gets a lot of sun that those tannins will soften up and you'll get a lot of fruit flavors instead.

>> Exactly.

>> So the last and third bottle.

>> In this one, you'll still have the Touriga Nacional and the Cabernet and also little bit of Syrah.

You'll get some grapes from vineyards planted in higher altitudes, so it's not such a deep, concentrated wine.

It's more elegant.

>> And also, there's a lot of of black fruits like blueberries, blackberries, some plums.

>> Exactly.

>> And, like you say, spices.

>> Exactly.

>> Okay, so we've tasted three wines and I have to make a decision.

I think it's gonna be the first one, the Quinta de Sao Sebastiao Reserva.

Did I say it good?

>> You say it very well.

>> Can you say it?

>> Quinta de Sao Sebastiao Reserva.

>> I was not even close!

>> Quinta de Sao Sebastiao Reserva.

>> No, it's good, actually.

Cheers.

>> Cheers.

>> No visit to Portugal is complete without Fado music and a traditional family meal.

I could move here.

With the wines and ingredients in hand, we join the producers at the Michelin-star restaurant Feitoria at the Altis Hotel in Belm for the tasting ceremony, where Chef Joao Rodrigues is challenged to cook three separate dishes to match our three chosen wines.

Will he succeed?

We start off with a wine from our last stop, the Quinta de Sao Sebastiao with the chosen ingredient, uvada.

>> Uvada is a very traditional thing.

It has sweetness, but a little bit of acidity.

So it's quite challenging for a red wine.

>> Let's see how you make it, all right?

>> Let's do it.

>> Yolanda picked uvada jam.

>> It's too sweet.

It's difficult to combine.

I hope it leaves some space for the wine.

It's difficult.

>> It's gonna be a challenge for him.

>> Yeah.

>> Chef Joao uses duck with the uvada.

>> This is a small duck.

We call it pato real.

Pato is "duck" in Portuguese.

We're gonna finish it a little bit in the oven and smoke it a little bit in here, inside of here.

Then we're gonna use the smoke that comes out of it, just to give it a little bit of that smoky flavor.

>> Joao then adds the uvada to caramelized mushrooms, shallots, and thyme, making a sauce of it.

But, apparently, he's not completely satisfied.

The perfectionist needs to add something special.

>> This is a silver press that's used for the duck jus.

I'm gonna press all the carcass to take all the juices out and then add it to our sauce and finalize it for the dish.

>> Wow.

More drops of this amazing elixir.

>> The dish comes together with an abundance of tastes.

But will the uvada overpower the wine?

>> So, Filipe, what do you think?

>> I'm very surprised.

I was expecting something much simpler.

He's putting a lot of things together.

>> Too many components?

It remains to be seen.

The chosen wine from Casa Santos Lima is up where sweet potato is the main ingredient.

>> A great vegetable.

It has sweetness and at the same time moisture, and it's kind of a chewy, so it's really round in the mouth.

>> What are you gonna use apart from the sweet potato?

>> Maybe octopus.

Normally, we don't drink it with red wine, but I think it has the structure and the power to balance it with wine really well.

It's risky.

>> Well, I'm expecting a complex dish with intense flavors.

I would not expect a salad or fish.

>> By "fish," I hope he doesn't mean seafood in general.

Along with the octopus, Chef Joao prepares the main ingredient, the sweet potato, in a very special way.

>> Cooked in salt crust in the same way that we're doing it with the octopus that it cooks in its own moist.

The idea is the same.

We decided to do it the same with the potato because I think the flavor is more rich.

Now it's pure flavor.

We're gonna transform it into a puree.

We're just gonna blend this with a little bit of olive oil, and we serve it with the octopus.

>> Pure flavors and an interesting combo.

Will Maya be right about the root vegetables being a good match with the wine?

>> Were you thinking about octopus?

>> I was definitely not thinking of fish.

>> No?

>> However, I guess I forgot that octopus could be a "meat," even though it's a fish.

I'm definitely super surprised with his choice.

>> Okay, so let's see.

>> Let's see.

>> A good surprise, I hope.

Time will tell.

Last but not least, the final wine with the Iberian pork.

>> Esporao Reserva 2018.

>> I chose porco preto.

>> It's really, really fatty, but at the same time, rich and sweet and amazing.

It's something very traditional, mainly in Alentejo.

We're gonna use cumins in it and garlic and a little bit of vinegar.

>> It sounds delicious, but let's see if the dish does not overpower the wine or other way around.

>> If the sauce is too strong or too sweet or too bitter -- I'm a bit anxious, but let's see, let's see.

>> Another beautiful-looking dish with lots of flavors, but are there too many?

Will the sauce upstage the unique qualities of the Iberian pork?

Well, Antonio is eating.

The meal is consumed, and the wine glasses are almost empty.

It is time for the verdict.

>> We'll see if we can go easy on you.

>> Filipe, your dish was first out.

>> I was very surprised because I wasn't expecting wild duck, and I was expecting a much simpler dish.

It's a dry wine.

It has some tannins, it has some acidity, and sometimes it's not obvious to combine with the sweetness.

But the real thing is that you kept heading into it in a very subtle way.

Each ingredient, the earthy flavors -- very, very good.

Congratulations.

>> Good news so far.

What about the wine and dish number two?

Did the root vegetables and the seafood work with the wine?

>> Okay, so, what did you think?

>> Well, I told you in the beginning that I was not expecting fish to go with the sweet potato, especially with this wine.

This is a complex wine that, in my opinion, required a complex dish.

And I definitely forgot about the octopus.

It's still a fish, but it's more meaty.

And the croquette with that special part of the octopus, that tasted like meat, so it really blew my mind.

I'm very happy with the combination and especially with the wine.

It worked perfectly in my opinion.

>> Not a fishy result at all.

Now, for the last wine and the pork.

>> What was your opinion of the dish?

>> It was a bit strange for me to watch grilled lettuce.

If you imagine a grill, lettuce will be completely shredded.

The wine has some light pepper, red pepper notes and some more fruit, but also pepper notes and some smoky notes.

But I think it's clearly a match and it's a dish that can clearly go well with this wine.

>> I really enjoyed it, and I nearly licked the plate.

Cheers to you, Chef.

It was amazing.

>> Should have done it.

>> Thank you.

[ Laughter ] >> Three successful combinations -- not bad.

And that marks an end to our trip to two exciting wine regions in Portugal, a country with many flavors to share with the world.

>> For more inspiration, visit us at winefirsttv.com.

>> Funding for this series has been provided in part by the following.

>> VGAN Chocolate, Norwegian flavor, available in Walmart stores.

[ Wind howling ]