What to eat with Alvarinho? Luís Cerdeira and the sunny side of Vinho Verde.

Soalheiro, the sunny place

Soalheiro means a sunny place, and it was the name of the first vineyard Luís's father planted in 1974. He was the first producer in Melgaço to bottle Alvarinho as a varietal wine, in the far north of Portugal. Melgaço is part of the Monção e Melgaço subregion, the origin of Alvarinho, where hundreds of small parcels are tended by local families.

Vinho Verde is plural, Luís stresses, with nine subregions. Most production is still a very light style, around eight or nine percent alcohol with a little fizz, but the region also makes serious varietal wines from Alvarinho and Loureiro. Loureiro is the more elegant of the two, he says, with very high acidity, while Alvarinho is fuller bodied.

Twenty years ago few people outside Portugal knew Alvarinho, Andreas remembers. Today almost every wine bar seems to pour one by the glass.

Old vines and a bigger glass

Luís also pours Primeiras Vinhas, made from the estate's first, old vines, with 15% of the blend aged in oak barrels. Old vineyards are rare in Vinho Verde, because the fertile soils make vines grow vigorously and die young, so Soalheiro uses biodynamic ideas to keep the soil in balance. The estate also works on biodiversity, encouraging growers to plant herbs such as mint.

As acting sommelier, Luís gives two serving tips. He pours the richer wine into a bigger glass, because aromatic whites can feel cramped in small ones, and he does not mind the wine warming to 12 or 14 degrees so it is closer to the temperature of the food. Soalheiro was also an early producer of sparkling Alvarinho.

Cod cataplana with oyster aioli

Andreas makes a cataplana, a dish from the south of Portugal that almost cooks itself. Potatoes, onion, fennel, tomato, pepper, garlic, chili, lime and plenty of Alvarinho form the base, topped with thick loins of fresh cod, prawns and clams and finished in the oven. On top goes a quick oyster aioli made with a whole egg, garlic, parsley and coriander, which adds a mineral, umami flavor of the sea.

Luís notes that the Portuguese probably eat more bacalhau than anyone, though mostly dried rather than fresh. Both agree that spice and fine white wine can get along, as long as the wine has acidity and is not too high in alcohol. With pure seafood flavors, Alvarinho's brilliance and lively acidity give the hearty dish a lift.

Luís is the cook at home, and he notes a return to comfort food in Portuguese restaurants, with generous single dishes. He also confesses that the Portuguese sometimes serve potatoes and rice in the same meal. Both men agree that cooking fish well takes more precision than cooking meat.

A blind red and a dish without meat

Luís then hands Andreas a red to taste blind, from one of his favorite regions. Andreas finds rose petal, wild raspberry, clove, cinnamon, fine tobacco and earth. But the fridge holds no meat or fish, so Andreas goes vegetarian: a purée of Jerusalem artichoke and potato cooked in milk with nutmeg, a mushroom duxelles cooked in olive oil and butter, crisp Jerusalem artichoke chips, a fried quail egg and black truffle.

Texture matters as much as flavor in pairing, they agree, and earthy, creamy vegetables can flatter a fine red. Watch to see if Andreas pins down the wine, and how Luís handles the memory game.

Alvarinho pairing tips

Alvarinho is a natural with fish, shellfish and seafood stews, and its freshness also suits gentle chili and Asian dishes. Try lighter Loureiro with simply grilled fish and a drizzle of olive oil, as Luís suggests, and do not be afraid to serve richer whites in a larger glass and a touch less cold.