An Iberian Peninsula Pairing: Bife à Portuguesa + Bodegas Shaya Habis Verdejo Old Vines 2019

This month the combined wine writers are sharing Summer pairings with Spanish wines. Our host is David of Cooking Chat.

I have long been a fan of Spanish wines. Both reds and whites.

I see I have poured a 2017 Losada Bierzo. made of Mencía grapesl a 2018 Enrique Mendoza Alicante La Tremenda Monastrell; a Pazo Cilleiro Albariño Rias Baixas that friends brought back from Spain for me; and a 2019 Alvaro Palacios Camins del Priorat just to name a few. So, I am looking forward to seeing what everyone pours this week...and tracking down all of the bottles! All. Of. The. Bottles.

Here's the small, but delectable line-up...

• An Iberian Peninsula Pairing: Bife à Portuguesa + Bodegas Shaya Habis Verdejo Old Vines 2019 by Culinary Cam (you're here)

• Grilled Paprika Pork Chops with Spanish Wine Pairings by Cooking Chat

• La Cantera Reserva and Ribs with a Tempranillo Glaze by A Day in the Life on the Farm

I love Spanish wines for a number of reasons not the least of which it its relative affordability. Equivalent Italian wines - looking at you Barolo! - are certainly a higher price point and French wines are even more so.

A World Cup Watch Party

When the World Cup final game was Spain vs. Argentina, I went to a watch party and brought Spanish wines to go with our Argentinian empanadas. I will share those recipes and tasting notes soon.

One of the wines I had poured was a 2023 El Pacto del Alto Najerilla Blanco.

Thankfully both of my boys, previous Kitchen Elves turned Kitchen Giants, were home and helped me make nearly four dozen empanadas for the festivities!

¡Viva España! But I digress. On to the pairing I have for you today - Bife à Portuguesa + Bodegas Shaya Habis Verdejo Old Vines 2019.

In the Glass

I poured a 2019 Bodegas Shaya Habis Verdejo Old Vines. Let's start with a little about this grape since it's not that common. Verdejo is a grape that is cultivated almost exclusively in Spain and results in a light-bodied white wine that I would pour in place to Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. However, it can we weighty enough to pair with meat as I did in this case.

A single varietal - 100% Verdejo - this wine was intriguing from scent to sip. It poured an almost greenish gold. On the nose I detected aromas of citrus peel and pear along with something I couldn't quite identify. But it was musky and smoky. On the palate the wine had a fuller mouthfeel that was quite unusual in a white wine. It was simultaneously dense but crisp.

I loved the bright, spicy notes that persisted till the last sip. I will definitely be pouring this wine again. Its dual characteristics would make this a beautiful match with some Portuguese dishes that contain both meat and seafood such as Carne de Porco à Alentejana which has both pork and clams. And it would even hold its own in the face of all that smoky paprika.

But, instead, for this pairing. I went all meat and made my three carnivorous-leaning omnivores so happy!

On the Plate

Bife à Portuguesa is a recipe or process that was inspired from a new-to-me cookbook: Portugal: Authentic recipes and Ingredients by Anaïs Bourny Delon. I picked it up as part of my research for the book group I am hosting later this month; I needed to come up with some vegetarian recipes from Portugal. Obviously this isn't one of those! But I love that it's served with feijoada and rice. I will share my feijoada soon. But, for today, it's all about the steak. And it's not really a recipe as you can make the steak however you like. The simplicity of showcasing a really good quality steak with just salt, pepper, and a searing hot grill or griddle makes for a perfect Summertime meal.

Funny story: I usually use meat as a complement to a larger meal and not as the centerpiece necessarily. As with this meal, the feijoada took the most time and care to make. Then I slice up the steak and we all share it. We were once invited to our friends' house for a barbeque and he served a steak per person. My boys were stunned and delighted. Whenever I cook one or two steaks and slice it up to share between the four of us, they lament, "Remember that time Uncle Mike gave us our own steaks?!" Yes. I do.

Well, I suppose I have rambled on long enough about my pairing from the Iberian peninsula - a Spanish wine and a Portugese-inspired dish. The wine writers will be back next month to celebrate Fall in Italy with Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm leading the event. I have already planned some pairings. Stay tuned!