Scallops, Smashed Peas and a Vinho Verde #WinePW

For the August edition of #WinePairingWeekend, we are exploring wines called Vinho Verde.  Literally meaning "green wine," it refers to a particular wine grown in the northern area of Portugal.  What fascinates me, is that this is not a grape varietal, but a PDO (Protected Destination of Origin) that says the entire product must be made in that particular area.  So in this case, a Vinho Verder can be a white, rose or red wine, sparkling or not, late harvest, or even a brandy.

I was taken in by the "verde" part and wanted to find a green Vinho Verde and I did, at my favorite local wine shop, Cork and Rind. The bottle was very reasonable (under $10) and perfect for sipping and drinking with food.  Let's talk about this wine I chose, called Las Lilas.

IN THE VINEYARD:

• APPELLATION: Vinho Verde
• VINEYARDS: Mountain vineyards around the small village of Ponte da Barca.
• VARIETALS: Louriero 75% Treixadura 12.5% Arinto 12.5%
• FARMING: Sustainable.
• PLOUGHING: The soil cover is maintained.
• SOILS: Blend of granite and sandy loam
• WEATHER: Atlantic Weather
• VINES: 20 year old vines. Traditional Trellis.
• HARVEST: Entirely made by hand in small crates on the 2nd half of September and early October.

IN THE CELLAR:

• FERMENTATION: Stainless steel tanks
• TREATMENTS: No chaptalization and acidification at all. The idea is to stay natural as much as possible.
• PRESSING: Traditional.
• MALOLACTIC: Spontaneous, if any.
• LEES: Approx. 2 months lees contact
• OAK BARREL AGING: No.
• FILTRATION: The wine is allowed to settle naturally by gravity and is only minimally fined or filtered.
• CHEMISTRY: Alc. 11%. 5.1 g/L Total Acidity.
• WINEMAKER: Jose Oliveira.
• PHILOSOPHY: We believe that the best wines are born in the vineyard.

OUR TASTING NOTES:  This was a refreshing white wine, a tinge of green color.  Very fragrant floral notes. We tasted white peach and pear.  Perfect summer sipping wine and delicious with seafood.

To be clear, Vinho Verde actually refers to the wine being consumed "young."  Because of the cooler climate, the wine produces good acidity at a younger age.  It is slightly bubbly (my favorite!) and a delicious sipper for the front porch!

We paired this deliciousness with a meal of pan-fried scallops, smashed peas and roasted potatoes.  To keep the "green" theme, I served lime macarons for dessert with some vanilla ice cream.  My husband made the entire meal!

I've talked about Bob's pan-fried scallops here, but here's a quick recipe for his smashed peas!

Yield: 6

Author: Terri Steffes

Print

Smashed Mushy Peas

Easy and delicious side dish for proteins.

Prep time: 4 MCook time: 15 MTotal time: 19 M

Ingredients:

• 1 lb frozen peas
• 4 T butter
• 4 T water
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper

Instructions:

1. Cook 1 pound frozen peas with 4 tablespoons each butter and water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a saucepan over medium heat until soft, 12 to 15 minutes. 
2. Uncover and smash with a potato masher to make a chunky puree. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 
3. Season with salt and thin with 2 to 3 tablespoons water.

Calories
127.39

Fat (grams)
7.89

Sat. Fat (grams)
4.90

Carbs (grams)
10.92

Fiber (grams)
3.46

Net carbs
7.47

Sugar (grams)
3.33

Protein (grams)
4.00

Sodium (milligrams)
309.53

Cholesterol (grams)
20.35

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Check out the other posts on Vinho Verde wines.  Learn a thing or two and get some great ideas for pairings!

Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Cam shares Foods from Around the World Paired with Pink Wines from Portugal 

Liz Barret of What’s In That Bottle? is thrilled with Va Va Va Vinho Verde: the Portuguese White That Wows 

Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles answers What is Vinho Verde? 5 things I didn’t know about this perfect summer wine 

Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm savors Tomato Poached Cod with Vinho Verde Wine. 

Linda at My Full Wine Glass realizes that Distinctively ‘laurel” Vinho Verde Delivers with Seafood and Salad 

Nicole at SommsTable is loving Vinho Verde and Simple Seafood Feast 

Payal at Keep the Peas is pairing Sem Igual Vinho Verde with Peixe Caldine 

Gwendolyn at Wine Predator says Vinho Verde: A Green Wine That’s White from Portugal Paired with Tuna, Tomato, Basil, Orzo #WinePW 

Martin at Enofylz is Pairing Maria Papoila Vinho Verde with Summer Pizza 

Susannah at Avvinare explains how Vinho Verde Meets Homemade Sushi 

Terri at Our Good Life savors Scallops, Smashed Peas and a Great Vinho Verde 

Pinny at Chinese Food and Wine Pairing achieves A Successful Hunt Down of a Red Vinhao Escolha from Vinho Verde DOC #WinePW 

Cindy at Grape Experiences has been reminiscing upon last fall’s work trip where she spent A Beautiful Morning at Quinta da Aveleda in Vinho Verde