Community Table
SHARE WHAT YOU’RE COOKING.
Here at Portalis, we have the great pleasure of listening (pretty much all day long!) to what people are cooking (or picking up) for dinner…. and from there we get to facilitate a wine pairing. Jens and I love to cook, and this part of our job could not be more fun! So we decided to create a space where we can share the amazing dishes that our customers are talking to us about. Below is our inaugural post…
Enjoy & cheers!
Julie, co-owner, Portalis Wine Shop
BEEF STEW
What could be more of a 'share' dinner than stew? And cooler weather is when this dish tastes so good! Rich in flavor but not heavy, this stew (with chunks of beef, carrots, peas & potatoes) hits the spot.
SUGGESTED PAIRINGS:
Medium to fuller-bodied reds with fall fruits, pleasant earthy, herbal notes, and good acidity & tannins to balance the richness of the meal. Any red from France's Languedoc-Roussillon would be fantastic as would reds from the Southern Rhône & Bordeaux. Barbera & Nebbiolo from Italy's Piedmont would also hit the spot. Grenache from Australia or Washington State would be tasty! Prefer a white? A Southern Rhône blend would hold up nicely!
MOTHER’S DAY QUICHE
Quiche is my oldest daughter Annelie’s specialty. She told me she makes it with a good friend in Germany whenever they have girls night. She made it for us when she visited in the new year, and it would be absolutely perfect for Mother’s Day brunch!
Here’s the recipe for Annie’s Veggie Quiche:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Put the quiche dough in a pie dish and let it thaw (or make your own homemade crust, of course). *Note: we bought fancy, frozen, butter dough at Big John’s PFI. Totally worth the splurge, especially for Mother’s Day.
3. Chop up veggies into a bowl: onion, leek, bell peppers, carrots & broccoli. Anything you want!
4. Coat veggies in a little olive oil and add salt & pepper.
5. Once pie dough has thawed, fill with veggies.
6. To prepare quiche filling, mix 2 eggs, one container crème fraîche, and salt & pepper.
7. Pour filling over veggies and gently stir/move around to mix together. *Note from Annie: Most times I use so many veggies that the filling only lightly coats all of it. It all comes down to personal preference. If you want the ratio of chapped veggies to filling to be different, make it whatever you want!!
8. Cook for 40 minutes or until quiche is fully baked. Time varies.
PAIRING IDEAS:
So many wines pair beautifully with quiche. Bubbles — pink or white — would be perfect and celebratory. We recommend: Champagne J. Lassalle Premier Cru Brut (375ml splits just arrived for Mother’s Day!) or Philippe Deval Crémant de Loire Rosé (made from Cabernet Franc).
For a still white wine, we recommend Domaine Chevallier 2021 Chablis (also our Wine of the Month, so 25% off). Want a splurge? Gerard Tremblay 2020 Chablis Permier Cru Montmain would knock your mom’s socks off! So many other whites would taste great: Sancerre, Gavi, Falanghina, Chenin Blanc… the list goes on. Stop by to discuss.
Mom prefers a red? Go with a lighter-bodied varietal such as Pinot Noir. Michel Sarrazin 2020 Givry Rouge from Burgundy would be an excellent choice to celebrate with.
Cheers to Mom! Hope you have a great Mother’s Day! —Julie, co-owner, Portalis Wines
HAMBURGERS
Break out the grill. It's that time of year! These burgers happen to be from a recent dinner in Austin where my brother-in-law again killed it at the grill. Seriously, the best homemade burgers I've had in years. I knew immediately while I was eating the drippy, gooey things what the trick was. And sure enough... when I asked, Sal said he gets 80% lean beef for burgers. Woah. What a difference some extra fat makes. Can only recommend it. –Julie, co-owner, Portalis Wines
Below are some suggested wine pairings for burgers:
Domaine Marion Pral 2022 Rosé
Beaujolais, France // Reg $21.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
100% Gamay. This rosé has settled beautifully, developing more depth of flavor than it had a year ago. It's still fresh and lusciously tart with flavors of crushed strawberries, currants.
*Note: pretty much every rosé we have in the shop would taste great with burgers. Stop by and go to town. This is the time of year when our selection is exploding!
Famiglia Pasqua 2021 Bianco
Veneto, Italy // Reg $21.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
100% Garganega (the grape in Soave if you're a fan) from a famous Amarone producer. Herbal, earthy nose. Lots of ripe, yellow apples & citrus. Apples, white plums, quince on the palate. Good citrusy acidity. Medium body.
Why is this a great white for burgers? Good body to hold up to the dish (flavors won't be overpowered) and good acidity to cut the grease in that delicious, juicy burger!
Stadt Krems 2020 Grüner Veltliner
Kremstal, Austria // Reg $19.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
Notes of green apple, lemon, radish, and arugula. Citrus & minerals. Acidity is on the edge of effervescence, so it's refreshing. Grüner Veltliner is a great food wine in general and would be great with burgers, especially a burger with slaw piled on top!
Domaine de Cassagnau 2021 Rouge
Pays d'Oc, France // Reg $14.99 | Mixed Case $11.99
Grenache/Syrah/Merlot blend. Crazy delicious for cheap. Wild berries with a pleasant nose of herbal garrigue. Intoxicating. Flavors of raspberries(!), dark plums, black cherries. Again some herbal notes. Medium-bodied. So incredibly tasty for the price! Perfect burger wine.
Frank 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon
Western Cape, South Africa // Reg $14.99 | Mixed Case $11.99
Soft, fruity nose – blueberries, faint black currant with a little note of fennel seed (in a fun way). More pronounced flavors of black raspberries, black cherries, cassis with a hint licorice & pepper. Not super dry on the finish, but long and with lots of spice for the price. Medium-bodied. Great acidity. Black currants are the final note.
*Burgers call for juicy, medium-bodied reds with good fruit.
Four Vines 2020 The Biker Zinfandel
Paso Robles, California // Reg $22.99 | Mixed Case $18.39
100% Zinfandel. Nose of jammy fruit, dried plums, dark raspberries. Then it tunes down. No more jam. Medium+ bodied. Mid-palate = ripe dark plums, black cherries. Back palate has the spicy, peppery notes you expect. Soft tannins on the finish. Fun wine!
Zinfandel is a notoriously great food wine and would handle the spicy, sweet, acidic squirt of ketchup on top of your burger with ease.
And last but not least…. Lager!
A little more body than Pilsner but still a nice fresh bite to cut the 20% fat in that yummy, greasy burger!
Our beer fridge is killer! Here are some of the lagers we currently have in stock: Czech Republic: Czechvar, Praga Dark • Denmark: Carlsberg • Germany: Ayinger Jahrhundertbier, Benediktiner Helles, DAB Dortmunder, Flensburger Dunkel, Henninger, Hoppebrau Helles, Weihenstephaner 1516 Kellerbier, Weihenstephaner Helles • Lithuania: Zhiguly Barrel 95 • Poland: Warka Strong, Zatecky, Zywiec, Zlaty Basant Lager • PNW: Aslan Gold Goose Canadian Lager, Fort George Beach Eagle Mexican Lager, Fort George Iredale Vienna Style Lager, Fort George Short Sands, Fort George Surging Waves Rice Lager, Lantern Brewing Sea'enna Vienna Lager, Lowercase 10 Plato Czech Pale Lager, Savage Helles Lager, Steeplejack Helles Lager, Stoup German Springtime Lager, Urban Family Best Times Helles Lager, Zoiglhaus Fest Lager & more....
We invite you to stop by and check them out!
SMOKED RIB TACOS
We just celebrated my mother’s 80th birthday in Austin, and this dinner is what my brother-in-law, Sal, prepared. He smoked pork ribs for 4.5 hours using post oak. (“No self-respecting smoker would ever smoke on anything else than post oak.”) One of the sides has Franklin’s Espresso Sauce, the other Franklin’s Spicy Sauce. My sister, Jennifer, made the fresh corn tortillas, then we pulled the pork and layered it on the tortillas with diced onion, cilantro & a choice of 3 salsas: Verde, Roja & the incredible Dona Salsa from Tacodeli. The meal was absolutely amazing!
You could make an argument for margaritas or beer, but we enjoyed this dinner with Champagne Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Brut from the Austin Wine Merchant (a fun, local wine shop if you’re in the area). The acidity of the Champagne paired beautifully with the spicy/richness of the dish.
If you’d prefer a white wine, go to Spain: Rueda, Albariño or even better would be the slightly fuller-bodied Muga Blanco, a blend of Viura, Garnacha blanca & Malvasía de Rioja. It has a little more body which holds up great with the richness of the ribs.
A red? Low tannins is the key to a tasty pairing as tannins make a spicy dish…. spicier (for reals)! Good choices: Dolcetto, Grenache, Zweigelt, Barbera, Gamay & Pinot Noir.
And don’t forget rosé. An excellent choice as well. —Julie
ROASTED CHICKEN & GARLIC MASHED POTATOES
Neighbors and wine club members Henry (& Katie in spirit) showed up with this delicious dinner packaged up for me a couple minutes before close last Saturday while Jens was visiting his step-mom in Berlin. I was tired and hungry, and (I still am) a little bit gobsmacked that this young couple would bring me some of their delicious, home-cooked dinner. Wow. 100% community table for me!
Earlier in the day, I had helped Henry pair Zweigelt (Austrian red) with this meal, which I’m guessing was a tasty combo. I had the end of the Marande Chardonnay, leftover from our tasting earlier in the day. My pairing hit the spot. And check out that meal: perfectly roasted chicken with moist, roasted veggies and garlic mashed red potatoes with rosemary & parsley garnish! And the little wooden fork inside the silverware envelope. So friggin’ cute. Our customers are simply the best! Many thanks to Henry and Katie for taking care of me. I really appreciate it.
EGGS BENEDICT
Got this post from Jaci Kajfas…. first manager at the current Portalis. Remember her? She is an amazing cook and a wine encyclopedia. She moved to eastern Washington in 2017, and now she’s back for a stint in Seattle. She regularly pokes her head in to say hello. So fun!
These photos are from a Make Your Own Eggs Benedict that Jaci enjoyed recently with friends. What to pair? Bubbly (at any level) would be our first choice — from La Farra Prosecco Brut ($17.99) to Parigot & Richard Les Origines Crémant de Bourgogne ($31.99) to real-deal Champagne: Gosset NV Champagne Brut Grande Reserve ($72.99).
White Burgundy would be a close second. Again, at any level: Jean Gagnerot 2020 Mâcon-Villages ($21.99) to Michel Sarrazin 2019 Givry Les Grognots Blanc (43.99) to Domain Jomain 2020 Puligny-Montrachet ($93.99).
Many more to choose from for all categories. All worthy choices for this yummy meal!
ROAST CHICKEN WITH BREAD & ARUGULA
…in the style of Zuni Cafe in San Franscico! Camille & Frank have shared more beautiful photos of dinner chez Rizzo. (See original dinner below; our inaugural post!) They chose the pairing: Orr 2021 Old Vine Chenin Blanc, an excellent selection. It’s a little more luscious in style (with a touch of oak from neutral barrels and flavors of pear & honeydew), which balances the richness of the beautifully roasted chicken. The finish is minerally & crisp acting as sort of a refreshing palate cleanser for your next delicious bite!
Here’s Camille’s Roast Chicken recipe>
FISH TACOS & KÖLSCH
Many thanks to Emily Howe (sister of Julie) for sharing this delicious photo of her homemade fish tacos — flour tortillas, pan-seared cod, coleslaw, cherry tomatoes & avocado! She is a beer gal, with a strong preference for Kölsch (special lager from around Köln/Cologne), so that’s what she paired.
Wine would also be wonderful. Cod is firm & moist with a mild flavor. A white fish wine would be perfect: Albariño/Albarinho would be perfect as would Muscadet (Loire Valley on the Atlantic) or Picpoul (Mediterranean oyster wine). Other grapes that would be delicious: Sauvignon Blanc (France or Washington State), a Bordeaux Blanc (Sauvignon/Sémillon blend) or a minerally Pinot Grigio. What do these wines have in common that make them work? They’re light in body (won’t overshadow the fish), and they’re all acidic which balances the meal (sort of like squeezing lemon over your fish!).
SUMMER PASTA & ROSÉ
These wonderful photos are courtesy of Camille & Frank Rizzo, new to Seattle from New York City, having moved out here to be closer to their daughter. An avid home cook, Camille showed me her pairing for the G.D. Vajra 2022 Langhe Rosato (100% Nebbiolo from Piedmont, luscious in style with a nice dry finish, which she needed no help selecting): Sungold tomato sauce (made fresh from market tomatoes) over pasta served with a salad of pea shoots, avocado, pine nuts & prosciutto. Here’s Camille’s recipe:
Ingredients:
Two pints of sun gold tomatoes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil plus more to taste
1/2 cup of chiffonade of fresh basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Ricotta cheese
Pecorino Romano cheese
Put 1/4 olive oil in a sauté pan and heat it up. Put two cloves smashed garlic in the oil and sauté until fragrant! Feel free to add more garlic if desired. Cut tomatoes in half and put into oil…. CAUTION: Lower heat first as they will splatter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low until tomatoes break down as seen in picture. Boil your pasta! I used mezzo rigatoni. Drain pasta reserving some pasta water. Add cooked pasta to sauce with about 2 tablespoons of reserved pasta water. Combine together and then add most of the chiffonade of basil. Reserve some to garnish each bowl of pasta. Serve with ricotta on top, grated pecorino, and extra basil. I use Fulvi pecorino from Whole Foods and BelGioso ricotta from PCC. Very simple but so very fresh and delicious.
Camille🤍🥂
See the delicious salad next to the pasta? She gave us her recipe for that, too!
Her rosé would go great as would a nice, crisp Italian white with some body: Cortese (from Gavi), Arneis (from Piedmont), Falanghina or Fiano (from Puglia) and more!
Curious about what Jens & I consider when we’re pairing food with wine? Here are our Basic Tips for Food + Wine Pairing> Or just stop by and visit with us. It’s our pleasure to help you find the perfect wine for your meal.
Want to share a shot of your meal? Write us at info at portaliswines.com. We look forward to hearing from you!