Quinta do Vesuvio 2009 at Tugra, restaurant of the Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel
After the #1 Wine on Tour in Paris, with the Graham’s 20 years Port, we went to Istanbul, this time with the wine from the famous Quinta do Vesúvio, nowadays in care of the Symington Family.
The concept is simple, we challenge the sommeliers and chefs of the restaurants we visit to harmonize some of their dishes with our wine, while showing them some of the best our country is producing. Something quite difficult in wine producing countries, like France and now Turkey, but with an excellent outcome.
Pombal do Vesuvio 2009 at Le Fumoir
In Turkey, in particular, the Portuguese presence is limited to one or another Port Wine brand, served without great mastery.
Let’s start with the Pombal do Vesuvio 2009; this starting vintage of the brand is much more than just a starter wine, with a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinto Cão, the wine is concentrated, with a complex nose that travels between forest fruits and spices. It is delicious in the mouth, with a light touch of pepper, elegant tannins and a long ending. A wine that gave pleasure to those who tasted it and that worked very well with the dishes it was harmonized with.
Lamb Leg harmonized with Pombal do Vesuvio 2009 – Le Fumoir
Octopus harmonized with Pombal do Vesuvio 2009 – Alancha
The wine also served for an amazing toast with the Chef Maksut Askar at his Neolokal (see), with Alex Varlik at the fantastic terrace of Le Fumoir (see) and of course, with the irreverent Kemal Demirasal at Alancha. An excellent wine for great meals with brilliant companies.
Quinta do Vesuvio 2009 at Asitane
The most exclusive partner of Pombal, the wine that is named after the Quinta, Quinta do Vesúvio 2009, presents itself as an even more complete wine, also marked on the nose by the Touriga Nacional, but already with spices, presenting as well an amazing color, an excellent wine from a Modern Douro, with great aging potential.
We had the chance to taste it in a magical meal, a travel into the Ottoman culture and history at Restaurant Asitane (see), and also at Ciragan Palace, nowadays transformed into the most luxurious hotel in Istanbul.
The restaurant Tugra room at Ciragan Palace
One of the delicious dishes that harmonized with Quinta do Vesúvio 2009 at Asitane
It was a fantastic experience to watch our wines harmonizing with cuisines so different from ours, as well as the receptivity of the Turkish to our wine, which was great and full of interest, as it should.
Now we have to wait until our next trip while thinking of a wine to travel with us.
Alancha
Quinta do Vesúvio with the support of Symington Family