Petra’s Lemon Tart

Quinta do Tedo’s Fine Tawny Port complements many desserts to include, high on my list, tarte tatin, panna cotta, tiramisù, walnut caramel tart, crème brûlée and this hauntingly delicious Petra’s Lemon Tart.  Why does our Fine Tawny pair so terrifically with this lemon tart? During our Fine Tawny's 8 years of cask aging (according to legislation Tawny is aged for at least 6 years) the port's astringent tannins breakdown, thanks to micro-oxidation.  The long barrel aging naturally concentrates the port, as water evaporates through the wood (like reducing a syrup).  The resulting « soft » tannins together with more concentrated natural sugar and aromas heighten our Fine Tawny’s sweetness, and pairs beautifully with the lemon tart’s mellowed acidity and richness of the dessert in the following recipe.

Petra Casini is a talented precious stone cutter and accomplished jewelry designer in Florence, Italy (www.petracasini.com).  She is also a very fine cook; always a pleasure to be invited to her house for dinner.  She has shared with me this dessert, and the first slice begs for another.  Thank you Petra, I will keep this recipe close to my heart.

For 6

110 gr butter

30 gr powdered sugar

160 gr flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Melt butter in a pan with high sides, and incorporate on a very low flame the powdered sugar, flour and salt until a ball forms. Let it rest while you butter a 24-cm tart pan. Press the crust mixture on the bottom and the sides, using a bit of “patch work” to mend the very rich crust.   Be patient - it is worth the effort. Pierce the crust with a fork and cook at 180°C for 15 minutes.

Filling:

4 whole eggs

350 gr powdered sugar

½ tsp baking powder

grated lemon peel from 2 lemons (preferably untreated)

5 T lemon juice

Mix the above ingredients with a whisk by hand. Put the filling in the precooked crust and cook for 30 minutes.

Don’t use a robot or electric beaters, and be patient with the crust!

Serve warm or at room temperature with a glass of chilled Tawny, and enjoy.

~KayQuinta do Tedo’s Fine Tawny Port complements many desserts to include, high on my list, tarte tatin, panna cotta, tiramisù, walnut caramel tart, crème brûlée and this hauntingly delicious Petra’s Lemon Tart.  Why does our Fine Tawny pair so terrifically with this lemon tart?

During our Fine Tawny's 8 years of cask aging (according to legislation Tawny is aged for at least 6 years) the port's astringent tannins breakdown, thanks to micro-oxidation.  The long barrel aging naturally concentrates the port, as water evaporates through the wood (like reducing a syrup).  The resulting « soft » tannins together with more concentrated natural sugar and aromas heighten our Fine Tawny’s sweetness, and pairs beautifully with the lemon tart’s mellowed acidity and richness of the dessert in the following recipe.

Petra Casini is a talented precious stone cutter and accomplished jewelry designer in Florence, Italy (www.petracasini.com).  She is also a very fine cook; always a pleasure to be invited to her house for dinner.  She has shared with me this dessert, and the first slice begs for another.  Thank you Petra, I will keep this recipe close to my heart.

For 6

110 gr butter

30 gr powdered sugar

160 gr flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Melt butter in a pan with high sides, and incorporate on a very low flame the powdered sugar, flour and salt until a ball forms. Let it rest while you butter a 24-cm tart pan. Press the crust mixture on the bottom and the sides, using a bit of “patch work” to mend the very rich crust.   Be patient - it is worth the effort. Pierce the crust with a fork and cook at 180°C for 15 minutes.

Filling:

4 whole eggs

350 gr powdered sugar

½ tsp baking powder

grated lemon peel from 2 lemons (preferably untreated)

5 T lemon juice

Mix the above ingredients with a whisk by hand. Put the filling in the precooked crust and cook for 30 minutes.

Don’t use a robot or electric beaters, and be patient with the crust!

Serve warm or at room temperature with a glass of chilled Tawny, and enjoy.

~Kay

Un parfait accord Pascal : notre Porto Ruby et le meilleur gâteau au chocolat

Pâques est le temps des célébrations en famille et avec des amis et je peux fièrement partager avec vous mon « irrésistible gâteau au chocolat », un gâteau dense et simplement délicieux au chocolat doux-amer qui s’accorde à merveille avec notre Porto Ruby. La recette vient de la maison Lameloise à Chagny, un restaurant 3 macarons au guide Michelin où nous avons fièrement tenu un dîner-dégustation pour Quinta do Tedo. Pourquoi un Ruby et non pas un autre Porto ? Ce Porto frais et fruité, un assemblage de 3 récoltes et vieilli de 3. 5 à 4 années en fût (un temps court en comparaison à d’autres sortes de Porto) est moins riche en tannins et ainsi s’accorde parfaitement à un gâteau dense et savoureux. Comme le dit mon mari Vincent, imagine le Ruby comme « une liqueur » de fruit rouge - légèrement glacée, fraîche et pleine en bouche et le gâteau comme une délicieuse truffe doucement amère.

Servez le avec de fraîches baies rouges – framboises, fraises, groseilles – marinées dans un léger sirop infusé aux zestes d’orange et une bonne cuillerée de crème fouettée. Oh la la !

250 gr de chocolat amère

250 gr de beurre

200 gr de sucre

4 œufs frais

25 gr de farine

Faire fondre au bain-marie le chocolat avec le beurre.  Mettre le sucre dans la farine et ajouter au mélange chocolat/beurre. Battre les œufs et les introduire au précédent mélange ; verser le tout dans un moule et faire cuire au bain-marie à 170°C pendant 1h 15 minutes +/-.

Laisser reposer et servir avec des fruits des bois ou des fruits rouges : framboises, fraises, myrtilles, groseilles – panachés ou natures ou marinés dans un sirop aux zestes d’orange, accompagné d’une crème fouettée ou d’une crème anglaise.

~Kay

A perfect Easter pairing: our Ruby Port and the best ever chocolate cake

Easter is a time for celebration with family and friends, and I can proudly share with you my "irresistible chocolate cake", a melt-in-your-mouth, dense and simply delicious bittersweet chocolate cake that pairs beautifully with our Ruby Port. The recipe is from Maison Lameloise, Burgundy's 3-star Michelin restaurant in Chagny, where we have proudly held a tasting dinner for Quinta do Tedo. Why a Ruby and not another Port? This fresh and fruity port, a blend of 3 harvests and aged for 3.5 to 4 years in wood (a short time compared to other port types), is less rich in tannins and thus pairs perfectly with an intensely-flavored and dense chocolate cake. As husband Vincent says, imagine the Ruby as  "fortified" red fruit - slightly chilled, fresh and full in the mouth and the cake as a delicious bittersweet truffle.

Serve with fresh red berries - raspberries, strawberries, currants - tossed in a light orange-peel infused syrup and a dollop of whipped cream.  Oh la la!

Melt-in-your-mouth Chocolate Cake

For 8 px

250 g bittersweet chocolate, cut in small pieces

250 g butter

200 g sugar

4 eggs

25 g flour

Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler until almost melted; remove from double boiler and let cool, it will finish melting.  Mix sugar and flour, add to chocolate/butter mixture.  Beat the eggs and add to the above mixture. Transfer to a buttered pan. Cook at 170 C/350F for 1 1/2 hours. Let cool and serve with red fruit berries, ideally a mix of strawberries, raspberries, currants – in a orange peel-infused syrup, with whipped cream or creme anglaise.

Cheers~ Kay

Easter is a time for celebration with family and friends, and I can proudly share with you my "irresistible chocolate cake", a melt-in-your-mouth, dense and simply delicious bittersweet chocolate cake that pairs beautifully with our Ruby Port. The recipe is from Maison Lameloise, Burgundy's 3-star Michelin restaurant in Chagny, where we have proudly held a tasting dinner for Quinta do Tedo.

Why a Ruby and not another Port? This fresh and fruity port, a blend of 3 harvests and aged for 3.5 to 4 years in wood (a short time compared to other port types), is less rich in tannins and thus pairs perfectly with an intensely-flavored and dense chocolate cake. As husband Vincent says, imagine the Ruby as  "fortified" red fruit - slightly chilled, fresh and full in the mouth and the cake as a delicious bittersweet truffle.

Serve with fresh red berries - raspberries, strawberries, currants - tossed in a light orange-peel infused syrup and a dollop of whipped cream.  Oh la la!

Melt-in-your-mouth Chocolate Cake

For 8 px

250 g bittersweet chocolate, cut in small pieces

250 g butter

200 g sugar

4 eggs

25 g flour

Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler until almost melted; remove from double boiler and let cool, it will finish melting.  Mix sugar and flour, add to chocolate/butter mixture.  Beat the eggs and add to the above mixture. Transfer to a buttered pan. Cook at 170 C/350F for 1 1/2 hours. Let cool and serve with red fruit berries, ideally a mix of strawberries, raspberries, currants – in a orange peel-infused syrup, with whipped cream or creme anglaise.

Cheers~ Kay

Awaiting Spring

Seems like the Douro has experienced a very wet and cold winter, or perhaps it is the longing for the longer days and inevitably warmer and sunnier weather of Spring to come.  Looking at ADVID's climatic report (Douro wine region's monthly viticultural report) this year's rainy season, from October to March, is thus far an average year, actually 1 or 2 degrees C warmer than usual and for a 30-year average this year's rainfall is right on.  A couple of years ago I wrote in this monthly blog of the extreme drought the Douro was experiencing; this year I will not write of a lack of precipitation.  Since our vineyards are traditionally terraced, I note at this time of the year the number of walls that have fallen, always a challenge here.  Considering that we have more than 4 kilometers/2.4 miles in walls the overall damage is minimal.  Life chugs on, and in a few weeks we will have vineyard bud break, wildflowers will create a riot of color and Spring will arrive!

As always, cheers! ~ Kay

Porto - a proud Great Wine Capitals city

Planning a trip to a wine region and looking for quality tips?  I have a lead for you.  Great Wine Capitals  www.greatwinecapitals.com is a network of 10 major global cities in both northern and southern hemispheres, sharing a key asset: their internationally renowned wine regions. A wine lover’s mind travels when reading the list -  Bilbao/Rioja, Bordeaux, Cape Town/Cape Winelands, Christchurch/South Island,  Firenze, Mainz/Reinhessen, Mendoza, Porto, San Francisco/Napa Valley and Valparaiso/Casablanca Valley.

I have looked at each wine region online at the above website and, having traveled professionally to most of these renowned wine regions, I trust this site’s integrity.  Next trip to a beautiful and prestigious wine region, close to cultured destination cities, Great Wine Capitals is an reference bar none to get to the core of where to stay, which wineries to visit, where to eat, and which wines to try. Wine tourism is such a lovely way to travel.

Founded in 1999, an intiative of Bordeaux’s Chamber of Commerce during the world’s most important wine trade show, Vinexpo, the regions’ names are associated with excellence in quality wine production, diversified tourism and best practices in sustainable agriculture, education and industry promotion.  Great Wine Capitals offers a vehicle for these wine regions to collaborate, exchanging ideas and promoting programs, all with a common end goal, to make wine tourism an ever-developing quality experience.

Annually a “Best of Wine Tourism” competition is held for each region, awarding businesses in each member region that have distinguished themselves in terms of the excellence of their facilities and delivering quality experiences to visitors in various categories. Awards are given for accommodation, sustainable wine tourism practices, wine tourism services, wine tourism restaurants, architecture and landscape, art and culture and innovative wine toursim experiences.  500 properties have received awards over the past 10 years from over 3400 nominees.  We are proud to announce that Porto’s Wine Tourism Services 2014 was awarded to Quinta do Tedo.  Thank you Great Wine Capitals.

For Valentine’s Day weekend that is approaching, come tour and taste at Quinta do Tedo.  Mention Great Wine Capitals the days of 14/15/and 16 February and  we will do the rest - a flute of chilled Quinta do Tedo Porto Rose’ adorned with festive red fruit, paired with a homemade dessert, for all wine lovers! By the way, the city of Porto is offering many specials for this lover's holiday, take a look at http://recursos.visitporto.travel/oportunidades/SValentim2014OP_PT.pdf.  Quinta do Tedo is on pg 34 the last time I looked.

Lastly, please go to www.greatwinecapitals.com > Discover Award Winners > Quinta do Tedo and check the box “like”, much appreciated! 

Porto - une fière ville de Great Wine Capitals

Planifier un voyage dans une région viticole et chercher les bons « coups » ? J’ai un « tuyau » pour vous. Les grandes capitales du vin www.greatwinecapitals.com est un réseau des 10 principales villes sur les deux hémisphères, nord et sud, partageant un point commun : leur région viticole reconnue mondialement ! L’esprit d’un amateur de vins voyage à la lecture de la liste : Bilbao/ Rioja, Bordeaux, le Cap/Afrique du sud, Christchurch/Nouvelle Zélande, Florence, Mayence/Reinhessen, Mendoza, Porto, San Francisco/Napa Vallée et Valparaiso/Casablanca Vallée. J’ai regardé chaque région directement sur le site ci-dessus et ayant eu l’occasion de voyager, pour des raisons professionnelles, dans la plupart de ces régions viticoles renommées, je fais confiance au sérieux de ce site. Un prochain voyage vers une magnifique et prestigieuse région viticole, près de villes aux richesses culturelles, les grandes capitales du vin est une référence pour savoir où aller, que visiter, où manger et quels vins déguster. Le tourisme vinicole est une si belle façon de voyager.

Fondé en 1999, d’une initiative de la chambre de commerce de Bordeaux, pendant le plus important salon mondial des vins, Vinexpo, les noms des régions sont associés à l’excellence pour la production de vin de qualité, à un tourisme diversifié, et aux meilleures pratiques environnementales dans la promotion de  l’agriculture, de l’éducation et de l’industrie. Great Wine Capitals offre pour ces régions vinicoles un vecteur de collaboration, d’échanges d’idées, et de promotion de programmes, possédant toutes en commun le même but final, celui de faire du tourisme vinicole une expérience de qualité sans-cesse en développement.

Chaque année le concours du « meilleur en Oenotourisme » se tient dans chaque région, récompensant les entreprises de chaque région membre qui se sont elles-mêmes distinguées en termes d’excellence pour la prestation de leur accueil et pour la qualité du partage d’expériences avec les visiteurs, dans différentes catégories.

Des récompenses sont attribuées pour l’hébergement, les pratiques environnementales, les services, les restaurants, l’architecture, les paysages, et les expériences innovantes, en oenotourisme. 500 propriétés parmi plus de 3400 nominées, ont reçu des prix lors des dix dernières années. Nous sommes fiers d’annoncer que le prix 2014, pour les services oenotouristiques dans la région du  Porto, a été attribué à Quinta do Tedo ! Merci à Great Wine Capitals.

Le week-end de la Saint Valentin approchant, venez visiter et déguster à Quinta do Tedo. Annoncez Great Wine Capitals et nous ferons le reste : un verre de Porto rosé bien frais de Quinta do Tedo, au fruité de baies rouges, accompagné d’un dessert fait maison par notre cuisinier. Si vous aimez cet article, allez sur le site www.greatwinecapitals ˃, découvrez les médaillés ˃ Quinta do Tedo et regarder la boîte « j’aime » très appréciée.