Portugal – Find Better Fizz

Bubbly’s take…

This delightful red wine is produced in the Lisbon region of Portugal and is bursting with all of the character you would expect from a capital city wine. Produced from four grape varieties, the Galodoro has a rich, fruity and colourful flavour. It’s not too intense however and we found it has a fairly light after-taste – this one is not like those “heavier” red wines that sometimes carry too much tannin. We think this is a wonderful pick, which offers a great flavour and superb value.

Would go well with…

It’s a robust Old World wine so we think this would make a good match for richer pasta- and risotto-based dishes. We enjoyed a glass of the Galodoro with our meat-free Vesuvius ragu – think chilli, tomato, red onion, smoked garlic, vegetarian pastrami, mushroom, courgette with some lovely fusilli and a solid topping of parmesan. Delicious!

Where to buy…

Naked Wines

Bubbly’s take…

Now this is what we call a red wine! We found the Contador de Estorias to be a real “hidden gem” (or “hidden ruby”, given its burgundy finish). This is an Old World red that hails from a modern Portuguese winery. Contador de Estorias translates from Portuguese to the “storyteller” and this wholesome red has depths to character to tell. It is definitely one to have with good food amongst close friends and family. We first tried the extraordinary “storyteller” in its native Portugal back in 2018 at the Time-out Food Market in Lisbon, with dinner and the odd pastel de nada. And we haven’t forgotten it since then! We have no hesitation in recommending this enchanting red wine.

Would go well with…

Food, ideally a main course with all of the trimmings! We think the Contador de Estorias would entertain best at a dinner party or with a significant other. It’s a romantic, engaging and thought-provoking wine.

Where to buy…

This one can be a little trickier to find. Our understanding is that the Manz winery does like to emphasise quality (over quantity) hence supplies of this wonderful wine may be more limited than its peers. That said, it seems to be available from Oddbins.