Wine Grapes: Our Castelāo recommendations, and unconventional food pairings

Last week we explained why the Castelāo grape is living a second life. This week we'll share some of our favorite Castelāo wines and some unconventional food and wine pairings.

Castelāo lost and regained regained its popularity. Today wine lovers want it, with a vengeance.

When the taste for freshness and a certain lightness switched to wines richer in color and opulence, the red grape variety Castelāo became unloved. Nowadays it has regained popularity, and wine lovers want it, with a vengeance.

In Lisbon, the "Indiana Jones" searching for old vineyards are hunting it. Other producers are quickly gaining momentum, and leaving behind the fear and shame of producing monovarietals. The Tejo region is even promoting Castelão as its flagship red grape.

And so it seems, Castelão is justly reconquering its place at the table and in the glasses of oenophiles and sommeliers in Portugal and around the world.

Some of our food suggestions to pair with Castelāo, as well as our wine recommendations by region.

Food

• Esparguete com pota e mexilhão

• Salsichas frescas enroladas em couve lombarda

• Peixe Frito de escabeche

• Churrasquinho misto com molhos de Verão

• Frittata de legumes e mozzarella

• Peru Recheado

• Rolo de carne com molho de natas e cogumelos

• Bife de vaca grelhado com molho chimichurri e peperonata

Lisboa

• Hugo Mendes Lisboa

• Adega Mãe Castelão

• Pirata da Viuva

Tejo

• Espumante Monge

• Quinta da Alorna Vinha das Pedras

• Chapim Rosé

Península Setúbal

• Horácio Simões Tradição

• Vale de Touros Vinhas Velhas Reserva

• Pegos Claros O Claro

• Quinta do Piloto Coleção de Familia

• Quinta da Mimosa

Bairrada

• Castelão Sozinho

Alentejo

• Sem Vergonha

Algarve

• Herdade Barranco do Vale Reserva