Pair this red with a barbecue meal

Even

on hot summer nights, I prefer a full-bodied red rather than a white, especially when barbecuing ribs or steak. Apegadas Quinta Velha Tinto 2009, CSPC 314435, $16.95, is what I refer to as a true gem of a wine and is the ideal partner for pork and beef on the barbie.

I loved this red. Be sure to decant the wine for a few hours before serving and keep it out of the sun. Find a cool spot in the kitchen. If you don’t have air conditioning, then put the decanter in the refrigerator for about a half hour before serving. This red showcases rich flavours of spice, cigar, and dark plums on the nose and palate, followed by velvety texture and rich mouth feel. At 15.5% alcohol, it should be sipped slowly. It is a top brand showing value for price.

Produced in the Duoro region of Portugal, this red blend com-

This particular wine was vinified by consultant winemaker Rui Cunha. He is a kind of roaming master, providing his winemaking consulting services around the country. Cunha vinifies wines for several producers, including Casal do Paco Padreiro, located near Arcos De Valdevez in the Lima River Valley and Valle Pradinhos in Tras-o-Montes, and of course at Quinta das Apegadas.

We enjoyed this wine with barbecued pork ribs. But it has enough weight and richness to work with steak, as well.

This is the ideal sipper to partner to barbecued rib eye steaks served with a heaping mound of gorgonzola butter. In a food processor or blender combine 4 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, ½ cup of unsalted butter, 1/3 cup of crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh basil. Puree the mixture until smooth. Transfer the butter to a sheet of plastic wrap. Using the plastic, form the butter into a log. Wrap the plastic around the butter. Twist the ends of the plastic. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours until firm. Or in the refrigerator if time is of the essence. To serve slice a ½ inch round from the roll and place on the barbecued steak just before serving.

You might also like to pair this wine with classic Portuguese cuisine highlighting beef, such as beef espatada (beef rubbed in rock salt and marinated in garlic and chilli olive oil and served with prego sauce); beef sebolada (beef topped with onion and tomato); and trinchado (prime beef cubes served with garlic, rosemary and parsley sauce).