Mateus Night
Last July I posted a couple of entries here about (among other things) Mateus, the pink Portuguese wine that we used to guzzle in my Jersey college days when (a) we wanted to look sophisticated, (b) we needed a new candle holder for our man-child bedrooms, or (c) we couldn't stand to look at another beer after poisoning ourselves on brew the night before. Anyway, I hadn't seen the stuff in years, and I had long ago given up the prospect of ever having another chance to taste it.
I had another think coming. Fast forward to this past weekend, when Frank and Anne Dufay, two regular readers and commenters on this blog, had the Mrs. and me over for a little dinner party featuring none other than Mateus itself. Frank had snagged a bottle of the lovely beverage -- a jumbo bottle, I might add -- on a trip back east, and he saved it for me and him to share.
The food and the company were first rate, and when the magic moment came and the Mateus was poured... doggone it, it wasn't bad. Just a tad fizzy, like its Portuguese cousin, vinho verde, and just about the right balance of dry and fruit. The babysitter alarm went off before we had polished off more than around half of that big bottle, but I enjoyed every drop that I drank.
What a great response to something written on a blog. Obrigados, Anne and Frank.
| Posted at 3:41 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (7)
I am so, so envious!
Posted by Shelley | February 5, 2007 8:45 AM
Off the blog and into living rooms !
Taking it to the meets and greets !
Yeeeessssss ! Dufay: Hooray !
The kids are all right, the kids are all right.
Whose lyric was, "... another cup of Madera, m'dear ..."?
Then when it got s'fisticated, a bottle of Blue Nun Liebfraumilch.
Posted by Tenskwatawa | February 5, 2007 9:35 AM
Whose lyric was, "... another cup of Madera, m'dear ..."?
Glen Yarborough of the Limeliters in one of their early albums. My how I miss them, the Chad Mitchell Trio and a few of the other funny folkies of that period. Joe and Eddie were also worth listening to.
Posted by mrfearless47 | February 5, 2007 11:08 AM
Ah, Mateus.
We share similar college memories.
The Winco store in Tigard still carries it.
And Lancers, as well.
Which made a another widely used drip candle holder.
Neiter of which (you should pardon the pun) held a candle to a raffia wrapped bottle from cheap Chianti.
Posted by Nonny Mouse | February 5, 2007 11:39 AM
Now before the folks in the Oregon Winegrowers Association get mad at me...we also popped open (my) Brooks and (other guests') Kings Ridge Pinot Noirs! (Oh, and a sparking Burgundy, some awesome Portugese wine Jack brought, and, well, we didn't lack for beverage that night!
The Mateus was more "dessert, and not as bad as I was worried it might be, though I swear there was a note of terpentine.
Fun night, though...
Next up...Red Lady 21! (Just kidding...)
Posted by Frank Dufay | February 5, 2007 5:59 PM
While all the men at this fine feast each ACTUALLY DRANK at least a half a glass of the Mateus, the women, to a woman, blessed or cursed as you may define it with superiour discriminating palates, took a few polite sips, and passed on more...
To the memories :-)
It was a fine evening though, and the Mateus certainly played its part.
Good company, yes.
Posted by Anne Dufay | February 5, 2007 6:09 PM
The Portuguese have certainly improved on their winemaking abilities, as certified by the other wine you supplied.
Posted by Beth | February 8, 2007 11:59 AM