The Perfect Pair

The latest menu at Ocean takes us on a culinary trip around the world, which presents a challenge for pairing wines to its diverse flavours and complex dishes. Even so, sommeliers João Wiborg and Marco Teixeira proved that the magic wine and food can weave together could still be conjured, and each can add to the experience of the other…

The pair work together to achieve the perfect balance. Sweetness in food may bring out bitter and sour notes in wine, while umami drags out a mineral finish in the throat. Patience is required to find the most suitable combination, playing with wine pairings to best suit the dishes so their flavours work in harmony.

Connecting the new menu to Portugal is also key, pairing local wines with local food. This becomes an important part of the storytelling, as not everyone considers the provenance of their wine and food. Sourcing small batch producers - this is a creative endeavour -, encouraging experimentation and sometimes breaking the rules to find combinations that work. 

The pairing begins with a glass of Poças Fora da Série Élevé, a sparkling Douro made entirely from Rabigato grapes grown in the highest areas of Quinta Vale de Cavalos. From here we return to the Algarve, with Sentidos Raros Branco 2023. This limited production of 393 bottles comes from the nearby town of Silves, where the red earth and limestone beneath is perfect for growing high quality grapes.

From the Roman ruins of the Dão, Domínio do Açor Cerceal Vinha da Ruína 2022 adds the fascinating historical context of the region's winemaking traditions. The Quinta de Ceis Goivaens 2019 comes from a stunning vineyard in the northeast of Portugal, the Cima Côrgo sub-region on the right bank of the Douro River.

Cerca dos Frades Verdelho Reserva 2022 was sourced from the Açores, Verdelho being a traditional grape variety on the island of Pico. This grape travelled the world itself during the Age of Discoveries, so made a fitting choice for the new menu. Next, a ‘vinho verde’, ADN Loureiro Dócil 2020. Produced by Anselmo Mendes and Dirk Niepoort, the fresh and floral aromas exemplify the Loureiro grape variety.

The Quinta do Monte D’Oiro Arinto 2021 from Lisbon is another single grape wine using a traditional variety. This is followed perfectly by a red for the meat course, the Poeiro 37 Barricas 2020, complimenting the rich fruit flavours with natural acidity.

Finally, we finish with a Moscatel from Setúbal Alambre, a dessert wine produced in Portugal in the Setúbal Peninsula to the south of Lisbon. The perfect end to the perfect meal, courtesy of the perfect pairing of João and Marco.