Fish canning factory “Conserveira do Arade” in Parchal will open its doors for visitors this month
– February 2, 2022
Conserveira do Arade in Parchal is opening its fish canning factory for visits this month, allowing people to see how its Saboreal and Papa Anzóis products are made.
Says the company, the goal is to bring the region’s fish canning traditions back into the limelight and show people how canned goods are still produced in the Western Algarve.
The guided visits will be divided into two parts: the first will focus on showing visitors around the production and canning facilities, followed by a tasting event.
The visits will begin in February and cost €10 per person. Admission is free for children aged under 12. Group visits can also be booked (for groups of no more than 10 people).
Conserveira do Arade will also be unveiling its new factory store, open from 9am to 5pm, which will allow visitors to purchase the company’s products directly from the factory.
New winemakers are reaping the fruit of their investment at Quinta dos Vales thanks to a unique project
– December 7, 2021
It has been a little over a year since Quinta dos Vales’ exclusive The Winemaker Experience project was officially launched. Since then, 13 wine-loving couples and individuals have embarked on an exceptional adventure, which sees them become winemakers, producing wine to their taste by either renting or buying a plot of vines at the Lagoa winery.
Although the pandemic put many activities on hold, this was yet another example of how technology brought everything closer during the lockdown. Thanks to a young and dynamic team led by Michael Stock — son of Quinta dos Vales owner, Karl Heinz Stock — these new wine-makers were able to stay up to date and participate in the production of their wine remotely. “We send out comprehensive reports every month and are in touch with them every two to three weeks, keeping them involved and emotionally connected with the project,” explains Michael.
Mark and Michael Stock
This regular contact also helps the winemakers make important decisions, such as when to harvest depending on the type of wine they want to make. For example, with the heatwave last July, the build-up of sugar in the grapes accelerated, but the phenolic maturity (the astringency of the skin and seeds) did not, resulting in bitterness. To find the optimum balance, Michael recommends setting a goal for sugar concentration. When this is achieved, they taste the grapes and give the winemakers the chance to decide whether to harvest or wait until the bitterness mellows.
People from around the globe are discovering this exciting new project
For Peter and Brenda Folch, the pandemic meant they still would not be able to be at the vineyard for the 2021 harvest. Based in South Beach, Miami (USA), the pair fell in love with wine when they moved to Argentina in 2004. Since then, they have both become certified US sommeliers and now plan their holidays around wine tasting. “That’s how we discovered The Winemaker Experience,” says Brenda.
Huge fans of Portugal and its wine culture, they did some research and found their dream property at The Vines, Villa-Suites in the middle of the Quinta dos Vales vineyards. They had already purchased a small plot of vines in Mendoza, Argentina, as part of a project similar to The Winemaker Experience, and decided to do the same in the Algarve in August 2020, without ever having visited.
“Michael recommended we first start slow and rent a vineyard, but we decided to go ahead with the 99-year lease. We chose a plot of Touriga Nacional because we thought, in Argentina we have Malbec, so in Portugal, we’re going to go for one of the iconic varieties,” explains Peter. They are hoping to be more involved in the future, “but in the meantime, the experience has been amazing”. They add: “Michael and his team have been sending us information about every step of the process, sending pictures, even videos. We feel like we have actually been there.”
Once a dream, now a reality: Learn how to produce your own wine with the help of professionals from Quinta dos Vales
For local food and wine writer Patrick Stuart, The Winemaker Experience has been hands-on. He is one of the lucky few winemakers to live in the Algarve and have the chance to follow the project in person. Making his own wine is something Patrick had always dreamt of, something which, until now, was beyond his financial reach. For him, “The Winemaker Experience makes it affordable and practical”.
Last May, he bought 180 plants of Alicante Bouschet and since then, together with his daughter and Marta Rosa, Quinta dos Vales’ winemaker, he has been following the process very closely. “At the beginning of August, we did a final maturation test and were already estimating 11,7% of alcohol,” explains Patrick, who is looking to make a fairly low-alcohol wine. “Ideally, I don’t want to go above 12,5%. So, on that Friday, I took the decision, and Marta agreed with me, to harvest on the Monday, as the forecast for the weekend was hot weather.”
They harvested in the dark to avoid having to refrigerate the grapes. “We went at 6am, when it was still dark and finished just as the sun was coming up. The grapes were still really cool, and by 7.30am, we were pressing them.” Patrick was delighted with the quality of the fruit, “We hardly took out any grapes at all, the fruit was absolutely superb, and the grapes were delicious,” he says, confessing it was difficult not to eat them all.
Bottle Blending Workshop
Under Marta’s guidance, Patrick made an interesting last-minute decision. “Some of our vines didn’t bear as much fruit as they should have done. The quality was there, but not the quantity. So, Quinta dos Vales offered to make up the quantity at no extra cost. The wine I always wanted to make from the onset is a Palhete (a light-bodied red), in which a bit of white is added. So, we decided to add 15% of Arinto, which they were harvesting at the same time.”
Patrick’s wine will be bottled in March and be ready for drinking around June. Approximately 250 bottles of it, which he plans to give to friends and colleagues. Having visited wineries all over the world, he thought he knew a little bit about winemaking but admits it has been a huge learning curve. “Every single time, we come away with more knowledge. It’s absolutely fascinating.”
Rota do Petisco returns with 292 restaurants and eateries
Boca Xica
Eleven Algarve boroughs are participating in the 11th Rota do Petisco this year, totalling over 200 venues. Taking place between September 10 and October 10, this gastronomic ‘route’ was born in Portimão but has grown to include eateries from all over the Algarve. Aljezur, Vila do Bispo, Lagos, Portimão, Monchique, Lagoa, Silves, Albufeira, Loulé, São Brás de Alportel and Tavira all have entries this year.
Dogtown Lagos
The concept is simple: each participating restaurant presents a tapas-size dish or dessert at “very inviting prices”. All kinds of eateries take part, from traditional Portuguese ‘tascas’ to Asian and Italian restaurants. A passport costing €1.50 (which is sold at each participating establishment and goes to charity) is required to participate in Rota do Petisco and serves as a guide to all the venues.
Bruncheria
This year, the money raised will go to nine entities: Associação de Dadores de Sangue do Barlavento do Algarve (ADSBA), Bombeiros Voluntários de Monchique e de São Brás de Alportel, Casa do Povo de São Bartolomeu de Messines, Centro de Apoio ao Sem Abrigo, ECOS – Oficina de Dança, Fundação Irene Rolo, Grupo Desportivo Odeceixense and HELP – Apoio ao Cuidador. Rota do Petisco is organised by Portimão association Teia d’Impulsos and is backed by several public and private entities.
The event on every foodie’s calendar is back at Vila Vita Parc
Held every two years, the Fine Wines & Food Fair, currently the biggest gastronomic event in the Algarve, will return to Vila Vita Parc, in Porches, from May 5 to 13 for the fourth time.
Living up to its name, the fair pairs the finest culinary creations from renowned national and international chefs with the best wines and producers, all under the same roof. For visitors, this is a chance to come face to face with countless chefs and oenologists during the event, which will end, as is now tradition, with the extraordinary Kitchen Party. This year, the party will be on May 11, for over 500 people, with chefs invited from all over the world along with international wine producers.
The event begins on May 5 with a fun lunch — a traditional Portuguese assado (barbecue) — at Herdade dos Grous, in the Alentejo (owned by the same group as Vila Vita Parc) and, on May 7, Atlântico restaurant will host the Vila Vita All-Stars Night.
This year’s list of guest chefs includes Ljubomir Stanisic, from 100 Maneiras, in Lisbon; Rui Prado, from Herdade dos Grous restaurant; Jan Hartwig (Atelier, Munich, three stars); Christian Bau (Victor’s Fine Dining, Perl, three stars); Jacob Jan Boerma (De Leest, Vaassen, three stars); Konstantin Filippou (Konstantin Filippou, Austria, two stars); Óscar Velasco (Santceloni, Spain, one star); Karlheinz Hauser (Seven Seas, Hamburg, two stars); Nigel Haworth (Northcote, Lancashire, one star); Fritz Helfesrieder (Gasthof zum Storchen, Bad Bellingen, one star); Roberto Carturan (Ristorante Alfredo, Cologne, one star); Thomas Allan (The Modern, New York, two stars); Dieter Koschina (Vila Joya, Albufeira, two stars), João Oliveira (Vista, Portimão, one star), and Daniele Perillo (Gusto by Heinz Beck, Almancil, one star).
As for wine producers and sommeliers, the fair will welcome Luís Duarte representing the home teams of Herdade dos Grous and Quinta do Valbom; the master sommelier from Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Stefan Neumann; Vincent Gerardin, who produces his namesake wines in Burgundy, France; Sandra Tavares da Silva from Quinta da Chocapalha; and Hans Reisetbauer from the Austrian distillery bearing his last name; among many other well-known names in the wine world.
Over the years, the event has received more than 60 award-winning chefs from the Michelin Guide, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants by San Pellegrino, the Gault et Millau Guide and the survey lists from Opinionated About Dining, as well as the best oenologists and high-end suppliers of wine, spirits, champagnes, cocktails and cigars.
Introducing the new menu and cuisine at one of Carvoeiro´s favourite restaurants
Earlier this year, Chef Valdemar Guerreiro joined the team of the Pimenta Preta restaurant, at Palm Gardens, and brought his lifetime of world travels and experience with him to create a bright, vibrant and delicious fusion menu to the resort restaurant, formally famed for its white gloves and fine dining.
The changes see the introduction of numerous mildly spicy dishes, with Thai, Indian and South American cuisine adding to the restaurant’s Mediterranean offerings.
Chef Guerreiro spent some 20 years of his career working around the world both on luxury cruise liners and on land, which is evident in all the flavours packed into the dishes.
Having spent all these years working as a chef between the USA, Mexico, Australia, Alaska, Argentina, the UK and Central America, the Portuguese-born chef decided it was time to return to his roots and be with his family again, back in the Algarve, bringing a wealth of global gastronomic tricks of the trade with him.
During his travels, he took a few trips to Thailand, India and Japan to further improve his skillset. In Japan, he began to learn the craft of sushi-making and even dabbled in preparing the highly toxic pufferfish. Whilst in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Goa, India, Chef Valdemar really got to grips with the oftencomplex techniques involved in preparing and blending spices.
Valdemar has a true world cuisine approach, using simple but authentic techniques. He grinds all of his own spices and makes everything from scratch for dishes such as the Thai green curry of sole, red curry monkfish and chicken tikka masala. Anyone who appreciates a well-made curry will recognise the care and attention that goes into making his sauces. When trying out the dishes, it’s always advisable to discuss the level of intensity that you prefer, as most dishes are very fragrant but not too spicy. It’s really a matter of asking the waiter or waitress to let the chef know that you would like the dish to be spiced up a bit.
Whilst the menu features numerous authentic Asian dishes, others such as wild salmon fillets with honey, mustard and ginger sauce, offer just a slight influence in the Pacific Rim fusion style.
We asked Chef Valdemar to choose his favourite 3-course meal from the current menu, and, as a great fish lover, he told us he has access to “some of the best fish around here. The sea is literally on our doorstep so I would go for the beautiful mixed fresh fish ceviche as a starter, a ‘meaty’ monkfish in red curry with lychees as a main course and the sticky rice with mango for dessert.”
“The fresh flavours in this menu are perfect for the long summer here in the Algarve. I’ve created somewhat of a fusion menu, which is effectively the essence of my personal voyage and culinary experiences over the past 20 or so years.”
The restaurant, of course, still has a few western classics on the evening menu, including Caprese Salad, veal loin “Rossini”, Chocolate Fondant and the fabulous, theatrical Flambéed Crepe station, which is prepared tableside.
There really is something for everyone, at very reasonable prices considering the quality and, as always is the case at Pimenta Preta, an excellent and well-priced wine selection, which is generally something that is sorely missing when enjoying Asian flavours. With a new, bright paint job and a few small decorative touches, the restaurant is more relaxed in style now, creating the perfect harmony between venue and menu. Pimenta Preta is open daily for lunch and dinner but the full menu is only available in the evening.
An artist from Lagoa, practically unknown in her hometown, is steadily making a name for herself in the world of cake art. Ana Remígio, a housewife with two children of 9 and 11, only practices this craft as an artistic occupation, since from a commercial standpoint “people only see a cake. They are not prepared to pay for the many hours spent studying and building the structure, confectioning and decorating it,” she says. “This type of cake can sell from €150 to €300 in England and Spain. Here, if I ask for €50 people think it’s too expensive. I don’t make cakes, I make edible artworks,” she explains, surrounded by the innumerous pieces decorating her house, all different and all wonderful.
It all began by chance, when a friend asked her to make a cake for her son. Passionate about confectionary since childhood thanks to her mother and grandmother, who used to make doce fino (a traditional marzipan cake, usually moulded into different shapes like animals or fruits), Ana started practising her craft for family and friends.
The cakes for sale “are usually made with a dry and hard sponge cake, to support the sugar paste sculpture added on top. The bases of mine can be diverse, like fruitcakes, chocolate or carrot cakes, and many other possibilities,” she says. “When people slice into my cakes, they are often surprised to find that they are actually very appetising, contrary to what they expected.”
Ana says the three-dimensional cake can reach considerable weight and height. “Sometimes it can weigh as much as 15 kilos. I need to consider every variable so it won’t fall apart. First I study where and how to place all the partitions so that they support the whole piece and allow for safe transportation. Only then do I start building the cake, and finally, the last step is decorating”. Between the second and third stage, the cake is frosted with a layer of sugar paste, which seals in the filling, preserving it without losing its gastronomic qualities.
Ana only started competing last year, because she wanted to know how much her art was worth, when compared to the other offers in the market. Her other motivation was, of course, learning. She started in a small and very old contest in Ireland. The organization informed her that winning a
bronze medal there would be like winning gold in other competitions of the sort, due to the high demanding criteria. She participated and earned that exact distinction, which made her want to
go even further.
The Cake International competition organizes three annual events in the United Kingdom. In August 2016, Ana Remígio went to London and won two gold medals, one silver and one bronze. In Birmingham, in November, during what is considered to be the biggest and most important contest, she won five gold medals and one silver. The bakers compete in 20 different categories and Ana won the silver medal in the cupcake category, one of the most complicated, along with wedding cakes.
“Later, after the awards were handed, the judge told me the only reason I didn’t win the gold was because the figures were slightly bigger that they should be,” making it only a matter of detail.
After her success in the competition, Ana created a new set of goals for herself: to upgrade her silver medal in the cupcake category to a gold one and to be Best in Show.
This year she achieved both those goals at the Cake International in London, in April. Over 500 bakers from all over the world competed and Ana Remígio proved her talents once again, entering three cakes and bringing home two gold medals, and a silver. The golden prize was won in the coveted cupcake category, and her piece was also considered Best in Show. In fact, the judges told her she had elevated cupcakes to a new level, as it was the first time a piece from this category achieved such a merit. Ana was also nominated for the 1st Annual Golden Tier Awards, a ceremony celebrating the best of the best in the industry. She competed for Collaboration of the Year, along with the Caketastics (an international group of cake artists) and for the American Cake Decorating People’s Choice Award.
Dared by her husband, Ana is thinking of immortalizing some of her works in clay, as the moulding technique is similar. This would keep them from spoiling and could inspire the imagination and creativity of new generations who want to follow in her footsteps. Ana’s main goals now are to continue her work, which she loves, to keep competing internationally and to give workshops and master classes.
Japanese fine dining arrives in the Algarve, including authentic robata-grilled food
The new Japanese restaurant, Mizu, at Vila Vita Parc opened in February, following a brief closure for some fine-tuning after a soft opening in December. And, if the initial reaction from hotel guests and outside visitors is anything to go by, this is set to become another top spot at Vila Vita Parc for serious foodies.
Having sampled a few of the dishes during the soft opening, I met up with restaurant manager Catarina Borges, a local Algarvean who has spent the last seven years working on the cutting edge of the London food scene. One of her positions was assistant manager at Roka, the award-winning Robatayaki restaurant on Canary Wharf, providing her with a good idea of what today’s customers expect from a premium Japanese restaurant.
Skilled chefs have been recruited and no expense has been spared on kitting the restaurant out with a state-of-the-art Teppan bar and a Josper Robata grill in the kitchen, fired with Japanese white charcoal. Sushi and sashimi are, of course, an important part of the menu, as are tempura dishes, a variety of Japanese salads and other staples such as a seriously good white Miso soup with Shimeji mushrooms, but it is the Algarve’s first Robata grill that is expected to win over customers the most.
Here, prime cuts such as wild salmon or black cod fillets and Wagyu beef are quickly grilled to perfection, sealing in the flavours. Fish and meat dishes are complemented with others from the Robata grill such as Konasu (baby aubergine with miso and soy) or Shitaki mushroom skewers with citrus and chilli.
The menu is intentionally not extensive, focusing on a relatively small selection of prime fresh ingredients, backed up with a small but carefully chosen selection of 12 Sakes, including a sweet and a sparkling option.
For details of opening times and reservations, call Vila Vita Parc on 282 310 100
Having already established itself as one of Carvoeiro’s finest eateries, The Wolf Bar & Grill now has another feather in its cap with its beautiful terrace and lounge bar.
Launched for the summer, the restaurant’s upstairs terrace is the ideal setting for a sunset drink or light bite. With a full bar and a selection of cocktails, there is also a lounge bar menu featuring lighter food options such as prawn and vegetable tempura and pata negra ham.
Enhanced by chilled out music and ambient lighting, the outdoor terrace has also been designed for diners waiting for their table or for a relaxing after-dinner drink.
