Throughout my time living in this deliciously diverse food and wine country, I’ve come to realize that the Portuguese have developed themselves as artisans in specific food and wine crafts. Port may be the most famous, but what is surprising to most people who have never been here is Portugal’s long tradition in pastry making, almost as old as Port production. However, unlike Port made for export, you can only buy and consume Portugal’s wonderfully fresh pastries within the country and preferably on the same day they were made. Not a day goes by here that you can’t walk down the streets early in the morning light without the mouth-watering aroma of freshly baked bread and pastries wafting through the air. “Pastelerias” occupy every corner in every city of Portugal, serving up the same variety of house-made savory and sweet pastries, breads and cookies. And the most enticing part, is that they’re incredibly affordable, making the price to value ratio much better than any expensive “haute” Parisian bakery!

So how do the Portuguese pump out such a huge quantity of quality made pastries everyday and sell them for low prices? This recently came up during a meeting I had with ViniPortugal’s President, Vasco d’Avillez, a very knowledgeable gentleman who just happens to tell some wonderful stories. “The origin of Portugal’s pastry industry,” he explained, “actually came from wine!” Almost all the pastries are made from three basic ingredients: sugar, cinnamon and egg yolks. The first two were easy to get from Portugal’s former colonies in Brazil and the like; but as far as egg yolks, the main reason comes from the country’s old history in winemaking. When wine (Port) started being exported abroad, the Portuguese found that wine consumers …

You may not be aware of this, but the Portuguese are excellent bakers and pastry makers, each famed for their traditional local pastries! And because of this special culinary tradition, I wanted to dedicate a series to the stories behind each of these unique pastries, in addition to what dessert wines are commonly paired with them. I will try to do an installment every few weeks or for as long as my body can handle this much fat and sugar content!

Although I typically avoid highly popular tourist destinations, Pasteis de Belem is an exception. Pasteis are pastries in Portuguese, and the Pasteis de Belem is one of the oldest and most renowned in Portugal. The tradition dates back to the early 1800’s when the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos was shut down after the Liberal Revolution. Needing a means to survive, the monks used the sugar from the sugar cane refinery connected to the general store to produce sweet pastries. In 1837, they stopped selling through the general store to open a bakery, catering to both locals and visiting steamboat tourists alike. These mini egg-custard pies with a crisp, flaky crust are made from the monk’s ancient, top-secret recipe. It has remained unchanged, passed down only to the master bakers, who still hand-craft them in the ‘secrets room’ in the bakeshop. The Pasteis are normally served warm out of the oven and lightly sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.

Today, the Pasteis de Belem bakeshop is still hugely popular. And though it may look small from the outside, it is quite extensive and windy in the back, with many individual dining rooms decorated with old traditional Portuguese blue and white tile art. Yet, despite its size, the lines on the …

D.O./D.O.C/D.O.Ca:DO Jerez-Xerez-Sherry
Address: Fernan Caballero, 7, El Puerto de Santa Maria, 11500 Cadiz SPAIN
Telephone: +0034 956 869 000
Fax: +0034 956 869 080
Email: internationalpr@osborne.es
Webpage: www.osborne.es
Bodega Founded:1772
Hectares of Vines: 210
Grape Varieties Grown: Palomino, Moscatel, Pedro Ximenez
Production in Liters: 4.000.000
Enologist: Ignacio Lozano
Wines Elaborated: Classic Sherry: Manzanilla, Pale Dry, Medium, Rich Golden Premium Sherries: Fino Quinta, Coquinero, Bailen, 10RF, Santa Maria Cream, Pedro Ximenez 1827 Rare Sherries: Pedro Ximenez, Solera India, Amontillado AOS, BC200, P^P
Importers:USA - W.J. Deutsch, UK - D&D Wines

History of the Bodega from the Bodega
Osborne is Spain’s most prestigious producer of wines and spirits. Headquartered in El Puerto de Santa María, Spain, in the famous brandy and sherry-producing region of Jerez. Osborne currently produces world-renowned brandy, sherry, port, fine regional wines and anise liqueur.
Founded in 1772, Osborne is one of the oldest firms of wine and spirit producers in Spain. The firm’s industrial and commercial activities were started by Thomas Osborne Mann, an Englishman. Upon Mann’s death, his sons, Thomas and John, inherited the business. While John served as a Spanish diplomat, Thomas distinguished himself as an industrious and enterprising manager of Osborne, and in 1869. Thomas received the hereditary title of Count of Osborne, making him the first producer of wines and spirits to posses a noble title.
Since those early years, Osborne has remained in family hands. Today, Mr. Tomás Osborne Gamero-Cívico, the fifth Count of Osborne, directs the Company as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Catavino’s Notes
We’ve always known Osborne for their famous bull’s scattered throughout the countryside of Spain. Their sizes and uses vastly range from small stickers stuck proudly to the back of a car bumper to enormous metal sculptures dotting the Spanish landscape. Emblematic and with a rich history, many people relate the name Osborne …

In school, a grade of 100 pts, or A+, meant I structured an essay correctly. I had a good intro, well defined thesis, well structured body with supporting points, and finally, a conclusion that tied it all together in a way that made sense and left the reader with very few questions. Although this was the exception and not the rule, I did occasionally receive an A+ for an essay, but more often it was for a portrait I drew in my art class. During lunch, those of us with a bit of parental cash would walk through the cafeteria line joking how the A+ pizza washed down with fine examples of vintage sodas, or pops - depending on your region! Ah, the life!

N.V. Bodegas Herederos Ribas Binissalem-Mallorca Sionata Dulce - Spain, Balearic Islands, Binissalem-Mallorca (6/21/2006)Light steely pink in color. The nose shows peaches, flowers, and vanilla. Sweet and rich with a medium acidity, very fresh. Flavors of peaches, flowers, and fresh apricots dance in the mouth. Great wine.