Recommendations
Watermelon and feta with Cálem Porto Rosé
On the plate are cubes of cold watermelon and cucumber with crumbled feta and plenty of mint. The rosé port sets red fruit and a light sweetness against this, at a temperature even lower than that of the salad.
From the shelf
The bottle
Cálem makes this rosé port in the Douro from Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca. The house's technical sheet describes a short skin maceration for colour and aroma, then a slow fermentation in open stainless-steel vats at 14 to 16 degrees, and fortification with wine spirit to stop the fermentation. The wine stands at 19.5 percent alcohol, with 103 grams of residual sugar per litre and a total acidity of 3.46 grams per litre at a pH of 3.57. The blend matures for at least three years in stainless steel, so without wood and without oxidation; within the port styles rosé is therefore the youngest and freshest category. The house serves the wine between 4 and 6 degrees, and the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto gives 4 degrees for rosé port.
The combination
Why this works together
Feta is salty and the watermelon is watery sweet; there is already a contrast in that which the port can pick up. The 2010 taste research by Green and colleagues shows that sweetness strongly suppresses salt in a mixture, and the 103 grams of residual sugar in this rosé does the same to the feta, which then comes across as creamier and less sharp. At the same time the cheese has fat that stays on the tongue; the low serving temperature and the acids of the wine take that away. The port also shares its aromas with the plate: red fruit against red fruit, and the mint in the salad matches the floral note the house describes. The weight is light on both sides, so neither pushes the other aside.
At the table
The dish
- For 4 people
- Ready in 10 minutes
- Type starter
What you need
- 360 g watermelon, without rind and seeds
- 1 cucumber
- 1 bunch of fresh mint
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 200 g feta
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to make it
- Cut the watermelon and the cucumber into chunks of about two centimetres and put them in a roomy bowl.
- Pull the mint leaves from the stems, set a handful aside and mix the rest into the fruit.
- Pour the olive oil over it and season carefully with salt and pepper; the feta already brings its own salt.
- Spoon everything onto a flat dish or onto four plates.
- Crumble the feta over it and sprinkle the reserved mint over the top.
- Drizzle the balsamic glaze over only just before serving, so the colours do not run.
In the glass
Serving
Serve the rosé between 4 and 6 degrees, as the house recommends; the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto uses 4 degrees for rosé port. Use a small wine glass or a tumbler with a single ice cube and do not fill it too full, so the wine stays cold until the last sip. Decanting is pointless with this style: the wine has matured in steel and throws no sediment. The institute gives no storage time after opening for rosé port; keep the bottle closed in the fridge and finish it within a week, and the fruit stays lively.
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