Quinta da Pacheca Wine House Restaurant: Delicious Cod Tongues & Duck Rice

After a winery visit, and some sightseeing in the area in the Douro region, we went to Quinta da Pacheca for lunch. Quinta da Pacheca is located in in the village of Cambres, Lamego county, and the vineyards in this estate extend back to the 16th century, when they were owned by local monasteries. In a document from April 1738, the estate was first referred to as "Pacheca," a feminine form of the family name Pacheco. This was because the estate was owned and maintained by Da. Mariana Pacheco Pereira,  a woman who cared for the estate by herself.   

 

In 1903, the estate was purchased by D. José Freire de Serpa Pimente, who started to modernize the vineyards and winery. This included building eight granite lagares, for foot trodding on grapes, and these lagares are still in use today. Currently, the estate has about 75 hectares of vineyards, producing Port and Douro DOC wines. In 1995, they also got involved in wine tourism, eventually leading to the opening of their Wine House Hotel in 2009. And in 2012, the estate was bought by Maria do Ceu Goncalves and Paulo Pereira.

As we were slightly early for our lunch reservation, we first had a drink at their wine bar, where you can have a glass of wine, beer or a cocktail. The Pacheca Porto Tonico (pictured above) is made from Pacheca White Port, tonic water, lemon and a cinnamon stick. It was refreshing and bright, with only a mild sweetness, and it's easy to understand why these Port Tonics are so popular during the summer.  More people in the U.S. should make this simple cocktail at home.

Also had a glass of the Quinta Da Pacheca Superior White, a blend of 90% Viosinho and 10% Moscatel Galego Branco. The wine undergoes a little aging in oak, but remains fresh and bright, although the oak is noticeable, with a subtle vanilla flavor. There are tropical fruit flavors, crisp acidity, and some mineral notes. Interesting and delicious.

The Wine House Restaurant has a modern and elegant flair, and looks out over their vineyards and the Douro region. Such a great view, and it appears that in better weather, you could sit outside on a patio surrounding the restaurant. After perusing their wine list, we decided to get wines from Quinta da Pacheca, including the 2019 Grande Reserva Touriga Francesca (13.50 Euros) and the 2019 Pacheca Lagar No.1 (22.50 Euros). 

I'll note that at retail at the winery, the Grande Reserva costs about 45 Euros and the Lagar No.1 is about 75 Euros, so the glass price is very reasonable, especially considering that in the U.S., the wine by the glass price is often the price of a retail bottle. In addition, the price per bottle in the restaurant was only a small mark-up from the retail, with the Grande Reserva at 56 Euros and the Lagar No.1 at 92.50 Euros. This small mark-up was common at a number of Portuguese restaurants we visited. 

The 2019 Pacheca Grande Reserva Touriga Francesca, with a 15% ABV, was made from 100% Touriga Francesca, which had been trod in lagares, and it aged for about 18 months in French oak. The wine was a big and bold, with rich black fruit flavors, mild spices, and good acidity. Well-balanced, moderate tannins, and a lengthy, pleasing finish. 

The 2019 Pacheca Lagar No.1, with a 13.5% ABV, was a blend of Touriga Franca and Touriga, which had been trod in lagares, and is aged for about 18 months in 2nd and 3rd year French oak barrels. This wine was complex and elegant, with delicious flavors of ripe plum and black cherry, with subtle spice notes, and a hint of chocolate, especially on the finish. Excellent acidity, well-integrated tannins, and a long, lingering and satisfying finish. A superb wine, which I would highly recommend. 

The Food Menu, created by Chef Carlos Pires, has plenty of enticing and creative dishes, including Cold Starters (5 choices, 12.50-15 Euros), Hot Starters (5 choices, 14-17.50 Euros), Mains (3 individual choices, 26-30 Euros, and 2 dinners for 2, 52-60 Euros), Vegetarian/Vegan (4 choices, 13-16 Euros), and Salads (3 choices, 14-18.50 Euros). Consider dishes such as Octopus Carpaccio, Foie Gras, Vegetable Puff Pastry, Melon Salad with Shrimp, Codfish with a cornbread crust, and Roasted Lamb Leg.

We began with a few Starters, including the Sopa de tomate com manjericão ovo escolafado e parmesão (tomato cream soup with basil, poached egg and parmesan). A rich and creamy soup, enhanced by the poached egg and its soft yolk, this was a nice way to start the meal.

The Acorda de linguas de bacalhau com colorido de pimentos, coentros e ovo de codorniz (Cod tongues "Acorda" with colored peppers, coriander, & quail egg) was an intriguing and delicious dish. These are not actually tongues, but rather a muscle from the neck of the cod. They are popular in other areas too, like Newfoundland and Norway. These cod tongues were slightly chewy, with a mild sweetness and a spicy aspect. They reminded me a little of a scallop. A well-composed dish, I'd highly recommend you check this out too.

The Salada de rúcula com tomate cherry presunto laminado e queijo parmesão (Arugula salad with cherry tomatoes, sliced smoked ham, and parmesan cheese) was ample-sized, fresh and bright, enhanced by the smoky ham. 

We then ordered one of the Mains for two people, the Arroz de pato, com enchidos tradicionais, gratinado com queijo parmesão (Duck rice with traditional sausages and parmesan gratin). Wow, what a scrumptious dish! Such rich flavors, plenty of tender, shredded duck and sausages slices, with a tasty sauce and perfectly cooked rice. I had multiple plates of this dish, and loved every bite. Definitely one of my favorite dishes during my week in Portugal. 

Service was excellent, the food was absolutely delicious, and the wines were top notch as well. Overall, such a fine dining experience and I highly recommend The Wine House Restaurant at Quinta da Pacheca  to anyone visiting the Douro region.