At the Table with Alentejo — August News

There is an ancient wisdom in the cuisine of Alentejo. A wisdom that does not hurry, that respects the season and knows the value of good olive oil, of a wine that tells stories, of bread that still smells of a wood-fired oven.

August arrives with that same rhythm - and with it, a new selection of recipes on the At the Table with Alentejo blog.

We begin with game, which in Alentejo is both tradition and art. Wild boar stewed in red wine reaches the table after hours over a low flame, with a rich, deep sauce that calls for bread so nothing goes to waste. Roast venison with smashed potatoes follows the same path - seasoned with garlic and local herbs, roasted slowly until the meat becomes succulent and tender.

For warmer days, two summer suggestions also arrive: roasted pepper salad with tuna and Galega olive oil, where the sweetness of the peppers meets the elegance of a distinctive olive oil, and chickpea salad with cod and coriander, simple and generous, just as Alentejo cuisine has always been. And because August in Alentejo is also sweet, we bring two treasures from Évora's conventual tradition - Toucinho do Céu, dense and fragrant with almonds and egg yolks, and Pão de Rala, one of the finest and least-known sweets outside the region. To finish, tomato migas with scrambled eggs - a humble, quick and deeply comforting dish that sums up everything good about honest cooking.

But August in Alentejo also brings another novelty in the air - the smell of warm earth announcing the grape harvest. The grapes are almost ready, and with them comes the promise of another year of wines that tell the story of this land. It is the perfect time to discover - or rediscover - our selection: from fresh, mineral white wines to full-bodied reds that call for a set table and good company, along with the sparkling wine that opens any celebration with elegance.

And then there is talha wine. Made in the traditional way, in clay amphorae, following a method more than two thousand years old - the same one the Romans used on these plains. A living, unique wine that changes every year and cannot be found anywhere else. If you have not tried it yet, August is the perfect time to discover it - before the harvest brings a new vintage and the amphora is renewed.

The table is set. The wine cellar is ready. Stay tuned.