Vinho Paseo for $4

Sprouts once again had an unbeatable wine sale last weekend.  Bottles of Paseo for $3.99 each. I've never tried Paseo, but Portugal makes wonderful Ports, and Paseo Vinho Regional Lisboa 2009 (imported by HCG imports, San Jose) was not expensive, had a CVR Lisboa Selo De Garantia marked label, and a interesting mix of 55% Castelao, 15% Camarate, 10% Tinta Miuda, and 20% Touriga Nacional.  It was fruity, hinted of Porto without the kick, smooth, and very drinkable as red table wine.  I'm sorry that I bought only 1 bottle.

Once, while dining with a group customers - all of whom were Spaniards - at a Brazilian steak house in Atlanta, I made the mistake of ordering a Portuguese wine with dinner.  Before the waiter could bring it, in slightly hesitant Portuguese, one of my customers Changed the order to a Californian bottle (there were no Spanish bottles on the wine list), grabbed his over-sized steak knife, and said to me in English: "Portuguese wine will not be consumed tonight".  Being an ignorant American, I was unaware of the centuries of enmity between Spain and Portugal.  I won't make that mistake again.

After a few bottles were consumed around the table, I remarked, in very broken Spanish "So you will not drink their wine, but it is OK to eat their steak"?  My Spanish counterpart replied in accented English: "It is Brazilian, not Portuguese steak!" and we finished another bottle of Californian Napa valley together.

I do not have this cultural bias, and I'll enjoy Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, French, and the occasional German wine from time to time without enmity.