Olavo Maciel usually spends his days traveling the globe in search of treasures to import to Brazil and share with the discerning clients at his wine shop, Weinhaus Excellenz. But today we join him closer to home, for a tour of São Paulo’s street markets to see what surprising pairings with the wines of Cos d’Estournel he has in store for us!.
To begin our immersion in the street food of São Paulo, we meet Olavo at the market on Rua Diogo Jacome, at the edge of Ibirapuera Park, where we discover some twenty-odd varieties of the Brazilian pastel, a re-interpretation of the much-loved Asian dumplings known as gyoza. « To balance the comforting richness of the unbeatable cheese pastel, there’s nothing like the freshness and spice of Cos d’Estournel Blanc 2016. »
Our journey gets even better at Esfiharia Effendi, a veritable culinary institution that has been serving its famous esfihas since 1973. A product of Levantine cuisine, these small tarts are available in a variety of flavors. « The version with chopped mutton is a classic, a perfect match for the velvety, full-bodied character of Pagodes de Cos 2015, » according to Olavo.
Our next stop is Pao de Festa, a bakery that has remained popular since it opened in 1996, to taste its acarajé, a fried pea and onion fritter typical of Afro-Brazilian cuisine. « But no one can resist their tapioca pepper cubes, » Olavo warns. « They are a very common amuse-bouche. The Brazilian red pepper combined with the elasticity of the tapioca in a crusty fried shell is an ideal counterpoint to Cos d’Estournel Blanc 2016. »
Our journey ends with the tradition of Brazilian barbecue. Once a month at his restaurant, MG74, Marcel Gholmieh sets up an outdoor smoker that allows him to cook his delicious meats at low temperatures while infusing them with smoky flavor. « In Brazil, we usually taste different parts of beef during a barbecue, » is how Olavo explains a tradition that multiplies the possibilities for food and wine pairings!
« The upper part of the animal is perfect with Pagodes de Cos 2016, for the freshness and complexity of the wine balances the generosity and smoky notes of the meat. » To accompany a Cosd’Estournel 2015, Olavo recommends a sirloin, simply grilled. « A plain, unsmoked meat allows one to devote his or her full attention to the pairing at every sip. A marvelous moment in the purest Brazilian tradition! »
