Caves Cockburn’s invites 50 people to sit “A La Mesa” 

The invitation is out. For the third consecutive year, Caves Cockburn’s – a renowned Port wine house, owned by the Symington family – once again opens its doors to 50 people for an exclusive dinner, in an initiative in partnership with Argentine chef Maurício Ghiglione, from the Belos Aires restaurant. . Repeating the formula from last year’s edition, the “A La Mesa” dinners will be “four hands on”, with the presence of four more guest chefs. The initiative takes place on the last two weekends of November, the 17th, 18th, 24th and 25th. 

Always with the presence of chef Maurício, each “A La Mesa” dinner will feature a different guest, thus creating a menu that will only be revealed on each night of the initiative. Integrating an initial moment, in which appetizers and cover are served, dinner continues afterwards, at a large table for 50 people, in the heart of what is the largest wine aging warehouse in Port in Vila Nova de Gaia. Diners thus have the opportunity to taste a menu – of five moments –, in a space with more than 10,000 oak vats. The dishes will be accompanied with wines from the Symington portfolio, and there will, of course, be space for a tasting of Cockburn’s Ports. 

André Pinto Batista, from the Lessa restaurant, is the first chef to take action at the “A La Mesa” dinners, presenting his menu on the 17th. The following day, it is Aurora Goy’s turn to introduce herself to the diners – a chef who was born and grew up in France, but has roots in Minho and Douro – arriving directly from the Apego restaurant. In the second weekend of the initiative, Pedro Braga, from the Mito restaurant, and Angelica Salvador, from Indifferent, take the reins of the improvised “kitchen” that will be created in Cockburn’s Cellars. 

Regarding the “A La Mesa” dinners, Andrew May, responsible for the Cockburn’s brand, highlights the spirit of sharing and conviviality that prevailed in the last two editions: “in addition to the fantastic gastronomic experience, it has been incredible to see a table with 50 people, with many of them arrive in groups of two or three and leave with new friends at the end of the night.” The person responsible also adds that “this type of initiative is completely in line with the personality of Cockburn’s, since for us the most interesting side of wine is precisely the people with whom we taste it”. Tickets for the initiative are now available on Eventbrite, costing 70 euros per person (plus the platform’s service fee).