In Portuguese cuisine, rustic doesn’t mean basic. Traditional meat stews, bacalhau (salt cod) and smoked sausages made from leftover cuts are elemental, yes, but also fragrant and nuanced. Portugal is bordered by Spain and the Atlantic Ocean, both of which heavily influence its food. And thousands of miles away, that influence can be found here on the Central Coast.

Thanks to generations of countryside farmers and coastal fishermen, Portuguese home cooking has been a riff on whatever local farmers or fishers brought in each day. Inland communities relied on stews, preserved meats, beans and bread. Along the coast, there was an abundance of seafood, making cod, sardines, shellfish and octopus staples of meals. Garlic and fresh herbs are most often used to brighten dishes, though a typical Portuguese pantry includes dry goods of colorau (paprika), bay leaves, piri-piri (chili) and cinnamon.

Ercilia Martins, Co-owner of Monarch Grove Winery in Grover Beach, immigrated in the 1970s, during a period when many Portuguese families were leaving home. Economic hardship had taken hold of daily life across Portugal and the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic, and families sought more stable futures elsewhere, especially in the United States, Canada, and parts of Africa.

“I was 5½ when we arrived in the U.S.,” Ercilia recalls, having grown up in Terceira, one of the islands of the Azores, known for its lush greenery and nearly tropical conditions.

“Life there was very different _— it was focused on culture and community,” she recalls. “That environment left a lasting impression on me.” She maintains a very traditional lifestyle; Portuguese is still spoken at home by her parents, and even at 80 years old, her father continues to grow many of the ingredients essential to the family’s cooking: fava beans, couves (collard greens, for soup), onions, potatoes, garlic and grapes, and tends to his fruit trees.

“Food has always been central to our family life,” Ercilia says. “It’s a part of who I am.” The flavors of the Azores fill her kitchen through homemade soups, slow-roasted meats in traditional clay pots, and the many desserts, pastéis de nata included. She speaks fondly of fresh cheeses made at home, especially the soft cheese her mother prepares, enjoyed alongside Portuguese sweet bread massa sovada.

Winemaking, too, runs deep in her family history. “Both here and in Portugal and the Azores, my family has made wine for generations.”

Thomas Darosa, Co-owner of SLO De Vie Distillery in Grover Beach, followed a similar path. Also born in the Azores islands before moving to Artesia, a Los Angeles-area community where many Portuguese immigrants settled, he grew up immersed in customary practices. “An important part of our lifestyle is home-cooked traditional food, homemade wine and spirits called aguardente,” he says.

“Every uncle was proud to show his private cellar,” Thomas recalls, which were likely stocked with a barrel of wine intended to last throughout the year. And “oftentimes oxidized along the way,” he jokes. After pressing grapes for wine, whatever remained was commonly distilled into homemade aguardente.

This was the inspiration behind his distillery, which he co-founded with his partner Anatoly Rosinsky in 2017. SLO De Vie produces both aged and unaged aguardente, along with vodka, gin and distinctive Portuguese-inspired spirits flavored with passion fruit, anise and fig.

“We build upon Old-World ways of distilling, with the addition of our own California twist,” he explains. “After all, one has to express himself.”

For many Portuguese families, homemade wine was not a casual hobby — it was part of daily life. Judy Aron, Founder of AronHill Vineyards in Templeton, feels this connection. Portuguese culture came through Judy’s mother’s side of the family, who emigrated from Pico Island in the Azores, where they were farmers, primarily working with dairy and grapes.

“Food and wine were simply part of everyday life for them,” says Judy, who runs the winery alongside her daughter Kathryn.

Though not a Portugal native herself, she was immersed in its heritage through her mother’s stories, especially those centered around generosity and hospitality. “There was always an open seat,” Judy remembers, where anyone who stopped by was welcome to share a meal. This became foundational to the Bistro at AronHill, the estate winery restaurant, where the menu often includes Portuguese-influenced dishes.

“I want guests to feel welcomed and relaxed, more like gathering with friends,” she says. Visitors are encouraged to settle into conversation. Judy laughs as she explains how saying goodbye often takes a little extra time in Portugal. “There’s always one more smile, another story, and maybe just one more sip of wine,” she reflects.

She grew up watching her mother and aunts cook together, and was always amazed at the kitchen full of energy, “with lots of talking, laughing and movement all around.” There was the shucking of fava beans, making homemade kale soup with vegetables from the garden and letting beans slowly simmer on the stove. And that unmistakable smell of sweet bread baking in the oven, or sopas for special occasions.

“It was never just about the meal itself,” says Judy. “It was about sharing, and taking time to be together. It’s special to see this all still alive.”