UP until last week, the only Black Pig I knew of was the ship skippered by the lovable, animated pirate Captain Pugwash. It turns out there are real black pigs though and the good (and uber-hospitable) folk of Portugal’s Alentejo region like to eat them. A lot.

I speak from first-hand experience having visited the Alentejo. Whether lunch or dinner, during my time there, hardly a meal went by without a mention of black pig somewhere on the menu.

Apparently the pigs spend their days eating acorns in woodland or something and I confess it is very flavoursome meat, especially when paired with a well-made red from the region. White wines produced there are ok but it is the hearty reds that impress most.

The Alentejo region is above the Algarve, about an hour-and-a-half’s drive from Lisbon. It is also one of the hottest regions of Portugal; it topped thirty-five degrees each day last week, when I was there.

In this hot climate, blends of indigenous grape varieties dominate; with names such as trincadeira, Alicante Bouchet, castelão and aragonez (aka tempranillo) and the better known touriga nacional being among the most frequently encountered. It is also quite common to find more international names figuring in the mix too, syrah and cabernet for instance.

Because it is a hot region, the reds tend to show a fair amount of alcohol, but most I tasted carried this well and were balanced, with a marked freshness.

There is real mix of wine-making styles too; ranging from modern methods to those of Roman times. A number of vintners in the Alentejo produce wines made in giant amphora, or tahla as they are known in Portugal.

So if you are planning on serving black pig, or any meat dish for that matter, try a bottle of red from the Alentejo, Waitrose has João Portugal Ramos F’Oz 2013 for less than a tenner. Made from aragonez, trincadeira and castelão, it is brimming with spicy, red-fruit flavours, liquorice, violet notes and some chewy tannins.

In the York area, wine merchant Field and Fawcett, based at Grimston Bar, has a number of wines from Terra d’Alter. These are made by an Aussie, Peter Bright, who is doing great things with Portuguese grapes. Although his cricketing loyalties are misguided.

Do try Terra d’Alter Reserva Tinto 2012 (£10.50 at Field & Fawcett), which is a blend of trincadeira, tinta caiada, aragonez, Alicante Bouchet and petit verdot. It is well balanced, with juicy ripe berries, spice and polished oak. Think Alentejo with a Down Under twist.

Saúde!