That is funny, I came back with Covid as well! And while I have had it probably around 19 times and theoretically with my exposure and my elote physiology, I should be relatively resistant and recover fast, this one hit me hard for a week.
Sintra is a magical place
@Robert.A.Jr did you have any while there?
I did, I posted a note above, but Iâm certainly no pro on this style of wine and have had limited exposure to it. One of the ones that I tried had about 20 years of age on it, it was a beautiful wine. I brought a little bit home, just havenât had a time to try again.
perhaps @Matthew_King can fly to FL to taste it with you. Youâd love him. WAY better hair than I have, and like 8 feet tall or something.
Didnât he âthumbs-downâ one of my posts once?
#NeverForget
And truthfully, thatâs like all I need, somebody thatâs taller than me, better looking than me, and more hair than me, as unicorn as that might be.
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You mean you donât need ANOTHER one of those in your lifeâŚoneâs the limit!
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Robert, now that youâve officially joined the AARP set you know how easy it is for us ham-fisted Luddites to ACCIDENTALLY hit the wrong button.
I look forward to drinking with you some day. So long as you donât make me ride a bike the next morning for endless miles on a lonely highway in hot, humid Central Florida! 
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That would be awesome, Matthew. And if you are as tall as Todd says you are, Iâve got a spare bike for you!
Matt, if an old Auslese and a 20-year tawny red had a baby with a little bite, you might get white tawny. If you had asked me before Portugal if I was interested in white tawny Iâd have said ânahâ. Shows what I know.
Portugal was kind of a Disneyland of strange grapes; new-to-me anyway. In general, my preferences and Burg experience were a hindrance; the sips we liked best were unexpected. Knowledgeable locals were thrilled to show off the diversity and bounty of their wines.
-Typical restaurant conversation early in the trip-
What kinds of wine does sir enjoy?
-Gimme Pinot. You got any Pinot?
Alas, no
-Howsabout Chardonnay?
Ah, sir is making a little joke?
-Jeez Louise. OK, bring us a Cava
Perhaps sir is confused. Here we make espumante.
-Whatevs. Make it a blanc de blanc
If I may presume, try this Blanc de noirs instead
-You mean like, Pinot?
Baga. Its a grape from the Bairrada DOC
-Sniff. Sip. sipsipsip Oh hey now, this is amazing!
Perhaps some Madeira? 
-Later in the trip-
-Hi there. We heard you make great Port.
IncrĂvel! Want to try a 30 year-old white tawny?
-Absolutely!
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As someone who is unafraid to assume the mantle of âknowledgeable localâ, and despite the bias I might carry from having formed my wine education around these wines, I think itâs a relatively straightforward matter to understand these grapes varieties once you put them in the context of each region. The same way that percentages of Cab Sauv, Cab Franc and Merlot tell you something about the Bdx youâre drinking, percentages of Touriga Nacional will be just as relevant in a Douro or DĂŁo blend (as itâs an important grape in both). You can expect greater exuberance - pretty, feisty violets - the more TN you have, or greater freshness in an Alentejo white depending on the proportion of Arinto (a high acid grape) to AntĂŁo Vaz (a fatter, rounder grape), if we stick to the most common examples. Just having some of these facts in mind before opening a bottle can make all the difference.
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canât be one of yours - this dude is tall!
You have a great eye for capturing visuals!
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