Barbeito: The Epitome of Madeira

  The title of this text is a bold statement, I am aware of that. And, as all bold statements, it will surely raise some eyebrows.  Yet, I stand proudly by it. In my view, Barbeito is currently the best Madeira wine producer, and the reason behind the hype around this producer is almost entirely [...]

By |2017-09-06T14:43:13-07:00September 6th, 2017|Categories: Featured, Roys Blog|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

Trás-os-Montes: The World that Lies Beyond

There is an old Portuguese saying that goes: “Para lá do Marão, mandam os que lá estão”, which can be translated into something like “Beyond the Marão, it is those who live there that are in charge”.  This saying reflects a hard truth about the Trás-os-Montes region. Situated beyond the Marão and Alvão mountains, and [...]

By |2017-05-17T22:23:32-07:00February 15th, 2017|Categories: Featured, Roys Blog|Tags: , , |0 Comments

Correia’s Musings: Five Regions Tour 2016

Roy’s Note: We are grateful to be able to include the written work of Fernando Correia who joined our staff a year ago and has done a marvelous job in providing compelling content for our blog. In the middle of August, Fernando’s wife Sandra gave birth to their first child, a son, Eduardo and we [...]

By |2017-05-18T00:09:11-07:00August 29th, 2016|Categories: Five Regions Tour, Guest Corner Articles|Tags: , , |0 Comments

António Agrellos: Maker of Treasures

  In Japan, the art of sword making is revered as a sacred art. So much so that the best swords ever made are considered national treasures and cannot leave national territory. One could argue that Port wine should be treated equally. However, depriving the rest of the world from its liquid splendor would be [...]

An Evening with Quinta Nova & Pedro Lemos

We all have our safe havens. In Porto, I have two safe havens for wine. One of them is Vinoteca, in the Ribeira, a fantastic wine cellar/tapas bar, which I will undoubtedly address in more detail in following posts. The other is Garrafeira Tio Pepe, which over the years has become not only my regular [...]

By |2017-05-18T20:15:39-07:00December 28th, 2015|Categories: Featured|Tags: , , , |2 Comments

Porto, the Unconquered

“I am the master of my fate I am the captain of my soul” Invictus, by William Ernest Henley Invicta – the Unconquered. This is how Porto is known among the Portuguese. Carved in grayish granite, there it stands like a steep sloped stronghold guarding the precious river Douro. To understand the city and its [...]

By |2017-05-18T20:17:40-07:00November 18th, 2015|Categories: Featured|Tags: , |0 Comments

Olympus, or a Nectar Named Madeira

Water everywhere. Around, over and within, it flows in an endless circle of rebirth. It is the very nature of the island of Madeira. It flows from the high mountains down to the sea, along streams and cascades, along the roads and valleys. But it also runs down in the “levadas”, water pathways built by [...]

By |2017-05-18T20:19:34-07:00October 8th, 2015|Categories: Featured, Madeira|Tags: , |0 Comments