Oh Porto!

The state of Tequila, Mexico produces Tequila, The Cognac region in France produces Cognac...therefore Porto, Portugal produces Port. I tried my first bottle of the wine and aguardente (sometimes called brady) mixture during a desperate winter getaway to Clearwater Beach, FL in the late 90's. I booked a few nights at a youth hostel and befriended a German by the name of Nils who was game for an evening of cigars and Port. A couple of bottles later we came to the conclusion that further investigation was needed as we stumbled back to our dorm room.

Since then my knowledge about Port has blossomed. Here is a little of what I know. There are bottles that you sit on, rest, hide, store for several years then enjoy once the grandkids graduate from medical school and there are those you open when you finish putting the groceries away...either way there is a bottle to suit your time frame. How is Port taken? It's not uncommon to have a glass before dinner but most I know enjoy "the sweet wine" after a meal. Some will swear that you drink it with cheese while others prefer fruits, though many insist on good chocolates. I would encourage experimentation with any of the above methods.

Below is a quick cheat sheet on Port you will most commonly encounter in a bottle shop (sans a speciality store).
Tawny-inexpensive ready to consume. Aged less than 8 years in wooden casks.
Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) aged about 5-7 years-decent, a few bucks more, but you can also consume after purchase.
Vintage-made with the best grapes from a single year. Aged for a few years in a cask then bottled. You will want to to consume after storing it for at least 10 years. Some bottles are over 100 years old and will cost you quite a penny. The older the better the flavors develop in the bottle.

Q: How is port made?
A: With feet stomping on grapes during harvest time.

One store was asking 500 Euros for a bottle. They better be good friends.  

We rented a car in Lisbon and drove north to Porto. Once in the city we got off to a rough start. While navigating through the compact city on streets not suitable for cars we smashed into a Smart Car. There were no casualities other than a broken plastic bumper. To our delight we had purchased full coverage insurance. We met up with our friend Paul who lives in the historic city center. He was generous enough to let us camp out at his pad for a few nights. Paul is band manager and usually on the road 11 months of the year, we happened to catch him home for the holidays. We spent our first evening chatting it up over a bottle Vhino Verde (Northern Portugal's infamous green wine). The image above is the Porto's train station, it is covered with crusader tiles.

The following morning and afternoon was spent walking and sightseeing. The bird lady was first on the agenda. 

We hit several cathedrals and roamed through local neighborhoods. Paul made the comment that people who live in the older buildings paid next to nothing in rent. He rents a top floor six-room apartment for 350 Euros. Shit, that would be like like finding a six room flat in the Gas Lamp for less than 500 bills in San Diego. He said most people in Porto want something more modern (with heat) outside the center for a few Euros more. People living in these flats are paying less than 100 Euros a month. Socialism has its' privileges. 

Who doesn't want to quit their job and move here. The winters are rainy but the summers are amazing. Paul recently move from Prague where he declared the city "over." The Czech Republic is on the Ryan Air route and has been flooded by European tourist. Porto is still an untamed entity waiting to be spoiled. Book your tickets now. 

For the record, I'm not a fan of Sandeman and try avoid it at all costs. 

We crossed Dom Luis Bridge into Nova Vila de Gaia (Gaia) after exploring old Porto. 

If your willing and have the time and money you can take an all day boat ride up the Douro river to where the port magic happens.  

Once in Gaia it was operation anarchy. We bypassed the standard port houses hoping to find one off the beaten path for tours and samples. This involved climbing upwards and combing through many empty steets. The good news was that we were away from people but that detailed a lot of dead end roads. 

What do you do when you run into a dead end street? Look for open doors or windows. We weren't sure what port house this was, but it looked promising. 

The vines are more for show.

A couple of houses had opened doors and not being shy we let ourselves in for a quick peek. We called out to anyone who would listen but there was no response. Maybe the workers were taking siestas on the barrels.

Just a buildling.

Somehow we ended up on the grounds of a five-star hotel. Each room had access to its' own miniture golf course.

The Dom Luis Bridge as seen from the ground of the five-star hotel. Does it look familar? Hint: think of a tower in Paris.

It had to happen folks, we did find a port house with free tours and samples. Taylor Fladgate, and Yeatman would be crowned winner. Aside from the free samples the house offered aged Tawnies for a few Euros.

We were each given a glass of white (Chip Dry Port) and a LBV (Late bottled vintage). Conveniently there were fine chocolates available. It was almost noon by the time when we finished.

Taylors had quite a little museum to show off their history and production methods. My favorite part was the photos of the villagers/pickers with their knee high burgandy legs pressing the grapes with their bare feet to extract flavor and color from the grape skins. This process is done for two hours. One photo had a band playing their instuments while extracting. Sadly this process occurs only once a year. One of the ladies at Tayor's told me that machines were made to replace the pickers and replicate the foot movements but it was abandoned because the quality suffered. Personally I don't care how port is made as long as I don't end up with a toenail in my glass.     

Like Lisbon and maybe the rest of areas we went to in Portugal it rained off and on throughout the day and night. This made it a chore to want to explore the city. We did get in a few sights in the city center even if it was a casual pass.

I personally like the blue ceramic tile on the old buildings.

A friend of Paul's suggested we should do dinner at Ze Bota Restaurante. Almost every plate we had in Porto came with a fried egg on top of the meat. Not a super health conscious meal, but a glass of wine or two should break the fat down. And yes it was muy delicious.  

Vinho Verde hails from nothern Portugal from the Minho region. Casa Garcia is one of the more popular and inexpensive brands at about 3-3.50 Euros per bottle. By the way the restaurants in Portugal typically don't have a high mark-up on the wines like they do in the States. 

A view from Paul's bedroom window.

...and the bedroom.

Painting in the bedroom. Paul said he found this gem on the streets in Prague...I know I'm jealous too.  

West of Porto in Matosinhos there is an area of fish restaurants serving the day's catch. It is a local area run by the fishermen's families. A favorite of Paul's and his friend Solana was Salta o Muro. The place really poured it on with hearty main course portions, appetizers, 3 bottles of vino, and dessert for about 20 dollars/person. Friendly staff, intimate setting, high recommended.  

Paul patiently waiting for his plate to arrive.

Solana and her boyfriend would invite us back to their digs after dinner to show us their exciting finds of Porto. They definitely have an eye to spot the kitschy. 

A thrift store painting doesn't really get more wholesome than this.

A turning water skiing lampshade is always a party favorite.

Nothing gets the party rolling like a ghetto blaster, an 8-Track Tape player, and 45's.