Posts by ChrisAndAllison


The Factory House in Porto

The Factory House in Porto


Posted on Feb 9, 2022

Factory House

An extraordinary cellar.

The Factory House in Portugal’s famed port-producing city of Porto is a stunning piece of architecture that was created to facilitate British businessmen conducting trade in Portuguese goods. While not generally open to the public, Iberian Wine Tours was able to arrange a private tour as well as a tasting of vintage port from their cellars and to learn more about the history of the port wine trade.

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For the past 2 years, Zencore, the company known for its innovative small kitchen appliances, has been developing an Electric Wine Decanter. Yes, you heard that right ‘Electric’. And yes, it’s the first time we’d seen anything like it. The idea behind its unique design is to allow you to decant your wine quickly and elegantly. We took their D119 premium version for a spin and here’s our full review:

*The Zencore Electric Decanter was received as a media sample. We received no compensation for our review and all opinions are our own.*

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gaia portugal

A long and storied history.

A visit to the city of Port (sometimes called Oporto in Portugal) and Gaia, its sister city directly across the river, is more than just a beautiful must-see European destination. For Port wine lovers it’s the mecca; an essential pilgrimage to the birthplace of the deliciously rich, sweet wine fortified with Brandy. One of the oldest, and arguably most influential Port Houses, is that of Taylor Fladgate & Yeatman (more widely referred to as Taylor’s) which celebrates its 330th anniversary this year.

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Port Wine: A Primer

Port Wine: A Primer


Posted on Jan 19, 2022

Port wine portugal

Port wine is prized by collectors.

Port is a deliciously rich, sweet wine made from various grapes, grown in Portugal’s Douro Valley, that is fortified with brandy. It can make one of the most age-worthy wines, with top examples lasting half a century and beyond. It’s definitely a connoisseur’s wine, prized by collectors and laid down for decades in cool dark cellars, but there are also many excellent ports that are quite affordable and ready to drink now. Port is a delicious drink; one that is well worth learning more about. Though Port-style wines are made in many areas, we will focus here on just those wines made in Portugal.

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Wine Country Eats: Portugal

Wine Country Eats: Portugal


Posted on Jan 12, 2022

Just a few hours upon landing in Porto it happened quicker than either of us imagined.

Lisbon Portugal

Portugal’s food scene is world-class.

We sat down for our first meal in Portugal made up of Bacalhoa (salted codfish) along with a sampling of local wines, and we were captivated…hook, line, and sinker. The food scene, while often overshadowed by the popularity of Port and the rising appreciation of the country’s still wines, is absolutely worthy of its own recognition. Portugal’s gastronomy is steeped in tradition, defined by variety, and has put the world on notice thanks to its popular Celebrity Chefs and abundance of Michelin-rated restaurants.

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