Touriga Nacional

I was a late bloomer when it came to seeing the world. It wasn’t until 10 years ago that I had the opportunity to start traveling internationally. Despite growing up in an airline family, and the reduced fare traveling privileges that come with it, this airline only flew domestically when I was eligible. But with my entry into the wine industry, some travel doors later in life really opened my mind to the concept of “other” grape varieties. Little did I know at the time, it was a good primer for a future regular columnist at WineMaker magazine! A trip to Portugal in 2007 really had a personal impact. There were a lot of firsts: The first time traveling to Europe, with the first of its kind travel delays. The first time I walked through the Old World streets of Lisbon and Porto. The first time I had seen the Douro River Valley and all the beautifully terraced vineyards. But most notably, this was my first exposure to the wine world of Portugal, which dates back centuries. Portugal has been