My SIL is going this month.

Ive heard the 2005 vintage is pretty good.
Any stars I should get her to look for?

Thanks

Emil

Do have her look for the hottest bottle of straight Alicante Bouschet out there, the Julio Bastos signature bottling from Quinta Dona Maria in the Alentejo. Absolutely impressive stuff.

Speaking of the Alentejo, Herdade dos Grous make a blend of Arintho, Antao Vaz, and Rupeiro grapes that has wonderful texture and rich, pineapple upsidedown cake type flavors. Sounds wacky, I know, but it's really engaging, and is certainly up there with the best Portuguese wines I've had.

Finally, the finest Portuguese dry wine I've had is the Do Ferreiro Albarino "Cepas Vellas". It's made from something batty like 200 year old vines or somesuch, and is made in miniscule quantities. I think that something like a dozen six packs make it to the USA annualy; could be wrong re: quantities, but it's rare as hen's teeth. A must buy, for sure.

If she happens to be going near the Algarve:

Vila Joya

Easily one of the 5 best meals of my life. They say the B&B aspect of the place ein't so shabby either.

Good producers i have tried:
Quinta do Vallado, Douro region, good simple vinho tinto and outstanding reserva (and good tawny Port btw.)
Quinta dos Roques, Dao region, very very good Touriga Nacional (2002)

If she is going to be in Lisbon, I'd encourage her to go to Lisboa Solar, The Port Wine Institute, on the Rua de S. Pedro de Alcântara, in the Bairro Alto. She can taste many ports there and purchase the ones she really likes.

She'll be in a small town called Cornes, north of Porto.

I will get her to keep an eye out for some shops.

There is also one in Oporto, near the Crystal Palace, at the end of the Rua de Entre-Quintas.