portugal

I just discovered the lovely Pensao Favorita hotel in Porto, Portugal, on Remodelista and fell absolutely in love. While I'm not normally drawn toward such restrained minimalism, the simplicity of the décor allows elements like the diamond-pattern tilework, the vintage chandelier, and the curved-back armchair to really shine. I love how the doors were painted in soft gray; it makes the space more intriguing than an all-white room.Fortunately, this little dining room is really easy to replicate with some affordable Ikea furniture pieces, which will allow you to spend more on a vintage chandelier you truly love and have tiles laid. If new tilework is not in the budget, I've found a similar diamond-pattern rug that will certainly fit the bill. Check out all my finds below and be sure to check out more photos of the beautiful hotel here.

At a Portugese wine event I attended earlier this week, the very first drink I enjoyed, Aliança Vinho Verde ($9), was one of my favorites. "I call it my boating wine," the distributor said to me as he poured me a glass, "because it's so very easy to drink."

Easy to drink indeed. The nonvintage nine percent alcohol Vinho Verde wine — a blend of Azal, Pedernã, Trajadura, and Loureiro grapes — was so light in color it almost looked like water in a glass. At first sip it was crisp, almost weightless in body, and ever-so-slightly effervescent, with an apple-pear bouquet and a medium-dry finish. It was delightful on its own, but would've been even better with some grilled Spring vegetables and seafood at a sun-filled picnic. What's your favorite warm-weather wine?

Portugal is best known for Port and Madeira, but lately I've gotten acquainted with the country's other wines, and I haven't been disappointed in the least. Last week, I waxed poetic about an ethereal sparkling wine, and now, it's a deep, dark red that I can't get out of my mind.

If I didn't already know it was Portuguese, I might've thought Singularis ($17) was a Ribera de Duero. Much like the Spanish wine, it's made mostly of Aragonez — which is known as Tempranillo in neighboring Spain.

But, its best qualities were new to me: A bursting black cherry nose, very soft tannins, and a cooling, nearly menthol-like finish. Even though it'd be a great collector's wine, it has zero tightness, making it a wonderful wine for right now. Do you feel the same way about any Portuguese red wines?

They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and based on my initial experience with Portuguese sparkling wine, I've been very impressed. Recently I sipped a truly wonderful sparkling, Luis Pato Bruto Espamante ($17), at a tasting led by Eugenio Jardim, sommelier at Traci Des Jardins's San Francisco restaurant Jardinière. "To me, it's inexplicable why Prosecco and Cava would be more popular than this," he commented. I couldn't have agreed more.

The brut bubbly isn't overly perfumed, but just aromatic enough, with fruity-floral notes of apricot and peach and a nice dry finish. With its feminine flavors and pale straw hue, it brought to mind a ballerina fluttering in a tulle dress. It's rare in Portugal to see single-varietal wines, and this is no exception. I didn't recognize the grapes (Maria Gomes is a muscat-like varietal, and Arinto, a lemon-tinged, high-acid grape), but that was irrelevant after one sip. Have you ever tried a Portuguese sparkling wine?