Thank you, America. Or that trip that always ends with a wish to come back!

The last week in the US is as frantic as the first one. We live with the feeling of getting the job done well. Our wines are getting more and more appreciated. But we also know this work is never entirely done, especially in our business. This, together with the way we are always welcomed, there is only one solution: to come back! Thank you all for the past few days!

Monday

Newark. Our American importer has its base here in New Jersey state where, we all know, we feel the most as if in Portugal. It’s always extraordinary to contact our community in such a huge market. Around here, even among second or third-generation Portuguese, the Portuguese wines grab the peoples feelings and are a link to a country, that albeit distant, is close to heart. I get lost in the shops and restaurants. I am genuinely proud of sharing these beautiful moments with our most authentic ambassadors, that have built their lives here and welcome us always with a smile and an enormous generosity. Thank you!

Tuesday

It is a dedicated day to Manhattan. I spend the day keeping company with our salesperson and friend Imran. It’s the city that never stops, and whenever I get back, there is always something new. By dinner time, I counted 14km, not considering the subways ride. Dinner was at the fantastic Tocqville restaurant, where Bruno Almeida is the Head Sommelier. Bruno is Portuguese who has lived in the US for a long time now and has done great work showing Portuguese wines to this market. We invited our main buyers from the Manhattan area. And it was a massive success.

Wednesday

It was a kind of tour of New Jersey State. I spent the day with Carlos, our salesperson, going through several cities visiting shops that have been great partners to us. Lunch is with a few buyers from those same shops for a quick catch up on the new AdegaMãe wines. I finished my evening in Bayway, one of the most important spots of the day, where we organised a tasting for our end customers. And that is how we finished another day of presenting Lisbon region wines in the US.

Thursday

This one was dedicated to Brooklin, a great neighbourhood filled with interesting people. We go through wine shops and wine bars. And the day ends at Vine, in downtown Brooklyn, with an excellent presentation of the AdegaMãe project for 40 people. Another great day!

Friday

I spent the morning in the office, where I showed the sales team the new wines of AdegaMãe. It was almost Thanksgiving, and Christmas time was around the corner, a crucial moment for wine sales. We need to take advantage of this season to sell the more premium wines. By the end of the day, I join another Meet the Winemakers event, this time in Manhattan, in the shop of my friend Patrick.

Saturday

My return flight is in the evening. So I take advantage of the day and go through Central Park and visit some of my favourite places in town. And there it is, between each visit, I always find something very different. This city has strength, and it is renewed at an incredible pace. I love that, particularly in the food business. In here you can find all kinds of cuisines: greek, Peruana, Korean, Japanese, Italian, French, Brasilian, Argentinian, Lebanese, all of them. And they all have so much quality it is tough to choose from them.

There is always a new place to experiment that I don’t have time to go in. But maybe next time, when I get back next year!