The Portugal Sapphire: FREE UNTIL MONDAY

/ J.A. Jernay

My newest Ainsley Walker ebook, The Portugal Sapphire, is free on Amazon from Thursday, December 5 to Monday, December 9.

Pick it up here when you have a chance.

4 thoughts on “The Portugal Sapphire: FREE UNTIL MONDAY”

  2. I am in the middle of the Portugal Saphire, and would like to know if you personally visited Portugal in preparation for the Book. I chose this simply because the title had “Portugal” in it. I am a sentimental old fool regarding anything Portugal!
    Your descriptions are so vivid, and your historical facts quite accurate, in parrticular, the historical facts regarding Port Wine., which intrigues me. My nephew is David Bruce Fonseca Guimaraens. David is the head of Croft, and took over Fonseca after his father, Bruce, died in 2002. My sister is also a translator, and has translated quite a few of the Portuguese Wine Institute books on Port into English, and is one of the few who refers to the wine makers, as “shippers” which you do as well in your book. Her name is Magdalena Gorrell Guimaraens. Did you visit the port loges – maybe Taylor’s? If you like port, you must try David’s newest venture, the Croft Pink! He was the first to produce it and it is simply delicious – light, and wonderful chilled! My father was the one who suggested the name for the Fonseca white port, Sirroco. I remarried, and we purposely got married on October 27th, in memory of Bruce, who’s birthday was October 27th – hence the name Fonseca Bin 27 port!

    I am at the point where Ainsley is in Evora, also one of my favorite places, but my heart does belong to the Northern area, Porto, the Minho and of course, the Douro. After that, Sintra – how more beautiful can it get?

    I had to laugh at your description of trying to learn the language – my mother used to say that is was as if you were speaking with a bowl of mush in your mouth! or, her favorite, as my mother was Spanish from Madrid, she said it was as if you were speaking a bastardised version of Spanish!

    Anyway, I am thoroughly enjoying the book and feeling such a close affinity to the places Ainsley is going to. I would love to hear from you. I’ve never written to an author before- you are my first!
    Angela Gorrell McKay

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    • Thank you, Angela, for your beautiful note. Yes, I visited Portugal for a few weeks, travelled widely, and researched the country before and after. I also learned the basics of Portuguese, which is quite hard, though I did manage to make a couple of people laugh–always a litmus test for me during travels.

      Your family is quite distinguished. I do love Fonseca, and I even visited the tasting room, since it was one of the few open in the Douro during my spring visit. The Sirroco was my favorite; they served it in a Collins glass with seltzer water and mint. as I recall. Also, I stayed at the Quinta do Passadouro, and the Dutch manager couldn’t say enough good things about Bin 27, which has turned out to be the most consistently excellent port wine that I’ve enjoyed. (A forty-year-old colheita from Real Companhia Velha, however, has been the hands-down winner in my short life.)

      I think you’ll appreciate the last third of the story.

      In the meantime, after you’ve finished the book, please consider leaving a nice review. It would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.

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