Kauffman Commentary

In 2021 we went to Lamego and climbed 600 some steps and walked a steep road to the old castle. This year we slept late and wandered around Régua.

Not a lot to see, but they were preparing for the Round 4 of the UIM Formula 2 Championship. They were unloading as we were walking by.  They can reach speeds of 120 mph.

One interesting demonstration they had was on how to open a vintage bottle of wine.  With a very old bottle, the cork will be very brittle and will crumble with a normal cork screw.  So you have to heat a special tool very hot, hold it on the bottle in the middle of the cork for 45-60 seconds, then pour cold water on the neck of the bottle.  The thermal shock cracks the bottle at that point.  You then very slightly pull the cork out a little and pour more water to clear out any broken glass. You can then remove the cork and decant the wine.  They opened and served a vintage bottle of ruby port to perfection.  This was accompanied with a glass of tawny port for comparison.