This story originally appeared in the Napa Valley Register.

Portuguese wine production dates to ancient civilization but it is a rather unfamiliar region for wine drinkers in the United States. You may know of Port or Madeira or even Vinho Verde. But have you heard of Alentejo, Dao or Tejo? Meet Ayesha Trump (no relation) of Douro Vino Selections who is on a mission to bring artisanal wines from across Portugal to the United States.

Ayesha never thought she would be taking people on a journey into Portugal’s geography, cuisine and history through its wines. Born in Mexico, she was working as an oil consultant and traveling for work. While in Spain for work, she decided to take a vacation weekend to Portugal. On a warm summer night, she found a tiny restaurant in Lisbon where the owner gave her a mini-master class on the wines of Portugal. This amazing experience embodied Portugal and Ayesha fell in love. As she explained, “I fell in love with the entire package, the food, the wines, the culture.” She emptied personal contents from her suitcase to fit a few bottles of wine in to bring home.