New American Port-- Old Mendoza Hand?

I'm catching up in fits & starts with the wine blogosphere, after minimal contact over the last month, & was happily flattered to discover that my suggestion for a name for American fortified wines that did not infringe on Portuguese Port's DO protection was worth public mention in Jim Gordon's blog for the online edition of the Wine Enthusiast, Unreserved. Thank you, Jim: it feels like a nice validation of my meagre talents at this stage in my life & non-existent career in wine & marketing...

For those of you keeping score, I finally sat down to my first Asado de Lomo de Vaca, weighing in at 400 grams-- 14.08 ounces by my calculations, last Tuesday the 18th, to celebrate my first lunar month in Argentina. The location was the lovely patio courtyard of 'La Chancha' (The Sow!) --right next to the swimming pool.
It's a gem of a restaurant, located in Barrio Bombal, a socially diverse suburb just ouside of Mendoza downtown that links up with Godoy Cruz, once upon a time a separate little town that was swallowed up much in the way that Barrio de Gracia, La Salud & Sants were by the growth of Barcelona. 'La Chancha' is not a well-kept secret, as a full young crowd gave evidence last night, when I returned to try the pork version of the dish.
Owner Diego is a recovering adman (--you're not alone, Terry!) just starting a new career as an Architect. I'll try to get some pertinent facts next time I visit. He likes spicy foods, associated in Argentina with the subtropical Northeast of the country, & he got some ginger to douse the pork in a ginger-pineapple sauce after I mentioned a similar preparation as the Christmas dish I had in one of the happier occasions I shared with my ex- & her family.

Mendoza is a highly idiosyncratic place, even for Argentina, & a sweltering town this time of year. Been jotting down impressions all of these last two weeks & will try to weave a semi-coherent narrative out of them soon.