A stay in Porto without a port wine tour in the Douro Valley, the region where the inimitable port wine is produced, is unimaginable. Here, one producer follows the next, you stop off and enjoy.
For us, however, the first question was whether we should go on our own by car or take an organised tour. Hiring a car would have meant that one of us would not be able to enjoy the port wine tasting or we would have had to look for accommodation that offered port wine tastings. We opted for the convenient tour with pick-up in Porto, transport and several tastings and, of course, the return journey to Porto. We quickly found what we were looking for at Get your Guide.
Dreamlike Douro Valley
At 897 kilometres, the Douro is the third longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It has its source in Spain and flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Porto. The famous Alto Douro wine-growing region stretches from the Spanish-Portuguese border to around Mesão Frio. The vines for port wine are only grown here. Wines from other regions are not allowed to be labelled as port wine. The wine-growing region has been protected worldwide since 1756 and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001.
There are many small villages and numerous quintas (wineries) along the course of the valley. These can often only be reached via small, winding roads along the steep valley slopes. A marvellous view of the landscape reveals itself around almost every bend. Many of the quintas also offer wine tastings and sell their wine directly on site.
In the past, the Douro played an important role in transporting wine barrels to the wineries in Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. Some of the small ships can be seen in Porto today.
Port wine tour in the Douro Valley
In our booking confirmation for the tour we had booked, the pick-up point was one of the largest metro stations in Porto. Here we were supposed to stand at a bus stop and wait for a 9-seater coach in a certain colour. It would have been quite easy if there hadn’t been numerous identical coaches stopping there and people looking for different tours. The car arrived a little later than announced and a really nice driver “collected” us. The group of 11 was then driven in two cars towards the Douro Valley.
While the rest of the group slept, we were able to enjoy a wonderful view. In the distance, the clouds still hung low in the Douro valley and only gradually did the view clear up.
A quick coffee and toilet stop in a small town revived the spirits of our fellow travellers, who also had breakfast straight away. Perhaps not the worst idea, as we were to drive to three different wineries and sample 3-6 different port wines at each.
Arrival at the first winery
When we get out of the car, we are already expected and greeted in a very friendly manner. It’s almost as if we’ve arrived at a small winery and the winemaker welcomes us personally. We are given a professional tour and shown the old troughs in which the grapes were once crushed. Olive oil and bread are laid out on a table ready for the first tasting. It tastes good, but is clearly from a large-scale production. The price quoted does not befit a small manufactory. The honey, of which we try 3 different varieties, is also bottled on a larger scale. Nevertheless, I have to say that it simply tastes better than supermarket honey and even my untrained palate can recognise the differences in taste between the varieties.
In the course of the 2-hour visit, the special features of port wine production, the growing region, storage and of course the flavour are explained to us in detail. We also get to taste 6 different wines and, of course, it is pointed out that you can also buy the port on site. Our fingers were itching, but reason prevailed. How were we supposed to take these back with us on the plane? A little online research on the spot shows us that we can also get the port online and delivered directly to our home.
After 6 different wines, we head back to the car park. We had barely left the car park when the next group drove up.
Boutique Porto Winery
According to the programme of the port wine tour in the Douro Valley, the second stop was connected to our lunch, which is included in the price of the tour. Like the first winery, it is located some distance from the direct course of the river, but in the region that is part of the Douro Valley.
We stand in front of a beautiful old house and enter cosily furnished rooms where I would have loved to spend my holiday straight away. Unfortunately, we didn’t stay there, but were taken to the house’s restaurant. Various tour groups, all travelling on a wine tour, were seated at large tables in the house. We found a table for our group in a tent on the terrace. After a salad and soup, we could choose from two dishes – stockfish with rice or risotto with meat. There was water, red wine and white wine on the table. Everyone could drink as much as they wanted. The food was okay, but nothing special. You could tell that they cook for a lot of people every day and there was a lack of “love” in the food. For dessert, we were served a very tasty cake and a glass of 10-year-old port wine. Definitely my highlight of the meal.
Afterwards we went to a wine cellar. We were given a brief explanation of the differences between 10-, 20- and 30-year-old port wines. We also heard about “top port wines” from very special harvest years, some of which are sold for horrendous prices. I found it very nice that the questions asked were answered very well. Of course, the visit to the wine cellar did not end without a tasting. We tasted a 20-year-old and a 30-year-old port wine. To be honest, I liked the 10-year-old port wine from lunch better.
Quinta da Roêda and Croft Port
The last winery of the day was finally located directly on the Douro in the middle of a vineyard. It is a winery owned by the producer Croft, who has built a visitor centre in the former stables of the Quinta da Roêda. Not only is it possible to taste port wines here, there is also a shop where you can make purchases.
The visit began for us with a tasting of 3 port wines. Croft is a very large brand and produces large quantities of port wine. The flavour is adapted to the palate of the masses, which I don’t see as a disadvantage. It always tastes good and it tastes good too.
Guided tours are regularly offered at this winery, which you can also take part in without belonging to a group. In addition to the speciality of port wine production, the tour also includes a visit to the vineyard. You will discover the incredible landscape and splendour of the estate. A little explanation is given about the vines, how different they are and what type of grape grows there. I learn that if you are there at the time of the grape harvest, you can take part in the wine treading by prior arrangement.
Even though this stop on the port wine tour in the Douro Valley is clearly a major producer, it was my favourite part of the tour. The English-language tour was informative and balanced, and the location in the vineyards was simply marvellous. I would love to be able to sit here on the terrace and enjoy a glass in peace.
Return journey
Unfortunately, it was time for us to get in the car and head back to Porto. We stopped briefly at a really great viewpoint and were able to admire the valley from above.
When we arrived in Porto, the journey happened to pass close to our holiday flat and we were able to get off there.
Was it worth taking part in the guided port wine tour in the Douro Valley? Definitely! It was easy to book. We were able to taste the port wine and didn’t have to drive ourselves. We also didn’t have to spend time researching suitable wineries. So all in all, it was super convenient, easy, interesting and we really enjoyed it. The price-performance ratio of the port wine tour in the Douro Valley was right.
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