Vino Con Vino: The Douro Valley

We spent 5 nights in the Douro Valley at our friend´s quinta (wine estate). The Douro River starts in Spain, winds its way across northern Portugal, and empties into the Atlantic at Porto. The valley, carved by the river, is the oldest demarcated wine region in the world and a UNESCO world heritage site. While the summer weather can be quite warm, by mid-November it was crisp, and a bit overcast. It´s a beautiful area and the fall colors added to its allure.

We took the time to relax, but also explored what the region has to offer, most of which is wine-related, and we were happy to partake. The vineyards are planted on steep terraced hills, which create a wonderous scene.

We learned during this trip that Portuguese wineries have adopted a commercial approach to tastings and tours. A visit generally requires a paid-in-advance reservation with a minimum cost of 15 euros/person. Although a tour is provided, most winery tours are similar and we´ve done our fair share, so this is not our preferred model. Still, at Quinta de la Rosa we confirmed that grapes are picked by hand due to the steep terrain and learned that the grapes are crushed by foot (a la ¨I Love Lucy¨, albeit in large concrete containers). This method is better for ports and there are different rhythms and paths used during the very long shifts. The bast factoid was that your feet and legs stay stained for days!

Pinhao is one of many riverside villages. It´s train station is decorated with tiles depicting the region´s viticulture.

To get a view from the water, we took a river cruise on a traditional rabelo boat, the type historically used to transport the barrels of port wine to Porto´s Vila Nova de Gaia warehouses where the wine is aged. It was a nice way to enjoy the scenery and learn more about the history, geography, and geology of the valley.

The Douro was the perfect place to slow down. We enjoyed lunch at Aneto & Table, a winery-owned restaurant in Peso da Regua, one of the larger riverside towns in the area. There were wines paired with every dish. And we had another memorable lunch in Aramar, a small hillside village, at Regional Fonte Nova, where the owner was a truly gracious host. During our meals and tastings we reconfirmed that we prefer wine over ports. Of course, there are occasions for every type.

On our way to Porto, our last stop of this trip, we paused in the Vinho Verde region, known for its very fresh white wines. While the wines at A&D Wines-Quinta de Santa Teresa were spectacular enough to ship some home, the highlight of the tour was meeting Sal, the owner´s 8-month-old spaniel puppy. He followed us around the grounds and happily kept us company while we tasted.