Into The Heart Of The Douro Valley… Her.ie Visits Porto And The Douro Region

Portugal has long been a favourite holiday destination for the Irish sunseeker, with regular reasonably-priced charter flights travelling to the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula throughout the year.

In fact, the Embassy of Portugal reports that the country welcomed a record-breaking 400,000 Irish tourists in 2012.

But the land north of capital city Lisbon remains relatively undiscovered, or "desconhecido", by the Irish. Despite the absence of the massive concrete holiday complexes the south of the country has been overtaken by, the majority of tourists still bypass the north and flock to the beaches of Faro, Albufeira and Lagos for their two weeks abroad.

The north of Portugal offers beautiful scenery and wonderful photo opportunities, cities and towns steeped in culture as well as a to-do list that seriously rivals the southern regions.

And for us Irish-obsessed, you're still guaranteed the good weather, albeit slightly less predictable than the south.

In the North regions of Portugal, the summers are very warm and the winters are chilly. Expect rain from autumn to spring, but this is what makes the region so picturesque and green.

With Ryanair flying direct from Dublin to Porto, there's no excuse now not to pack your bag and head to the country's northern regions for a relaxing break.

There's something special about the city of Porto.

Arriving In Porto...

Porto is one of Europe's oldest centres and, as well as a coast full of beaches for soaking up a few rays, it's steeped in history and culture, perfect for the ultimate guidebook-worm.

In fact, you can't visit Porto without taking a step into one of its biggest cultures and exports...porto wine.

And this is what us amateur port wine-drinkers were whisked away to The Gentle Land to experience.

Our mission at hand? To trace the history of the region's speciality from the heart of the vineyard-lined, meandering Douro Valley to the bustling cellars at the mouth of the river in Porto.

This journey can be experienced at a selection of porto museums both in the city and at the Douro Valley, all of them taking a unique approach to teaching the port wine fan, or equally amateur, about the story of the drink.

Let The Port Wine Journey Begin

A renovated wine warehouse was where our port journey would begin. Churchill Graham, established in 1981, are only relatively new to the whole port wine business. Their warehouses are only a twenty-minute walk from the city centre and are open to the public, no booking required.

An intimate experience, the building is entered by a small door off a dusty road. A clean, modern interior welcomes people to taste a selection of port wines and talk to the friendly staff about the history of the company and how their port is made.

A stand-out feature was the large wooden door on the bright, white wall which opened into what seemed to be a different world, the cellar. Guests are invited to walk around the dark, cold cellar, complete with port wine vats and barrels.

The First Tasting: At Churchill Graham's.

Our journey continues to the cousins of our first hosts, the W&J Grahams and their white villa museum and cellars at the top of a hill overlooking the beautiful Porto.

An extensive tour is offered at the centre, complete with a video presentation teaching you about the city's relationship with port wine.

The tour leads to a cellar, almost fifty times bigger than the last, where large vats line sandy paths into darkness. Guests are led through the cellars to the back of the building which opens up to a breathtaking view of the northern capital.

The Douro River flows into the port from behind the hills and it was described as a strange experience to watch the bustling city from such a quiet and serene spot.

Vintages from as early as 1920 are stored in the cellars. 

Traditional tapas, as well as a delicious typical Portuguese custard dessert (pastel de nata), are offered as lunch on the veranda as part of the Vinum Restaurant & Wine Bar experience. A selection of W&J Grahams port wines are served with the meal at the veranda-with-a-view; an experience that, in our own words, deserved an special occasion.

Now that the amateur knew the basics of port wine-making and had sniffed and swirled a few glasses with a newfound expertise, it was time to make the two-and-a-half hour journey east into the heart of the Douro Valley...

The Douro Valley - Where It All Begins

The journey of port wine begins in the UNESCO-awarded region where vineyards line the hills on either side of the wide river for miles upon miles. The plantations are dotted with white villas, or "quintas", some private homes of the winemakers, others open to the public to learn more about the port experience.

The Douro Valley can be accessed easily by car but the train journey is the real treat. The track follows the edge of the river for most of the trip and offers a unique view of the impressive landscape.

Take the train into the heart of the Douro Valley. 

We arrive at the Quinta Nova in the evening, a place we half-jokingly (note that also means half-seriously) mention that it should be the venue for the next wedding. The quinta, reconstructed from an old 18th century manor, is perched on the top of a hill, framed by the estate's A-grade vineyards for miles.

A small church is located beside the house, a place where men transporting the port barrels by horse to the city of Porto in the past would stop by and pray in. Nowadays, it is the wedding location for lucky couples or just a place of peace for tourists who want to take a step back and appreciate their beautiful surroundings.

The beautiful Quinta Nova. 

Why not go for a dip?!

The quinta has eleven rooms, an outdoor pool and a panoramic view. Guests are invited to walk the planned routes for the area, take the tour of the Quinta Nova or visit other quintas for wine tours, become a winemaker for the day or just to chill and relax.

Evenings can be spent savouring the Portuguese specialities in the quinta's restaurant Conceitus or taking up residence with a good book in any of the manor's many chairs, couches or patio loungers. Honestly though, the "good book" mightn't even be opened with a distraction as beautiful as the sight of the stars reflecting on the river.

Paola, our hostess at the Quinta Nova, organised a sailing boat to collect us from the water's edge the next morning. The instructions were to kick back, relax and enjoy the view as a basket of fresh cherries picked from the land we were drifting right through was passed around.

Our boat journey from one quinta to another. 

Quinta do Panascal and home to Fonseca, the most traditional of the region's ports, was our next stop. Opened for tourists in 1992, it was the first quinta to offer a tour to explain the story of the Douro Region. And although the quinta welcomes about 8,000 visitors a year, there is still a sense of exclusivity about the spot.

For amateurs, this tour is the best place to learn about the story of port and the history of the Douro Region. Although a simple concept, the audio guide through the vines' paths granted us the "Ah-ha!" moment where it all clicked. Guests are invited back to the house for tastings after the twenty-minute tour.

Eating lunch in the shaded veranda was where we were told that, not only is the quinta open 365 days a year with no bookings required, the tour and the tastings cost only €3 as a package.

"We just want to teach people more about the drink," our hostess Ana Margarida said simply.

Our spot for lunch at the traditional Quinta do Panascal. 

The audio tour leads you through the vineyards of the Quinta do Panascal. 

Our final stop in the Douro Region would prove that each quinta caters for a different type of tourist. From the luxury of the Quinta Nova, to the traditional Quinta do Panascal, we were welcomed at the modern Quinta do Seixo, the home of the multinational wine brand Sandeman, a popular spot for the Japanese and American mass tourism.

Although in an uncharacteristically large building, the guided tour did have the "Wow" factor at the end. After stepping down six flights of stairs into what we thought was the dark depths of the building, the doors opened onto the side of the hill to a magnificent view of the Douro Valley framed only by glass.

Fancying myself as a port snob after 48 hours of tastings, I decided the Sandeman had too little a personality for my tastebuds. I was going to stick with the locals on this one...

The Journey Comes To An End

Back to the city of Porto and to the piéce de resistance... the Espaco Porto Cruz, a multimedia centre situated in one of the port's oldest cellar buildings.

The modern design is carried throughout the exhibition, multimedia and tasting rooms, culminating at a cocktail bar and restaurant at the top of the building. Port cocktails are ordered and we set up residence watching the sunset from couches on the rooftop garden.

Our thoughts? Possibly the coolest way yet to teach people about port.

Our journey through the story of port was more than just metaphorical as we noted we'd travelled from the vast vineyards and hidden cellars of the Douro Valley, along the route of the Douro River to the cellars at the heart of Porto...

For port fans and amateurs alike, there's no better place to experience one of Portugal's biggest stories. 

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Notes:

For flights direct from Dublin to Porto, check out Ryanair.com

Special thanks to our host Maria Cabral of the Instituto dos Vinhos de Douro e Porto for the wonderful trip.