Hi all,
I’ll be taking a trip to Portugal in September, and I’ve set aside 4 days for Porto and Duoro. I’m definitely not an expert in Portuguese wine, nor do I have any connections in the wine industry, so I wanted to poll the collective brain here. What wineries do you recommend that are good experiences in either Porto or the rest of Duoro? Anyone have any special connections to set up an appointment at wineries that would otherwise be challenging to see? Any specific non-wine related recommendations?
For reference, I like port but haven’t had a ton of it, and I’m interested in trying the drier whites/reds from Duoro (though I have virtually no experience in that).
Thanks!
Ryan Opaz can take care of you for setting up tours to match your interest. Of course if you want an intense week long tour, join Roy Hersh on one of his tours.
In Porto, Andre Apolaranio does a great walking food tour.
In Porto, Grahams is up on the hill and has a great view. I enjoyed the tour and tasting at Ferreira.
In the Douro itself, Fonseca is well worth visiting. Sandeman has a state of the art facility and amazing view.
As to dry wines, Conceito is worth seeking out.
I would hire a driver because even the dry reds are high octane and I was feeling no pain after tasting in the Douro.
As far as food, a reservation at Pedro Lemos is a must.
http://www.pedrolemos.net/
http://www.viamichelin.com/web/Restaurant/Foz_do_Douro-4150_459-Pedro_Lemos-311644-41102
Niepoort — very much worth a visit! – some stunning wines, and we were treated to a very nice lunch here, as well.
Portal — plan on eating lunch there. Food was excellent, wines were good, but not amazing. The experience was wonderful.
Crasto — nice tasting, and a gorgeous view while doing so.
Vallado — this one was particularly difficult to navigate to, however.
Tedo — impressive range of wines.
The only place where we might have received some preferential treatment is Niepoort, but I can’t be sure about that. All the other visits were, I believe, that which would be afforded to anybody who makes an appointment ahead of time, and the same could be true of Niepoort — I’m just not sure about that one.
Might also look into a boat trip up the Douro…They can serve lunch and wine … A great way to see the vineyards !
Travel tip: Do NOT drink water from the tap in Portugal! I messed-up my last day there, and paid for it quite dearly for the next month. Stomach parasites are no fun.
Everyone is familiar with white vinho verde, but in Portugal you can also find red vinho verde. I found it to be very good. They also make a cocktail of half white port and club soda. Great aperitif. Lastly there is a Portuguese cordial called Ginjinha made from sour cherries. Also worth trying to find.
Porto is a very interesting town. The Douro is remote and beautiful. I loved Portugal and found it to be a hidden gem in Europe. A poor country, but filled with many treasures. Enjoy.
The Kopke lodge in Villa Nova de Gaia generally has an excellent range of ports and table wines available. You’ll pay for them, but if you want to try good Colheitas, this is probably the best lodge to do it.
It’s also a good place to look if you are seeking a birth year bottle
Thanks so much for the suggestions! They are all great and very helpful. Keep them coming!
Restaurants, DOP in Porto and DOC upriver.
Check out the travel forum of Roy Hersh’s website, FTLOP.com.