I’ll be in Portugal’s Dao region for a few days, and I thought that if I needed advice on what wineries to visit, Berserkers could provide it.
I work in wine and am interested in visiting wineries that make wines that reflect the region. I don’t need a luxury tourist experience or “Instagramable” vista. Wine first!
Any suggested visit?
Vasques de Carvahlo is a small, family-owned port producer. Their stores are still in the Dao —- edit: ah never mind, they are in the Douro. I’ll keep the info here in case it isn’t too far away.
The website below has contact info, but they are not responsive to emails. I would call the tasting room in Vila Nova de Gaia.
Try to get into Quinta da Pellada. Very difficult but worth it. Maria Castro is just a riot. Not a formal visit, you just follow her around for a few hours as she goes about her errands and taste with her as she goes along. You might be bottling wines or visit vineyard workers. Play with the winery dog.
Quinta do Sobral in Santar. Small family run, superb wines. Fantastic terrior. Even the fruit off their trees are terrific. Ridiculously underpriced.
Carlos Raposo is a young winemaker, formerly with Dirk Niepoort. He’s expanding his business, but it’s still family run. Likely deal with his wife since he’s usually off consulting somewhere. Play with the young kids.
Carlos Lucas has a much bigger enterprise, but his wines, especially his Encruzado’s, are spectacular.
I recommend renting a car. Google maps is your friend as you drive.
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Not sure if it’s the same all across Portugal but most of the wineries are closed on weekends. I ran into this issue when trying to setup visits during my weekend getaway to the Bairrada. Fortunately, during the spring there are Regional Wine Festivals and over 20 were pouring at the one I attended in Anadia. That should also be close to your visit to the Dao.
In Dao, Antonio Madeira and Mariana Salvador are making compelling wines of their own right. As someone making Mencia I have a particular fondness for the Jaens of Dao.
Have so much fun and drink lots of Baga and Bical if you make your way over to the Bairrada.
Thanks for the tips.