Passion for Port
The Duoro Valley and Oporto in Portugal
| Porto's Douro river is one of the oldest demarcated wine regions in the world. It's also one of the most beautiful. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Douro river valley features spectacular terraced vineyards on vertiginous slopes. This tour explores old and new Portugal, with a mix of large Porto houses and small, boutique estates. It begins with the historic Porto lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia built by the British in the 17th century. The tour then moves upstream to the Upper Douro, where Porto's thick-skinned grapes are grown--and a new generation of winemakers is revolutionizing Portugal's |
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| dry table wines. With the newly released 2007 being declared a Vintage year of stellar quality, now's the time to go! |
Highlights:
• Wine estates: Grahams, Taylor Fladgate, Warre's, Niepoort, Ramos Pinto, Quinta do Portal, Body and Soul (Pintas) & more
• Harbour cruise in Oporto
• Dine at Taylor Fladgate, Niepoort, and Qunita do Portal wineries
2010 dates: [6 days/5 nights]
September 6-11
Cost: $2,995; single room supplement $350
Early Bird Discount: Book by February 1 and save $150
Meet & depart: Oporto (it is advisable to arrive one day prior as we'll be heading out early the next morning)
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Day 1 - Welcome to Oporto
A walking tour of Oporto provides an historical orientation. We'll hear why taxes and a war with France drove the British into the welcoming arms of Portugal, where they seized upon Porto as a viable replacement for embargoed Bordeaux. Lunch at Taylor Fladgate follows. This family firm (f. 1692) was one of the earliest British shippers to acquire vineyards. More history and tastings follow at Sandeman (f. 1790), whose caped Don has been an integral part of their brand since the 1930s. Dinner introduces the tasty regional cuisine, which includes such dishes as kale soup (caldo verde), baby sucking pig (leitão assado), chourico sausage, codfish (bacalhau), and piri piri hot sauce. D |
Day 2 - River River Cruise
Morning offers free time in town, followed by a river cruise in Oporto. We'll hear how flat-bottomed boats (barco rabelo) once transported large casks, or pipes, of wine from the Upper Douro to the lodges that line the harbor, where Porto was aged and bottled. After lunch, we'll visit the esteemed Ramos Pinto firm (f. 1880) and its museum. José Ramos Pinto Rosas became known as "the Pope of the Duoro" because of his dedication to improvements in viticulture and mechanization. The research of Rosa and current winemaker João Nicolau de Almeida helped determine the top five grape varieties in the Douro - and no doubt contributed to their splendid wines, such |
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| as the 20 Year tawny Quinta da Evormoira. A second tasting at Graham's (f.1820), part of the Symington portfolio, delves deeper in the styles of Porto and the quintas (single vineyards). Dinner on your own in Oporto. B |
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Day 3 - The Duoro Boys
This morning we leave Oporto and drive upstream to the hotter, drier Upper Douro, where the vineyards are located. We arrive in time for lunch at Quinta de Napoles, part of the prestigious Niepoort firm (f. 1842). Dirk Niepoort, |
| one of the so-called "Douro Boys," recently transformed this small, dilapidated winery into a futurist, state-of-the-art wonder -a sign of the investment and transformation underway in the Douro today. After lunch, we'll visit another historic property made new, Quinta do Tedo. This small, 250-year-old estate was purchased in 1992 by Vincent and Kay Bouchard from Burgundy, whose boutique Portos soon began racking up awards and top scores. Tonight we settle into our second hotel, a 4-star Relaise & Chateau in the town of Pinhao. B, L, D |
Day 4- Innovation Up-River
This morning, we visit Lamego, one of the most attractive cities in Portugal. We'll see the resplendent Baroque sanctuary and pilgrimage destination Nossa Senhora do Remédios (Our Lady of Remedies), located high above the city, then have free time to wander the back streets. The rest of the day revolves around two tastings. Founded in 1670, Warre's was the first British Port firm established in Portugal, and has remained at the forefront of quality Porto production. After seeing their Quinta da Cavadinha property, we'll visit a smaller winery, such as Quinta de Casa Amarela, a family-run operation since 1885, which mixes old traditions (stone-walled terraces) with new |
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| (solar energy), and classic Ports with cutting-edge wines. Alternately, we'll visit Quinta de la Rosa, another small family that foot-stomps grapes in traditional stone troughs (lagar) but makes modern-style wines. Dinner is in Pinhão. B, D |
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Day 5 - The Soul of Port
Our day starts at Wine & Soul, an aptly named winery in Vale de Mendiz that was founded by a couple, both enologists. Pintas is their much-sought-after wine (named after their dog, a pointer), which comes from 70-year-old vines. Lunch at Quinta do Portal showcases the wines of an esteemed estate that Forbes placed among the "Ten Great International Wine Destinations." Their wines range from a Douro sparkler to dessert Moscatel. From there, we move on our final tasting at Quinta do Passadouro, a boutique winery on the river, where we'll receive a warm family |
| welcome in a cozy setting. At dinner, we'll toast old traditions, new friends, and the future of the Douro. B, D |
Day 6 - Adeus!
A shuttle to the Oporto train station or airport and assistance with your travel plans. B
For GoogleMap, click here
