Wine Tour in Douro Valley with Living Tours

Portuguese wine is known for its tradition and identity and it is drunk all over the World. Despite its small size, Portugal ranks 6th in the world as a wine producer country. Portugal may have more autochthonous castes than any other country – well over 200. Among the most known grape varieties, there are Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro and Tinta Roriz, all very appreciated in Portugal.

As a wine lover, I wanted to explore Douro better, since the last time I visited the region, had been with my parents a long time ago.

Porto wine tasting, Ferreira Cellars (2023)

At the end of August, I went on a day tour with Living Tours to the Douro Valley. This company offers several guided tours, activities and experiences in Porto and Spain.

I chose to do the “Wine Tour in Douro Valley – 2 Wineries, Tastings, River Cruise and Lunch”, a one-day tour.

Why visit the Douro Valley? Where is it located?

This world heritage destination offers a perfect combination of stunning landscapes, world-class wines and a rich and diverse cultural heritage! Douro Valley is the oldest demarcated wine region in the World since 1756 by Marquês de Pombal and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001.

It is located in northern Portugal and it falls within Vila Real, Bragança, Viseu and Guarda districts and it is divided into three parts: ” Baixo Corgo”, “Clima-Corgo” and “Douro Superior”.

Map of Douro Wine region
Source: Molecular and Phenotypic Characterization of Metschnikowia pulcherrima Strains from Douro Wine Region – Scientific Figure on ResearchGate. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-of-Douro-Wine-Region-a-Illustration-of-the-position-of-the-Douro-Wine-Region_fig1_322781141 [accessed 13 Oct 2024]

Wine Tour in Douro Valley – 2 Wineries, Tastings, River Cruise and Lunch

The day started early and I was very excited!

We went to the Living Tours office and they told us our bus number right away. Our tour guide, André Maia was already waiting for us.

After waiting for everyone to arrive, we started our journey on a very comfortable bus! The first stop was the charming city of Amarante.

We left Porto with a grey sky but we were “blessed” with a beautiful and warm day in the Douro Valley.

Amarante: The Enchanting Gem of Northern Portugal

The first stop of our tour was the charming city of Amarante.

The memory of the French invasions lives on in Amarante. More than 200 years later, its signs are visible and can be seen, for example, in the canvases pierced by bayonets in the sacristy of the church of São Gonçalo, on the façade of the building – scarred by cannonballs – or in the damaged pyramids of the São Gonçalo bridge.

Today, these are must-see places for any tourist who wants to experience what the municipality’s history and culture has to offer.

During our tour, our guide, André Maia, taught us many curiosities and interesting facts about Portugal Porto and Douro Valley.

He shared more about the importance of wine for Portugal and in our traditions and he then focused on the history of Porto wine!

The vineyards of Quinta da Roêda

Our second stop was Quinta da Roêda and everyone in the group was excited to see the vineyards and taste Porto wine! Originally planted in 1811, Quinta da Roêda, has an area of 109 hectares and includes both modern vineyards and a significant area of old vineyard originally planted in the 19th century.

Here we learned more about harvesting the grapes and the wine-making process.

Wine Tasting at Quinta da Roêda

Before tasting some very good Porto wine, we learned more about how it was produced and stored. We then drank the wine (White, Ruby and Tawny) and we shared our opinions about them.

Douro cruise

After the visit to Quinta da Roêda, we were delighted with a cruise in Douro. For me, it was magical since I love the countryside and nature so much! It’s amazing to see how the terraces of the vineyards are so steep.

Casa dos Barros – Lunch and Wine Tasting

We had a very pleasant lunch at Casa dos Barros, with some Douro wine, followed by another wine Porto wine tasting.

Why book a Douro Valley tour? My experience with Living Tours

I felt proud of being Portuguese and visiting the oldest demarcated region in the world.

This tour was a great opportunity to enjoy the Dourto Valley, drink amazing Porto wine, meet new people exchange ideas and learn a lot of curiosities about Portugal! Even me, being Portuguese learned new things!

Visiting the Douro Valley is an experience everyone should have!

I hope you liked my post! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!

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