Best places to taste wine in Douro Valley, Portugal
The Douro Valley is one of the most unique and beautiful wine regions in the world. Located 90 minutes east of Porto in the northern part of Portugal, vines on steep mountains are divided by the flowing Douro river.
Starting around 1750, winemakers in the valley created Port — a sweet red wine fortified with brandy. The barrels were then loaded up on to boats and sent down the river towards Porto for storage and bottling.
Then in the 1960’s, the region started to see some modern improvements including roads from Porto to Douro and the creation of table wine. Thanks to these two factors, The Douro Valley is extremely accessible for tourists and wine fans of every flavor.
Quick Facts about the Douro Valley AVA
- Located in the North of Portugal, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site
- The first demarcated wine-producing region in the world established 1756
- Splitting the steep cliff-side vineyards is the Douro River, which runs over 550 miles from Spain to Porto, Portugal and feeds into the Atlantic Ocean.
- A “Quinta” is a farm estate, and in this region, means a winery and vineyard is attached. There are over 200 in the AVA — we are now proud owners of one of them; we’ve listed it on AirBNB – let us know before you book so we can provide a special follower discount!
Where to stay in Portugal
The best place to start is Porto (roughly 4 hour train ride from Lisbon or a 3.5 hour drive). If you are flying into Lisbon and it’s your first time in Portugal, spending a few days in the country’s most famous city is advised. Ride the 28 trolly and visit the castle town of Sintra. But then, make it up to Porto.
We recommend spending at least a night in Porto to enjoy the beauty of the old town. Wander the hilly streets and walk across the Luis bridge, staring back at the beautifully painted buildings along the waterfront.
After wandering a bit in Villa Nova de Gaia, ride the gondola back up to the bridge and finish the evening with Pulvo and a night cap at A Cave Do Bon Vivant.
How to get to the Douro Valley
Three options to get to the Douro from Porto: Car, Train or Boat. We recommend renting a car since it’s required for getting around once in the Douro. The next best option is the train.
If driving, try not to get distracted by the jaw-dropping scenery. The roads are tight and grade is steep, so you’ll need every bit of focus here.
Best places to stay in the Douro Valley
The Douro Valley is a 95 mile stretch that starts near Peso de Regua (roughly 1.5 hour drive from Porto) and ends at the border of Spain. Grapes start growing much further west in the Vinho Verde region; as this area is closer to the coast and is much cooler than the hot Douro Valley, you’ll find more producers making white wine here (vinho verde is a Portugese term that refers to a dry, zippy white wine).
If lighter style wines are preferred, you may want to stay in this Vinho Verde region. Check out Quinta Covela. Otherwise, head to areas in or around Peso de Regua or Pinhao. If you’ve elected not to have a vehicle, either of those two small towns would be best since you can walk to restaurants and cafés. Check out our very own AirBNB for a centrally located spot.
Don’t miss our full guide for best places to stay in the Douro Valley.
Best wineries in the Douro Valley
Finding the best wineries in Douro Valley is not an easy task. After two separate visits, all there seemed to be are massive commercial enterprises. Wine Scribes focuses on the small producers, and so after the third visit, we finally found them.
Quinta de Covela
On your way out to the Douro, do yourself a favor and start off with these beautifully balanced and expressive wines in the Vinho Verde region. The owner, Tony, is incredibly charismatic and their wines are some of our favorite in the valley. They produce whites from their estate and reds from grapes grown in the Douro. We love the Avesso Nature and Branca. You can also plan to stay a few nights on the vines if time permits.
Quinta do Tedo
Started by Burgundian winemaker Vincent Bouchard (part of the Bouchard et Fils family), this Quinta do Tedo is a 37-acre property with a 250-year-old estate. While the property may be classic, their view on winemaking is very modern, taking risks with non traditional red blends and rose’s. This is a great bed and breakfast option but also as a standalone tasting visit as well.
Did you know, Portugal has 250 indigenous varietals? More than any country.
Luis Seabra
Luis Seabra is one our favorite winemakers in Portugal, if not the world. His wines span a wide spectrum of styles and have a high degree of complexity.
He makes wine for several labels including Xisto, Illimatado and Niepoort. Luis subscribes to the minimal interventionist style of low-touch winemaking and native yeast ferments. Great balance and flavor with high acid (something that’s not always easy to do in the hot Douro Valley).
The tasting at Luis Seabra’s winery is something very special, and also very hard to get a reservation to. But if you’re persistent, and polite, you won’t regret making the trek.
Quinta de São Bernardo
Quinta de São Bernardo is a sophisticated, family-run boutique hotel and working winery nestled directly on the banks of the Douro River near Mesão Frio. Originally a 1912 family farmhouse, it has been fully renovated to offer intimate, high-end accommodation (under 10 rooms/villas) combined with the authentic Douro agricultural experience.
In addition to a wonderful view–directly over the river and terraced vineyards, their wine was outstanding. Ranging from crispy easy drinking vinho verdes, to opulent white blends, to more traditional vinho tinto red blends. We also loved our outdoor dining experience here and are excited to stay as hotel guests someday.
A&D wines
A little further east towards Peso de Regua, but still in Vinho Verde is another small producer we love. The property is hundreds of years old and even features vines that predate phylloxera! The staff are top notch as they guide you through their light and approachable (yet highly differentiated) wine lineup. Ask for the walking tour as you enjoy your flight.
Wine and Soul
A true family-owned and operated winery, started by a couple with a love for old vines. Old vines don’t always produce high quantity of grapes, but often very high quality. The winery is simple and unassuming but the wines are beautifully made and bottles are priced to move.
If you’d rather have someone else plan your journey (and drive you around) contact Grapeland for wine tours. These experienced guides will ask your wine preferences and build a customized itinerary for you in the Douro that includes 2-3 tastings plus lunch. They’ll arrive in a 4×4 Land Rover for your transit and can even take you around to different viewpoints called miradouros.
Libatio
While not a winery per se, this is our favorite wine bar in the Valley. Located in the central Peso de Regua town, this natural wine bar features small producers from all over the country and great finds from around Europe as well. Bonus tip: check their Instagram for fun music and special guest-pour events!
Best restaurants in Douro Valley
DOC restaurant
Our favorite fine dining option in the Douro Valley. Usually restaurants with the best views have sub-par food as a trade off, but not here. The tasting menu consists of fresh octopus, lamb, codfish and other local delights. The wine pairing is always spot on and the dinner is fairly priced compared to other similar tasting menu restaurants.
Fonte Nova
A small, traditional family-owned restaurant in a tiny town called Armamar (known for their apples). Dinner usually consists of 4 specials made for sharing. The main dish includes accouterments like cheese and sausage, bean stew and roasted apple with walnuts.
Casa dos Ecos
While the estate winery of Quinta de Bomfim may be large scale production, the new on-site restaurant doesn’t taste like it. Incredible views of the Douro River, sitting atop endless rows of vines. Octopus tagine is one of the best in the country and their homemade cornbread is to die for.
Other things to do in the Douro
- Boat excursion – Taking a boat ride is a classic way to see the scenic Douro Valley. We recommend contacting Douro Vintage boat trips about an excursion departing from the docks in Pinhao.
- Hike – Speaking of Pinhao, one of our favorite hikes in the Valley is Casal de Loivos. This easy to moderate hike offers a nice stroll through the rocky vineyards. It is decently marked but still requires a bit of attention. Afterwards, relax with a glass at Deck by Loivos 475 (make sure to check hours as this was just a pop-up when we last visited).
- Douro Wine Museum – Learn about this region’s rich history in the central town of Peso de Regua. The Museu do Douro is a great spot for wine and history fans alike.
FAQ
Yes, reservations are highly recommended. Most smaller producers (which we focus on) are not equipped with large customer-facing teams and tours. We don’t recommend tasting at places that have tour bus parking!
We recommend situating yourself centrally to many of the wineries. East of Peso de Regua and west of Pinhao is ideal. We stay at our winery and host it on Airbnb when we’re not there. Check availability here.
For a typical wine fan, we recommend at least 3 days / 2 nights in the valley. You can stay longer of course and enjoy other non-wine activities like boating in the Douro River, hiking or just relaxing.
The short answer is yes, however to truly appreciate the area, we don’t recommend it. It takes roughly 1.5 hours to drive from Porto each way, or longer with a train ride. That doesn’t leave a whole lot of time to explore all the beauty that the Douro Valley has to offer.
