The time has arrived! It's wine time, folks! We love visiting different regions with various types of wine, and a trip to the Douro Valley was long overdue! We rented a car in Porto and drove east straight into the magnificent Douro Valley! It's time to explore!

Winemaking is a pivotal contributor to Portugal's economy, and with over half of production exported around the world, it's easily accessible for wine consumers. That said, we knew very little about Portuguese wine, nor had we consumed much of its product. Of course, that has now changed as we very quickly became Portuguese wine lovers.

Portugal is the 11th wine producer and 10th exporter in the world. There are over 14 wine regions, one of which is the Douro Valley, which is most known for its Port wine, which is a quarter of its wine production. Douro Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site and for a good reason. The history and legacy are full of stories and legends.

Exploring the Douro Valley

Our Guide for your Perfect Wine Experience

By Chanel Leitch ⋆ Photography Kevin Leitch

There are many grape varietals in the Douro including Bastardo, Mourisco Tinto, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Barroca Tinta Cao, Tinta Roiz, Touriga Francesca and Touriga Nacional. Previously, the Touriga Nacional was primarily for port wines, but recently it's been used to make table wine. The single-grape Touriga Nacional quickly became one of our favorite wines! We highly recommend it! The Port is made of the regional grape that is then fortified with a natural grape spirit and has a higher alcohol content than unfortified wines.

We awoke early on our first morning in the Douro. There was much to see that day, and we needed an early start to the day to reach our first wine tasting at 10 am. Nothing like breakfast, followed by wine to get your day started! As we drove through the valley along the river to our first point of interest, Quinta das Carvalhas, the sun beat down on us as the little towns we passed slowly started to come to life. We rented a convertible, and so with the top down, we cranked up the music and started on our path to visit four vineyards.

As we traveled the winding roads to our first vineyard, I couldn't help but have a moment of reflection. We are blessed to visit such a gorgeous place and how amazing the world is made up of such vast and different landscapes. The hills of Douro leave one speechless, the wonder and beauty that stood before us is stunning.

Nature is so giving, and so often only our eyes can genuinely behold the magic and splendor of a region. It overwhelmed me, I admit. Seeing the Douro landscape for miles and miles leaves such a sense of smallness and yet, an immense sense of gratitude. What an honor to experience it. That memory will stay with me, and I hope you get to experience your own personal moment while in the valley. It's hard not to.

Where To Stay, What to Do

Six Senses Douro Valley

Quinta Vale de Abrão, 5100-758 Samodães, Portugal | Website

If you missed our latest article on Six Senses Douro Valley, be sure to pop over and check it out!

Now that we've fully immersed ourselves in the Douro Valley and several glasses of port and wine, my advice would be this:

Stay at Six Senses Douro Valley, enjoy a relaxing and delicious breakfast, and then head out to check out a couple of vineyards.
With the limited bridges connecting each side of the Douro river, you can quickly find yourself spending a lot of time driving. Plot out your course ahead of time.
Target a tasting at one vineyard, then enjoy a lunch pairing at a second, and if you still want to explore, try one more tasting elsewhere! We incorporated four, and it was just too much, and we weren't able to relax at the resort.
Six Senses Douro Valley is one of the best hotels in Europe, so you want to make sure you spend appropriate time there to enjoy all the perks! It is a bucket list-level experience! The smiling faces, incredible service, and stellar food and drink options make it a no-brainer.
Six Senses also has a wine library where you can have tastings of all of these great places without having to leave the comforts of the resort!

Quinta do Seixo

5120 Valença do Douro | Website

A visit to Sandeman's Quinta do Seixo is a must. While it may be one of the most well-known ports in the region, don't let it's popularity deter you. The drive to Quinta do Seixo is stunning, and the estate is awe-inspiring. Quinta do Seixo is one of the more modern facilities that we visited, yet it still brings a sense of local heritage. The logo can be seen across the valley, and our tour guide was also dressed in the traditional college cape, for which the Sandeman is based.

So what's the tie in between school and wine? The academic uniforms that college students wear today are referred to as the capa e batina and originated from a tradition that started nearly 500 years ago. As we reviewed in the Porto article, these uniforms were an inspiration for J.K. Rowling's Hogwarts uniforms. Brothers George and David Sandeman started their company and port business with just £300. Their mascot, the Don, is an intriguing man with the same hat and cape worn by college students. Its exceptional marketing draws the eye and creates intrigue.

Sandeman port is also one of our favorites, especially the 20-year port. The view from the tasting room is unlike any other we witnessed in the Douro Valley and gives a broad view of the landscape. Sip, enjoy and be with nature. At Sandeman, it's possible to do this in air conditioning due to the floor to ceiling windows which will give you spectacular views.

Quinta Nova Nossa Senhora do Carmo

Covas do Douro, 5085-222, Portugal | Website

If I had to recommend just one lunch in the valley that's a can't-miss, It's at Quinta Nova. We had an incredible lunch with delicious wines! I enjoy tasting sessions, but there's something about perfectly paired foods that elevates the wine and the experience. This was our objective, and it worked flawlessly at our lunch, as photographed below in the gallery. Walk down to the tasting area after lunch to explore the available wines for purchase and shipment!

I can only imagine how popular this vineyard and restaurant would be in a normal summer! We will visit again in the future.

Quinta das Carvalhas

N. 323 – 5085 Pinhão, Portugal | Website

Our first vineyard visit had an interesting start as we got lost. Google maps took us to the back entrance of the vineyard, which is a locked rod-iron gate with absolutely no access for guests. The first lesson – use Waze! However, getting lost did allow us to see the top of Carvalhas from another angle. A more private one, and it was simply stunning. After arriving almost 20 min late (we already fitted in with the Portuguese culture!), we entered into Quinta das Carvalhas where we had organized a private tour. Our guide, Daniel Cruz, asked us to step into an early 90's Jeep Grand Cherokee for a trip around the Carvalhas estate. And so we were on our way! Quinta das Carvalhas opened in 1759 and is one of the last Portugal vineyards owned 100% by Portuguese. We quickly learned how Port wine can only come from the Douro Valley and that there is a mythical legend during the harvest time when 'The Painter' comes in August to paint the landscape and grapes red.

Our tour included views of the vineyards and beautiful fruit and olive orchards, oleander trees, killer bees (seriously, these are like death metal bees!), and stories of Portuguese boars. They get drunk after eating fermented fruit from local trees. Boars can be quite a nuisance because they will eat the vines and destroy many harvests, so allowing them to get drunk off fermented fruit is an excellent alternative. We also got to see our very first cork trees, which can be a little alarming at first as it looks like the tree has lost its pants. But the good news is shaving the cork from a tree doesn't harm it and can only be harvested every nine years. We also learned about Phylloxera, the microscopic insect that was brought to Portugal in the 1870s from America. A well-intentioned European botanist began importing native vines from North America, which almost depleted the entire Portuguese wine industry and caused severe economic destruction.

Luckily they were able to recover with the help of some very committed wine and Portugal lovers, one of whom we'll share later. The final stop on our tour was passing an 800-year-old olive tree! They no longer harvest the olives; instead, they appreciate it's beauty and health. It's quite a sight! Finally, the tasting. After a sweltering car ride in the 42 C sun (they call the summer 'the three months of hell'), we were ready for wine and also air conditioning. We were super impressed with the Carvalhas wines. It was well-balanced and delicious. We would have loved to stay longer, but as mentioned, we had three more vineyards to visit. In reflection, Quinta das Carvarlhas was one of our favorites and should not be missed!

Quinta de La Rosa

Quinta de La Rosa 215, 5085 Pinhão, Portugal | Website

From the moment we arrived in the Douro, everyone told us we must eat at Quinta de La Rosa. We mixed up our reservation and went to the vineyard restaurant when we were supposed to go on a tour first – oops! – guess we were hungry. But all things happen for a reason because we dined on the most beautiful steak and chimichurri lunch with a paired wine tasting and one of the best desserts we'd had since coming to Portugal. One thing is for sure, the food in Portugal is outstanding, and you will leave with a few more kilos than when you arrived. But that's the point of a holiday so eat, be merry and enjoy it!

After visiting multiple vineyards, the typical tour can often become overkill, so we recommend combining a tasting with lunch. A wine-paired lunch allows you to try the wine while enjoying what the estate has to offer in terms of scenery, history, and food. Plus, too many tours get a bit repetitive.

CROFT, Quinta da Roêda

N323, 5085-036 Pinhão, Portugal | Website

This well-known winery produces Ports that you've likely seen at your wine store. This vineyard somehow reminded me of being in an old western movie. The weather was so hot, and the orange-tinted gravel drive makes you feel as if you are in the wild, wild west. We could only spend limited time outside due to the heat, but we had a fantastic tour and learned a lot about the port. Indeed our guide imparted great words of wisdom as well - "Port, like ladies, only gets better with age." Of course, Kevin always has to put his spin on things. As he says, "Men are like a fine wine that get better with age and women are like ports. They get older and sweeter, but no one is actually sure just how old they are". Oh, Kevin!

Quinta do Vallado

Quinta do Vallado, Vilarinho dos Freires, 5050-364 Peso da Régua | Website

The Quinta do Vallado estate was one of our favorites. Established in 1716, it is one of the oldest and most famous estates in the Douro. The estate belonged to the legendary Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira and remains to this day in her descendants' hands. She is known for her leadership and cultivation of port wine and helped to ensure the Douro's economic sustainability during the phylloxera outbreak. Ferreira is revered in the Douro Valley to this day as she was devoted to those who worked the vineyards and committed to the success of Portugal's wine industry.

Quinta do Vallado is a blend of both modern and classic wines, and the estate is exquisite with its orange tasting room and beautiful hotel. A visit to Quinta do Vallado is a must when you visit! Be sure to try and purchase their 20-year port! It’s our favorite so far!

Quinta do Crasto

Quinta do Crasto, Gouvinhas, 5060-063 Sabrosa | Website

We raced down the street following our fantastic lunch at Quinta Nova, just in time for our tour appointment at Quinta do Crasto. This was a preset appointment, so we were sad to rush away from Quinta Nova, but I like to be on time! Quinta do Crasto is known for its exquisite wines. They are popular and easy to acquire at wine stores. Their wines age well and are historically rated as some of the more exceptional wines in the Douro Valley. Our tour and tasting did not live up to the wines' reputation, but we've found this to be the case in many popular vineyards in the US and Europe where the vineyard visits are an afterthought for successful companies. The facility is lovely, but we felt that our guide had little interest in being at work that day. Perhaps we chalk it up to COVID difficulties and try again on a future visit.