Douro Valley

Traveling through the Douro is always a fantastic experience.

Douro Valley can easily be called an enchanted valley.
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, this breathtaking landscapes offers magic and beauty in every curve.
The region has Portugal’s highest wine classification as a DOC, controlled denomination of origin.
This mountains are cut by a sinuous Douro River and its slopes have been transformed handmade to become steeply terraced vineyards that cover some 24,600 ha, is an outstanding example of humankind’s unique relationship with the natural environment.

Splash of history

When did this region started to produce wine?
There are archaeological evidences for winemaking during the 3rd and 4th centuries AD at the end of the Western Roman Empire.
But when did this region became a huge producer?
It was thanks to the Methuen Treaty between Portugal and England in 1703.
This Treaty allowed the establishment of many British lodges in Porto and therefore Port Wine became the primary product of this region.
Thanks to its economical importance to Portugal, a royal Portuguese charter in 1756 defined the production region for Port Wine.
Although other wine styles were always made in the Douro Valley, it was only after the II World War, in 1952 that the first top quality table wine was produced.
The final push to catapult this region to the world of wines was the entry of Portugal into the European Economic Community in 1986.
The British Port Lodge monopoly was abolished and many brands and producers introduced Douro wines into their market range.

What to see and do

Douro Valley has a lot to offer.
If you travel from Porto, the Douro feeling is also there, look at the river and you’ll see the old rabelo boats, the vessels that used to carrie the wine to the Port Lodges.
Reaching the Douro Valley you arrive at Peso da Régua, where you can visit the Douro Museum, and get a perspective from the region and wine growing.
A stop at Pocinho is a must, where you can see the railway station, and its ancient tiles dedicated to the cultivation of vines.
You can even visit some of the wine producers farms, they provide tourism activities such as grape harvest for example.
What you can’t, and i mean, really can’t miss its the flavours of this region.
From Port Wine, to Red, White, Rosé, wine is the king of the hill, always exquisitely accompanied by the rich gastronomy of the region.