Douro Premium Tasting Tour

The Douro is the oldest demarcated wine region in the world, a title it earned in 1756, when the Marquis of Pombal had its boundaries fixed by decree to protect the quality and name of Port wine. The region follows the river and its tributaries for more than a hundred kilometres inland from the Atlantic, through hills cut into terraces where vines grow on thin schist soil, and in 2001 it was listed by UNESCO as a living cultural landscape. A premium tasting here is as much about understanding this landscape as about the glass.

The valley is divided into three sub-regions, each with a different climate. The Baixo Corgo, nearest the coast around the town of Régua, is the wettest and coolest, with lighter wines. The Cima Corgo, in the middle, around Pinhão, has hotter, drier conditions and produces many of the finest Ports and table wines. The Douro Superior, extending east to the Spanish border, is the driest and hottest, with large estates and wide views. Vale de Mendiz lies in the Cima Corgo, in the municipality of Alijó, in the hills above the Pinhão river, and it sits in the centre of the traditional quality zone.

The typical visit includes a tour of the estate, a walk among the terraces, and a tasting. Premium experiences often feature older and rarer wines than basic tastings: aged tawny Ports, which acquire flavours of nuts and caramel through long years in wooden casks, vintage-style wines from exceptional years, and reserve or single-vineyard table wines, together with explanations of how the blends are made. Guides describe the hand-harvesting that remains necessary on the steepest slopes, the stone treading tanks called lagares, in which some grapes are still crushed by foot, and the long ageing of the best wines.

The estates are often historic quintas with old buildings, chapels, and gardens, and many have terraces with views over the valley. Tastings are generally by appointment, and group sizes are small, so booking in advance is essential. The roads are winding, so a designated driver is advisable, or a transfer can be arranged.

The tour suits wine enthusiasts, couples, and anyone who wants a deeper look at Port and Douro wines. Autumn, with the harvest, is the liveliest time, but spring and summer have their own beauty.