Hello all!
I will be in north of Portugal (driving from Madrid to Porto and back) 27-29th of June. I would be interested to know if there are any wineyards or similar around there that offer maybe tastings or just to buy a bottle or two. Any nice village/winery recommendations?
thanks,
timo
Weekend near Porto
Moderators: Glenn E., Roy Hersh, Andy Velebil
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elaintarha
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Ronald Wortel
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Re: Weekend near Porto
Hi Timo,
Have a look at the website of the Rota do Vinho do Porto, there you'll find an overview of a number of quintas that are open to visitors. Some of them have a visitor centre and can be visited without appointment, but in most cases it is recommended to call in advance.
In Oporto, you'll find the Port lodges on the banks of Vila Nova de Gaia (on the opposite side of the city of Oporto). There are clear signs to the lodges that have visitor facilities, and appointments are not necessary unless you have special wishes or want to visit a lodge that is not usually open to visitors.
Enjoy your time there!
Have a look at the website of the Rota do Vinho do Porto, there you'll find an overview of a number of quintas that are open to visitors. Some of them have a visitor centre and can be visited without appointment, but in most cases it is recommended to call in advance.
In Oporto, you'll find the Port lodges on the banks of Vila Nova de Gaia (on the opposite side of the city of Oporto). There are clear signs to the lodges that have visitor facilities, and appointments are not necessary unless you have special wishes or want to visit a lodge that is not usually open to visitors.
Enjoy your time there!
But enough about me, what do YOU think of me? -- Johnny Bravo
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Glenn E.
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Re: Weekend near Porto
Timo, if you drive through Pinhao on your way, there are several famous Quintas in the area that offer tours and tastings.
My personal favorite, though some here scoff at it, is Quinta do Panascal. It's a self guided tour with a cassette tape (which is why some people don't like it), but you're allowed to wander through the vineyards at your own pace and see what you want to see. Q.d.Panascal is about 10 km west of Pinhao on N222 (I think... that's from memory).
My personal favorite, though some here scoff at it, is Quinta do Panascal. It's a self guided tour with a cassette tape (which is why some people don't like it), but you're allowed to wander through the vineyards at your own pace and see what you want to see. Q.d.Panascal is about 10 km west of Pinhao on N222 (I think... that's from memory).
Glenn Elliott
Re: Weekend near Porto
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I loved visiting Panascal, but oh, that cassette with David G.'s voice on it. Ouch!
There has to be a better way to visit.
Make your appointments ahead of time. Take a train, find out about local taxi/car service for hire as if you can avoid drinking and driving IN THE DOURO especially, you will be very happy you made that extremely wise decision. Too many extraordinarily winding roads with a sheer cliff drop off on one side and solid granite or schist on the other. Actually Regua is the larger area with more going on then in Pinhao ... by far.
There has to be a better way to visit.
Make your appointments ahead of time. Take a train, find out about local taxi/car service for hire as if you can avoid drinking and driving IN THE DOURO especially, you will be very happy you made that extremely wise decision. Too many extraordinarily winding roads with a sheer cliff drop off on one side and solid granite or schist on the other. Actually Regua is the larger area with more going on then in Pinhao ... by far.
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com
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Steve Culhane
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Re: Weekend near Porto
If you like driving around (I do), I think the roads around Pinhao are the greatest in the world for the combination of fantastic scenery and relative emptiness. So unlike Roy, I do recommend to drive around in the Douro 
Favorite Quintas I visited: Quinta do Portal for the great setup and Quinta do Passadouro for the small/personnalized visit.
Take the train from Pinhao to Vesuvio and if you're a bit crazy like me, you can walk along the rail back down to Vargellas (time your passage in the tunnel not to coincide with the train
)
Steve
Favorite Quintas I visited: Quinta do Portal for the great setup and Quinta do Passadouro for the small/personnalized visit.
Take the train from Pinhao to Vesuvio and if you're a bit crazy like me, you can walk along the rail back down to Vargellas (time your passage in the tunnel not to coincide with the train
)Steve