Ever taste port wine and wonder where it has come from?  Porto, the second largest city in Portugal, is responsible for aging and exporting nearly 100 million liters of Port wine a year.  The Douro Valley, where Port wine is produced, was the first defined and protected wine region in the world.  While wines may be produced in the same Portuguese style in other areas of the world, only wines from this region have authorization to be labeled as Port.  Known as sweet and heavy wines, Port is usually served before or after the main course.

After spending the morning grazing the windy streets of Porto’s UNESCO heritage area, I walked across the bridge reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower to visit the Port wine cellars in Gaia in the afternoon.   There are many cellars to choose from, I chose to visit Calem and Croft brands.   During the tours, we learned the history of the brand, the production process of Port wine varieties and walked through the dark cellars where Port wine is aged.  The tour concluded with a tasting in their respective wine shops.  It was a bummer I was not able to purchase bottles of Port wine to share with my friends and family back home due to the liquid restrictions on airplanes.

By the end of your tours, you will be a Port wine connoisseur…  or at least pretend to be one.  Test your new found skills by sampling different varieties.  I started with a Blanco, served as an aperitif, and a tawny, served with dessert.  I then tried a vintage year and definitely noticed the difference of quality – it was far superior in aroma and flavor.  I finished up with a refreshing pink port, a relatively new variety only produced by Croft.  The cellars close between 6pm to 8pm but you can continue to sample Port wines until midnight at Solar do Vinho do Porto across the river.  Run by the Port and Douro Wine Institute, this Port wine only bar is a must visit to enjoy all varieties and brands of Port wines in an elegant garden atmosphere and breathtaking view of the Douro.   Warning – Port wines average 20% alcohol content!

I arrived to Porto, Portugal by bus from Salamanca, Spain the evening before to reunite with a fellow diver from my Galapagos liveaboard who lived in this charming city.  She showed me her city by night including the best sunset view of Porto from the sloping streets of Gaia.  We met up with some of her friends for a late dinner of traditional Portuguese food on the riverfront.  I stayed at Hotel Boavista - once a typical Portuguese home converted into a hotel.  The rooms were extremely comfortable with views of the sea and nearby fort.  The location was outside the city center and helpful for orientation purposes.  On the rooftop is a pool with patio furniture characteristic of Portugal.  I was so thankful to have my very own local guide to get my bearings in this new city – thanks Marta!

Cow Tip #1:   For travel between Spain and Portugal, transportation by bus can be shorter than train, consider Alsa bus company as an alternative to the Sudoexpresso train which was not possible to book online at time of this post

Cow Tip #2:  Enjoy a scenic full day river cruise on a rebelo, or typical boat used to transport Port wine, to the Douro Valley to visit vineyards in the Northern Provence (reserve in advance)