Incredible Port wine experiences
Incredible Port wine experiences
The city of Porto is known, nationally and internationally, both for its picturesque beauty and for the wine named after it. The best is visiting the city of Porto and having incredible and unmissable experiences with Port wine. There is a lot you can do and in this guide you will find the best and most original ideas.
Visit Port wine cellars
One of the most basic Port wine experiences that most tourists undertake is a visit to the Port wine cellars, in Vila Nova de Gaia. On the other side of the Douro River, crossing the bridge that joins the two banks, there are lots of cellars and the experience is unmissable. We suggest you go to the Taylor’s visitor center, where you can take a tour with an audio guide and learn everything about the plantation and production of Port wine. And at the end you can taste several types of Port wine in the property's beautiful garden.
Dinner paired with Port wine
One of the most erroneous myths about Port wine is that this drink is only used as an accompaniment to aperitifs or desserts. You go to the 1828,steakhouse, at WOW, and enjoy the tasting menu properly paired with young Vintage Port wines. It's a way to dispel this false idea, as you will have the opportunity to have a complete dinner in which each stage is accompanied by a different Port wine.
Chocolate and Port wine
Take this pairing workshop and embark on a unique journey of aromas and flavors. Every day of the year, at the Chocolate Museum, you can participate in this sensory workshop and learn how to taste chocolate and Port wine. You will find that this could very well be the perfect match!
Port wine course
Every day, at The Wine School, you can participate in this learning, in an educational but relaxed way. This 45-minutecourse includes tasting 5 Port wines from 5 different styles and allows you to discover the origin of Port wine, how it is produced and what makes it so unique.
Fado and Port wine
On Saturdays, at the Fonseca cellars, you can have a very intimate and exclusive experience. At 7pm you start with a guided tour with a tasting of a dry white Port. And then you dine among the casks and rafts where the mythical Port wines age. As if that weren't enough, the meal is accompanied by one of the greatest symbols of Portuguese culture: Fado. Which makes every moment an immersive journey into Portugal's greatest riches.
Francesinha with Port wine sauce
The francesinha is one of the most traditional dishes in Porto and at T&C the experience of tasting this delicacy is elevated to perfection. Here, the sauce that accompanies this very special sandwich is made with Port wine. What's more: you can try eating francesinha inside huge barrels for aging Port wine. A unique meal!
The origin of Port wine
If you have time and curiosity, a good bet is to visit a farm where the vines that produce Port wine are cultivated. To do this, you need to travel to the Alto Douro Wine Region, a territory classified as a UNESCO world heritage site. We suggest Quinta da Roêda, in Pinhão, owned by the Croft Port wine brand. You can visit the vineyards and, during harvest season, experience the centuries-old tradition of grape treading in the mills.
Special Port wine bottle openings
For the most special bottles of Port wine, there is a very peculiar way of opening. This is the fire opening ritual, in which iron tongs are heated to a very high temperature over a strong flame or in the embers of the fire. Making a clean cut of the bottle neck. On Mondays, at the Barão Fladgate restaurant you can watch this ritual and let yourself be captivated by this tradition.
The versatility of Port wine
In Bolhão – the historic center of Porto –there is a bar called Porto com Tudo and where you can discover (and obviously taste) the most diverse pairings with Port wine. Here you combine the famous drink with Vinte Vinte Chocolate, Cheese, Ham and Traditional Balls (sausage, cod and vegetarian). Perfect at any time of day!
Buy a good bottle of Port wine
If there's a special winery you really should visit, we suggest Oenophilia. In this store you will find a wide variety of national and foreign wines, as well as a diverse Port wine list. And the store employees are always ready to help you and provide the best support for your purchasing option.
