Port is a deliciously rich, sweet wine made from various grapes, grown in Portugal’s Douro Valley, that is fortified with brandy. It can make one of the most age-worthy wines, with top examples lasting half a century and beyond. It’s definitely a connoisseur’s wine, prized by collectors and laid down for decades in cool dark cellars, but there are also many excellent ports that are quite affordable and ready to drink now. Port is a delicious drink; one that is well worth learning more about. Though Port-style wines are made in many areas, we will focus here on just those wines made in Portugal.
Just a few hours upon landing in Porto it happened quicker than either of us imagined.
Portugal’s food scene is world-class.
We sat down for our first meal in Portugal made up of Bacalhoa (salted codfish) along with a sampling of local wines, and we were captivated…hook, line, and sinker. The food scene, while often overshadowed by the popularity of Port and the rising appreciation of the country’s still wines, is absolutely worthy of its own recognition. Portugal’s gastronomy is steeped in tradition, defined by variety, and has put the world on notice thanks to its popular Celebrity Chefs and abundance of Michelin-rated restaurants.
We’re kicking off 2022 with a video AdVINEture highlighting an incredible trip to Portugal we took with Iberian Wine Tours. We started in Porto, explored the Douro Valley, and finally ended up in Lisbon. The country is a fantastic travel destination whether you’re a wine lover or not that features a staggering amount of variety. Stunning scenery, terrific wine, a fabulous foodie scene and very welcoming people await…
Laurent-Perrier is one of the great names in Champagne. Founded in 1812, it has grown to become the 4th largest house in the region. Along the way it has justly earned its reputation for producing distinctive wines across its panoply of Cuvées; wines that deliver elegance and finesse from a house that is dedicated to combining quality with innovation.
The small Portuguese wine region of Colares is home to a family legacy that is so extraordinary, it must be seen (and tasted) to be believed. The story of Casal Santa Maria features all the themes that make for a great novel: war, bravery, love, heartbreak, loss, perseverance, and ultimately, triumph. In this case, however, every word is true.
A recent trip that AdVINEtures took with Iberian Wine Tours through the wine regions of Portugal taught us that this is an important region for wine-lovers to know more about. The region offers a great diversity of wine styles, from white to red, still to sparkling, table to dessert, and all at very fair prices. It is also a stunningly beautiful region of steep valleys covered in terraced vineyards that fall down to shimmering blue rivers.
Less than an hour from the city of Lisbon lies the Setúbal wine region, renowned for its sweet dessert wine, Moscatel de Setúbal. A visit to one of its most famous producers, Quinta da Bacalhoa, is not only a reason to learn about wine, but also an opportunity to walk through a piece of Portuguese history. The estate features a palace dating back to the 15th Century that houses an eclectic art collection including Portugal’s first painted tile, gardens fit for royalty, and vineyards with a most unusual trellis system.
Portugal has quickly skyrocketed to the top of the list when it comes to destinations travellers are most interested in visiting post-Pandemic thanks to recently becoming the country with the world’s highest vaccination rate. But even before COVID-19 had its grip on the world, it was a country already viewed as an up-and-coming destination for a number of reasons including location, affordability, history, beauty, and of course…wine.
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