What wineries to visit in Porto and how its famous wine is made

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Porto winery area in Portugal

If we talk about Port, his world-famous wine comes to mind right away.

And of course, our recent trip to Porto on the occasion of the inauguration of Bluesock hostel would have been incomplete if we had not visited one of his famous wineries, which we do not stop doing.

Of course, in our getaway to this beautiful Portuguese city there was no lack of Visit of the famous Lello Bookstore.

View of Porto from the wine cellar area

Where are the wineries in Porto?

Curiously, the port wine cellars they are not next to the city, but its location is on the opposite bank of the Douro river.

There are two reasons for this, the first economic one, since in the 18th century the first merchants who settled for the port wine production They were English and they realized that the taxes on that side of the river were lower.

The second reason for its location in the Zone of Gaia It was to take advantage of the shadow cast by the hill on which the city sits.

In this way the wineries receive little direct sunlight, which helps the wines to develop better.

Porto wine cellar

Where to see the port wine vineyards

But you may not know that to produce the special port wine, the only region from which the grape can be removed is the area of Arrivals of the Duero, on the border with Spain, bordering the provinces of Salamanca and Zamora, just over 200 kilometers from the aforementioned city of Porto ...

The micro-climate of this area is characterized by negative temperatures during the winter, as well as frequent snowfall, and in summer it can reach 40 degrees of temperature.

Slate soil has the ability to absorb water creating reserves in the soil from which the roots of up to 20 meters feed.

The slate also absorbs heat during the day and exhales it during the night, which creates a constant temperature perfect for wine growing.

How port wine is made

For produce port wine one is done vintage by hand with plantation in terraces, or in slate walls with vertical plantations, since it is a mountainous region.

Viewpoint in a winery in Porto

During the second or third day of fermentation, when the must of the Duero grape is already obtained, wine spirits of 77 degrees of alcohol are added.

With this mixture of 80% must and 20% of brandy they manage to cut the fermentation process of the grape.

That's why the port wine It is very alcoholic.

The brandy makes the natural sugar of the grape crystallize, which is what gives the port wine That characteristic sweet touch.

What wineries to visit in Porto

There are many that you can visit on your trip, but I tell you that in our trip to Porto specifically we visit two wineries.

Traditional boats of Porto wineries on the Douro River

The first, the Pinto Ramos Winery where the guide was the one who, during our tour of the barrel area, explained the mentioned characteristics of the production and the elaboration of the mentioned wine.

Another interesting winery to visit is that of Porto Cruzwhere is a great lookout from this river bank from which see the city of Porto. It is a remodeled space where you can also see an exhibition.

You will also be curious to see on the bank of the river several traditional boats that in the past were used by wineries in their work throughout the Duero.

For your trip, here is the information about what wineries in Porto to visitas well as their Schedule Y prices.

If you want to expand your knowledge about port wine, you can join aTour in Spanish through vineyards and port wine cellars, in which on an excursion that will take you nine hours you will go to Douro Valley, you will see vineyards and visit two wineries.

And enjoy tasting your wines!

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Video: History of Port Wines (March 2024).