Tips for Wine Tastings and Tours in Oporto

Oporto, one of Europe’s oldest cities and a UNESCO World Heritage site, crumbles away quietly on the banks of the Douro river. Upstream, vineyardsproduce the regions grapes, which will be processed into the Portuguese city’s sweet namesake — port.

Barros Tasting in Oporto, Portugal © Edward Mack

Oporto is one of the places best to visit when it is overcast and gloomy, lending the city a delightfully gothic atmosphere and providing the perfect excuse tostay inside all day drinking wine.

You’ll want to start by crossing to the south bank of the Douro, where most of Oporto’s wineries pile up around cobblestone streets on a gentle hillside. Docked on the river, check out the romantic barcos rabelos, the boats traditionally used to transport the wine casks. Then, head to one, or many, of the area’s wineries. Among many others, you can choose between giants such as Cálam, Ramos Pinto, Graham’s, Taylor’s, Ferreira and, perhaps the world’s best-known port, Sandeman.

Port Barrels in Oporto, Portugal © Edward Mack

Most of the wineries offer half-hour tours for about €five, which include a tasting of two or three ports. Longer, more in-depth tours are also available, as are tastings with a wider array of wines.

After you have toured a few wineries and you head back to town, stop at one of the many bars to apply your newfound knowledge of port wine. Solar do Vinho do Porto is the most famous and has one of the largest selections in town, but it is almost impossible to walk a block without stumbling on a dusty old wine bar. Café Majestic, though not a wine bar, is Oporto’s opulent café from the 1800s and a must.

There is nothing better than sipping port in the ancient city with the world’s third-oldest wine appellation control, Oporto.

Sandeman Roofs, Oporto, Portugal © Edward Mack