Duoro Valley & Pinhao

So. This is an indescribably beautiful landscape. I can't do it justice, so many pictures will be attached. We made it by car out of the city, and within an hour find ourselves surrounded by green hills of vines.

One slight wrong turn takes us by an antique store we can't resist, and it turns out they have an old pharmacy's inventory and some furnishings. A fun diversion for me😊

A riverside picnic, then we make it to Pinhao just as a rain shower begins in earnest.

A rainy afternoon = port tasting opportunity. We are in Pinhao tonight; if Porto is the birthplace of port wine then Pinhau is the conception.

We try port we would never dream of at home, and it is the stuff of dreams. Amber or jewel deep ruby red, heady aroma, a tiny glass to savour can take an hour. We've gone to Quinta do Bomfim, an award winning estate considered to be one of the best in the world. The family has been in the business for five generations, they own about 25 vineyards, and supply to most of the big names in port, such as Dow, Graham's and Taylor.

Sipping on the patio overlooking the Duoro River, the hostess informs us that these dizzyingly terraced vineyards are not irrigated in any mechanical way, and are harvested completely by hand. It's just astonishing to consider the unbelievable achievement that growing and harvesting here represents.

For now, we will sip and appreciate the golden results.Read more