‘Vintage Reserve’ Douro and Dão Wine Tasting Tour
We are delighted to offer for 2022 our exclusive ‘Vintage Reserve’ Douro and Dão Wine Tour. Group sizes are strictly limited to 6 persons per tour, please enquire for larger parties. The tour lasts for 6 days/5 nights and begins and ends in Porto.
Tour dates
Please contact Hugh and Jane for date information for 2022
Tour Itinerary
DAY 1: Pick up and transfer to your accommodation
Pick up in Porto and transfer to your accommodation, the beautiful Quinta dos Três Rios in the unspoilt rural village of Parada de Gonta, located in the heart of the Dão region. Time to unpack, unwind and enjoy an informal tasting of a variety of wines produced at the Quinta, hosted by owner and wine-maker Hugh Forestier-Walker. In the evening you join Hugh and his wife Jane in their elegant dining room to enjoy a three course dinner with a further selection of their wines and ports.
DAY 2: The Dão wine tour
A leisurely breakfast, including fresh Quinta-grown ingredients,will prepare you for your tour of the Dão wine region. The tour begins at the historic house, gardens and winery of Casa de Santar. This is followed by a visit to the nearby Paço dos Cunhas do Santar – a 17th century wine estate – to sample some local sparkling white wine. A tapas lunch at the restaurant of the Quinta de Cabriz is accompanied by tastings of a number of different wines and this will also include a tour of their wine cave. You then return to the peace and tranquility of the Quinta dos Três Rios where you may relax and refresh yourself before dinner and another selection of wines, once again in the company of your hosts Hugh and Jane.
DAY 3: An Introduction to Portuguese Cooking
After an unhurried breakfast you are taken on a short drive to a recently restored traditional Portuguese Town House – the Casa do Miradouro – where you can join in with the preparation of typical local dishes, under the guidance of local chef Xandi Matos. Naturally, when the cooking is over you will sit down for lunch at the Casa and eat what you have prepared. And of course lunch will be accompanied by a selection of local wines. Later in the afternoon, you will return to Quinta dos Três Rios with plenty of time to relax and explore the grounds and vineyards of the Quinta before your evening meal with Hugh and Jane.
DAY 4: The Douro wine tour
The Douro region was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001 and is home to a number of internationally famous wine producers. We follow the road that snakes alongside the Douro river to visit some of this region’s most notable and spectacular vineyards – including Sandeman at Quinta do Seixo – where you taste some of Douro’s excellent wines and ports. Before lunch in a traditional Portuguese restaurant by the side of the river, you have the chance to visit Pinhão Railway Station. The station is famous for its twenty-five hand-painted blue tile (azulejo) panels that depict scenes, landscapes, and customs of historical life in the Douro. After lunch you visit the famous Quinta do Noval, which offers some of the most stunning scenic views in the region. An extensive tour of this prestigious Quinta includes an explanation of the process involved in the making of Port wines. After the tour, you are driven back to Quinta dos Três Rios in time to freshen up before dinner with your hosts.
DAY 5: Explore the historic city of Viseu
After breakfast you are driven on the short trip to the historic walled city of Viseu, regional capital and birthplace of Portugal’s first King, Alfonso Henriques. As a centre of culture and commerce, the history of Viseu spans millennia. Here you enjoy a leisurely day during which you can explore sights that include the city’s famous Cathedral, Museum and Old Town. Viseu has many artisan shops famous for pewter and leather and also boasts an impressive number of restaurants serving traditional Portuguese dishes (roast pork, veal and salt cod are some local specialities). Pick up from Viseu later in the afternoon will swiftly transport you back to the Quinta with plenty of time to relax before your farewell dinner with Hugh and Jane, accompanied of course with a further selection of their own wines.
DAY 6: Transfer to Porto
After your final breakfast at the Quinta dos Três Rios, we travel by road on the 80-mile trip back to Porto for your onward journey. For those guests whose flights do not depart until later in the day, we can assist and advise you on what to do and where to go in this fascinating city.
What is included?
- Return transfers by road between Porto and Quinta dos Três Rios (pick up and drop off points at Porto Airport and City Centre).
- Luxury Suite (per 2 persons) for 5 nights.
- All breakfasts (x 5, except on day of arrival), lunches (x 3, not Viseu) and three course dinners (x 5 including pre-dinner drinks, port and unlimited Quinta wine).
- All chauffeur-driven tour and excursion transport and company of guide (except to Viseu).
- All local taxes
Tour prices per person – €795.00
Contact Hugh or Jane for enquiries and bookings at or by WhatsApp 00351 916 684 484
Terms and Conditions: Prices are per person, based on two sharing and subject to availability changes. Single supplements apply.