![]() Régua, which feels more urban and functional of the two hubs, is home to two main streets and the Douro Museum, with exhibits that explain the landscape, industry, culture and geology of the region. Neither town is particularly exciting, but both have hotels and make a decent home base for visiting the area's quintas. There are also trains that run between Porto and the two main towns in the region: Peso da Régua and Pinhão. Without a car, a slow but scenic way to visit is to take a boat from Porto to the heart of the Douro (a seven-hour trip). ![]() Of the quintas that are open to the public, most offer a tour, followed by a tasting of several wines. The best way to fully experience the Douro Valley is to rent a car to visit several quintas. While some are private, many welcome travelers. (A dozen or so port-wine lodges near Porto welcome visitors for tastings and tours to see the barrels and vats in which the wine is maturing.) It's then transported by truck to port-wine lodges in Porto, where the more humid, mild climate at sea level is ideal for aging. This is what gives port its signature sweetness.Īfter fermentation, port traditionally stays in the Douro Valley for one winter after it's made, as the cold temperatures encourage the wine and brandy to marry. During fermentation, brandy is added to port wine, thereby halting the process and preserving some of the sugars from the grapes. Unlike traditional wine, which undergoes fermentation in full, port is a fortified wine. Since port wine is a blend of several types of grapes, most port-producing vineyards, called quintas, grow a few different varietals of grapes. View Gallery: Portugal: Lisbon, Porto and more in photos Portugal: Check out why it's one of the hottest new travel destinations Depending on when you visit, the hillside can shift in color, from dusty brown in winter to scrubby green in summer to glowing red and gold in fall. Joy-riding through the region you enjoy steep, twisting valleys and tidy terraces as far as the eye can see. (The second largest city in Portugal, Porto is where the Douro River spills into the Atlantic Ocean.) The Douro region, where port is produced, stretches along the river of the same name, about 60 miles inland from the city of Porto. The only thing fortified here is the wine. So, rather than castles and stony ramparts, visitors encounter farms and sleepy villages. ![]() But unlike the Rhine, the Douro was never a strategic military location. This is Portugal's answer to Germany's romantic Rhine River Valley. One of Portugal's most endearing slices is the Douro River Valley, the winding, terraced region that produces the country's beloved port wine. Watch Video: Wine lovers can now sleep in a giant wine barrel ![]()
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