Which wineries to visit in Porto; schedules, prices

If we talk about Porto, its world-famous wine immediately comes to mind.

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 its famous wineries, which we do not stop doing.

Of course, on our getaway to this beautiful Portuguese city there was no shortage of visit of the famous Lello Bookstore.

Where are the wineries in Porto

Curiously, the port wine cellars They are not located next to the city, but rather their location is on the opposite bank of the Douro river.

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

The second reason for its location in the area Gaia It was to be able 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 develop better.

Where to see the Port wine vineyards

But maybe you don't know that to produce the very special port wine, the only region from which the grapes can be taken is the area of Arrives del Duero, on the border with Spain, bordering the provinces of Salamanca and Zamora, just over 200 kilometers from the aforementioned city of Oporto.

The micro-climate of this area is characterized by negative temperatures during winter, in addition to frequent snowfall, and in summer, on the other hand, temperatures can reach 40 degrees.

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

Slate also absorbs heat during the day and exhales it at night, creating a constant temperature perfect for wine growing.

How Port wine is made

For produce port wine a vintage by hand with planting on terraces, or on slate walls with vertical plantings, since it is a mountainous region.

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

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

That is why the port wine He is very alcoholic.

The brandy causes the natural sugar of the grape to crystallize, which is what gives the port wine that characteristic sweet touch.

Which wineries to visit in Porto

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

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

Another interesting winery to visit is Porto Cruz, where there is a large gazebo from this bank of the river from which see the city of Porto. It is a remodeled space where you can also see some exhibitions.

You will also find it curious to see several traditional boats that in the past were used by wineries in their work throughout the Duero.

For your trip, here you have the information about which Porto wineries to visit, as well as their schedules y Prices.

And enjoy tasting their wines!