Victorian novels describe picnics where friends have a grand time, enjoying delicious food in idyllic settings. But real-life picnics seldom measure up to these literary accounts. Sometimes, the sun is too harsh, and the shade is scarce. Other times, it is cold, the wind blows disagreeably, or the rain intrudes. Wine and beer are lukewarm by the time they are served. Sitting is uncomfortable, and troupes of insects join the party.
When our friend Abílio Tavares da Silva invited us for a picnic, we braced ourselves for the usual woes. But, as soon as we arrived at his Douro Valley estate, it was clear that this would be no ordinary affair.
It was a midsummer day with clear skies and a gentle breeze. Spacious wooden tables with comfortable benches awaited the lucky guests under the shade of two majestic linden trees. The view, with the Douro River stretching out in all its splendor, was worthy of being painted by Turner.
The picnic basket, prepared by the talented Rosário Buia at Toca da Raposa, was brimming with delicacies. There were farinheira tarts, shrimp rissoles, oranges seasoned with olive oil and minced garlic, chickpea salad, carrot and zucchini rice, olives, freshly baked bread, and a tortilla prepared with eggs so delicious that they were surely laid by the happiest of chicken.
The food was served in colorful pottery designed by the 19th-century master ceramist Rafael Bordallo Pinheiro. Abílio’s alluring Foz Torto white wine, made from precious old vines in Porrais, was poured into crystal glasses at the ideal temperature.
The conversation flowed as freely as the food and the wine. The meal ended late in the afternoon with slices of Toca da Raposa’s famous drunken cake (bolo borrachão) accompanied by glasses of chilled 20-year-old Fonseca tawny port. Not even Jane Austen could imagine such a perfect picnic.
One of the Douro Valley’s ultimate experiences is visiting Quinta do Vale Meão. While the estate is not generally open to the public, it does receive a few small groups each year. You can email in advance to inquire whether they can host you.
Vale Meão was the last estate planted by the legendary Dona Antónia Ferreira. It was a colossal endeavor: 300 hectares of wild bush were converted into vineyards and olive groves. Dona Antónia invested in the remote Vale Meão against the advice of her general manager because of its unique characteristics. It is located on a geological fault with three different types of soil: schist, granite, and sedimentary clay deposited by the river. The weather is dry, as clouds rarely cross the Marvão mountain, reducing the prevalence of vine diseases like oidium.
The best way to reach Vale Meão is by taking the train from Pinhão to Pocinho. There are usually few passengers, so you can choose a seat by the riverside and enjoy a glorious hour beholding the Douro river in all its splendor. The train rushes through bridges and tunnels carved into granite hills, but the river is seldom out of sight.
You go by Cachão da Valeira, a treacherous spot before dams regulated the water flow. Here, Dona Antónia and the Baron of Forrester, another eminent figure of the Douro Valley, fell into the river in a boating accident. Dona Antónia survived, but the Baron drowned. The locals say in jest that her voluminous skirt saved her, while the Baron sank because his pockets were filled with gold coins.
Maria Ferreira, a former teacher who oversees enotourism at Vale Meão, picked us up at the Pocinho train station in a vintage Land Rover. Though not related to Dona Antónia, Maria speaks about the estate with such passion it feels as though she is part of the family. An eagle followed the Land Rover as we drove through Cortes de Veiga, a village created to house the many laborers who worked at Vale Meão between 1885 and 1887.
The name Meão, which means “middle,” refers to the river encircling the property, making it feel like an island. The vineyards are planted on a magnificent plateau by the river.
Maria took us on an exhilarating safari through the vineyards. We then visited Barca Velha, a cellar built in 1892 named after an old rowboat used to cross the river. Here, Fernando Nicolau d’Almeida crafted the first Barca Velha in 1952, combining grapes from Vale Meão with those grown at higher altitudes in Meda to craft a table wine that became iconic.
Our tour concluded at the main house, constructed by Dona Antónia in 1894. We were warmly received by three of her descendants: Francisco Olazabal, known as Vito, his son Francisco, known as Xito, and his daughter Luísa. They welcomed us with a refreshing white Monte Meão, made from a blend of two grape varietals grown at opposite ends of the estate—Arinto in the sedimentary soils of the north and Rabigato in the schist soils of the south. This wine beautifully showcases the diversity of the terroirs at Vale Meão.
As we talked to Vito, Xito, and Luísa, it became clear that wine is a language to them. Soils and grape varietals are like words that can express human craftsmanship and the whims of the seasons to make wine as fine as poetry. Their passion for wine is only matched by the generosity with which they share the fruits of this extraordinary place with those who visit.
We tasted the Monte Meão Vinha da Cantina, a surprising wine made from baga, a red grape from Bairrada. While in Bairrada, baga produces tannic, robust reds; here, it yields a light (11.5% alcohol), vibrant wine.
Next, we enjoyed a remarkable Monte Meão Touriga Nacional from the granite soils of Vinha dos Novos. It has a crimson color, a delicate floral aroma, and a supine elegance on the palate. It was followed by a beautiful Monte Meão from Casa das Máquinas, home to the estate’s oldest vineyards that combines Touriga Francesa and Tinta Barroca.
The tasting of table wines concluded with two stunning Vale Meão vintages. The 2014 vintage is a complex, alluring wine, and the 2002 vintage is exquisite in its subtlety and refinement.
Then, port wines entered the scene. First, a 10-year-old tawny, which is all that a great tawny can be, offering notes of nuts, coffee, chocolate, and orange rind to enchant the palate. Then, a stunning 1999 colheita, that is richly satisfying.
In 1999, Vito took a significant risk by leaving his safe position as a director at Sogrape, the large wine company that acquired most of Dona Antónia’s properties, to start a new family project under the Vale Meão name. The many accolades earned since then, including inclusion in the Wine Spectator’s list of the world’s top 5 wines, show clearly that the risk paid off. From her celestial vantage point, Dona Antónia must be beaming with pride.
La Rosa was among the first estates in the Douro Valley to welcome guests. Over thirty years ago, several rustic houses were converted into accommodations, allowing visitors to stay amidst some of the region’s finest vines. The lodgings are simple, but the views are magnificent. Across the river, olive groves and vineyards ascend a steep hill. Below, the river flows without a care, its green waters sparkling in the sunlight like diamonds set in green turquoise.
In the morning, the sun casts a golden glow over the vines, gently evaporating the dew and steadily raising the temperature. This process helps maintain the freshness of the grapes, which contributes to the wine’s unique character.
We wake up to the sounds of boats gliding on the river and roosters singing, accompanied by a choir of birds. It’s wonderful to sit in the shade and enjoy the stunning landscape. The terrace of the breakfast room offers one of the best views in the Douro Valley.
At the turn of the 20th century, the estate was known as Quinta das Bateiras and belonged to António Reis, a local doctor. The Feuerheards, a family of German port shippers, bought the quinta as a christening present for their granddaughter Claire. Her father renamed it La Rosa after a successful brand of sherry his company had launched. He used the estate’s grapes to make port under the Feuerheard label.
In 1935, the Feuerheard shipping company went bankrupt, but Claire kept the estate because it was her personal property. When Claire divorced in 1946, she moved to La Rosa and lived there until she died in 1972. The beauty of the place compensated for the challenges of running an estate that was always in need of maintenance and repairs. To make up for the remote location, Claire hosted lively house parties for visitors and neighbors.
When, in 1988, Sophie Bergqvist, Claire’s granddaughter, took over the business with her father, the estate was in disrepair. Sophie started making port under the La Rosa name. In 1991, she enlisted David Baverstock, a famous enologist, to make one of the first Douro table wines. Since then, the fame of the wines has continued to grow. In 2002, another renowned enologist, Jorge Moreira, took over wine-making at La Rosa. Prizes and accolades continue to accumulate. If Claire were alive today, she would undoubtedly throw a grand party to celebrate the success of La Rosa.
Quinta de La Rosa, situated near Pinhão, is easily recognizable by its main entrance adorned with wooden statues of the eagles featured on the family crest. Click here for their website.
Because we were born 150 years apart, we did not have a chance to meet the Baron of Forrester, the British port wine trader who championed the Douro Valley. But we know Abílio Tavares da Silva, another outsider who became one of Douro’s best ambassadors.
Originally a tech entrepreneur, Abílio sold his company in 2000 and retired at the age of 40 to pursue his passion for winemaking. He does not believe in taking shortcuts, so he built his expertise from the ground up by earning an enology degree at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro. He also began his search for the ideal vineyards.
In 2004, he acquired Foz Torto, a picturesque estate near Pinhão, close to the confluence of the river Torto with the Douro. Planted with old vines, it offers stunning views of the Douro Valley. Abílio teamed up with Sandra Tavares da Silva, a star enologist, to craft his wines. Despite having the same surnames, Abílio and Sandra are not relatives. But they share a passion for making wines that combine elegance with great aging potential. Their portfolio includes a lavish red from 80-year-old vines and a beguiling white from 40-year-old vines grown in Porrais, 600 meters above sea level.
Abílio describes his winemaking philosophy as simple, yet as he explained his process, we quickly filled a notebook with intricate details. The caliber of his wines reflects not just the superior quality of the grapes but also the meticulous attention to detail that his engineering mindset brings to every facet of production—from managing the vineyards year-round, harvesting the grapes when they reach the perfect balance of sugar and acidity, controlling fermentation temperatures, and choosing the ideal aging processes.
Every August, Abílio helps organize a competition to select the finest heirloom tomatoes in the Douro Valley. This event brings winemakers together and showcases the Douro’s uniqueness. The poor schist soil encourages plants to grow deep roots, resulting in not only extraordinary wines but also exceptional fruits, herbs, vegetables, and olive oil. A few drops of the olive oil Abílio produces at Foz Torto can turn a simple salad into a culinary offering worthy of Mount Olympus.
For us, Abílio is much more than a gifted winemaker. He is a source of inspiration and a role model. When we grow up, we want to be like him.
Perhaps it’s the way the sunlight falls on the steep hill that slopes down to the river or the breathtaking vistas of century-old vineyards. Quinta da Côrte has an enchantment all its own.
This 18th century estate in the Douro Valley once belonged to a family that supplied their prized grapes to renowned port winemakers. Philippe Austruy, a French entrepreneur and wine enthusiast, fell in love with the estate and purchased it in 2013. The boutique hotel opened its doors in 2018.
The restoration of the buildings and wine cellars was a labor of love, meticulously executed in the traditional style, featuring clay-tiled roofs and yellow-ochre trims around windows and ceilings.
The interior spaces were curated by Pierre Yovanovitch, a designer whose taste was honed during his tenure with Pierre Cardin. Yovanovitch created warm, inviting interiors that blend a sense of place with whimsical elements that surprise and delight.
Each of the eight rooms has a unique personality. All offer great comfort and sweeping views of the Douro Valley. The bathrooms in the main house are adorned with traditional tiles and ceramics that harken back to an era gone by.
Mornings at Quinta da Côrte start with a splendid breakfast served in the kitchen, right by the spacious chimney where sausages used to be smoked.
Then, there’s a world of possibilities waiting outside. Explore the many trails through the vineyards, take a dip in the granite swimming pool, rest in one of the lookout points, enjoying the spectacular landscape, or visit the cellars, where you can savor the estate’s precious ports and elegant table wines. The port wine cellar stores impressive chestnut barrels, too big to fit through the doors. How did they get in? They were assembled inside the cellar in 1938.
The dedicated staff attends to every detail. A stay at Quinta da Côrte isn’t a typical hotel experience; it’s more like being a guest at the home of a dear friend with impeccable taste.
Quinta da Côrte is located near Valença do Douro, near Pinhão. Click here for their website.
In Porto, we like to stay far from the commotion of the city center. One of our favorite choices is Freixo, an 18th-century palace converted into a luxury hotel. We’re also fond of the neighboring Pestana Douro Riverside, a perfume factory turned into a modern hotel with generous views of the Douro River.
Exploring Porto’s architectural jewels like the Bolsa Palace, the Lello bookstore, and the Majestic café is always a joy. And we never tire of the spectacular tile panels that decorate the São Bento train station and the Carmo church. If you’re a music lover, check out the schedule of Casa da Música, a concert venue designed by Rem Koolhaas. We like visiting Bolhão, a 19th-century farmers market that has been recently renovated. It is the perfect place to buy a present for a gourmet friend, while enjoying a glass of wine and some appetizers.
We also love visiting the Serralves Foundation, exploring its contemporary art exhibitions, strolling through the elegant Art Deco mansion, and wandering through the magnificent gardens adorned with striking sculptures.
Another favorite activity is to visit Gaia’s port-wine cellars. Port-wine merchants built these cellars to protect their precious wines from the scorching Douro Valley summers and allow them to age gently. Over time, the cellars expanded, often taking over adjacent buildings and even entire streets. The Ferreira cellars include the house that once belonged to the famous Dona Antónia Ferreira. A cellar visit is a unique way of experiencing the magic of port wine. The cellars of Taylor’s, Ferreira, and Ramos Pinto are all great choices.
For lunch, we like going to Matosinhos to feast on grilled fish (rodovalho is our favorite). It is always delightful to eat at Gaveto, a renowned traditional restaurant. For an enchanted evening, treat yourself to a sunset dinner at the luxurious Boa Nova Tea House headed by chef Rui Paula.
To enjoy panoramic city views while sipping an aperitif, head to the rooftop of DeCastro Gaia. Whether it’s a chilled dry white port, a port tonic cocktail, or the exquisite Soberbo vermouth produced by Poças, you’ll find the perfect drink to complement the breathtaking scenery. When you’re ready for a delicious meal, head down one floor to relish the culinary delights prepared by Miguel Castro e Silva at DeCastro Gaia.
There are many fine dining choices in Porto. Eskalduna, helmed by Vasco Coelho Santos, offers a gastronomic journey through Portugal’s finest produce. Pedro Lemos crafts refined versions of traditional Portuguese recipes, while DOP, led by chef Rui Paula, is another avenue to savor his elegant cuisine. At Casario, chefs Miguel Castro e Silva and José Guedes have created a menu full of tempting flavors. Guests can enjoy it in a warm, intimate interior or on a terrace with sweeping views of the Douro River.
There are also traditional eateries like Adega S. Nicolau that have stood the test of time.
After spending one or two days in Porto, it is time to head to the Douro Valley. You can opt to drive or take the train to Pinhão, a town in the heart of the valley, from the São Bento or Campanhã stations. Alternatively, you can travel from Porto to Régua by boat. The eight-hour ride offers an opportunity to admire the magnificent bridges designed by Gustave Eiffel and sail through the impressive locks which regulate the river flow at Crestuma-Lever and Carrapatelo.
In the Douro Valley, it is a privilege to stay at Ventozelo, a magnificent wine estate transformed into a luxury hotel. The houses once occupied by workers and two port-wine balloons have been beautifully converted into unique bedrooms. Other elegant accommodations include the riverside Vintage House in Pinhão, the luxurious Six Senses Douro Valley, and the meticulously restored Quinta da Corte.
As soon as we drop our bags at the hotel, we head to Foz Torto, a winery near Pinhão owned by our friend Abílio Tavares da Silva. Abílio, a successful engineer who sold his company to become a wine producer, is the ultimate guide to the secrets of the Douro Valley. We also make sure to visit Sandra Tavares da Silva and Jorge Serôdio Borges, the acclaimed Wine & Soul enologists. Their exquisite wines showcase the best the Douro has to offer. It is always a pleasure to visit the vineyard that produces the iconic Pintas or their splendid Quinta da Manoella.
Distances within the Douro Valley are short, but travel times can be long because the narrow roads meander through the landscape. There are two ways to enjoy the breathtaking views without worrying about driving. The first, is to board the historical, coal-powered train from Pinhão to Tua for a journey back in time. The second, is to travel by boat from Pinhão to the mouth of the Tua River. In the past, the aristocratic Douro families traveled by boat to visit each other. There were no restaurants, but every family had a talented cook who used traditional recipes to prepare culinary feasts.
One of these cooks is Dona Graça. Together with her daughter Rosário, she opened the delightful Toca da Raposa restaurant in Ervedosa do Douro. We love her cooking so much that we often have all our meals here.
There are two restaurants with beautiful views of the river. The esplanade of Foz do Tavora is the perfect spot to enjoy a simple meal. DOC, another Rui Paula venture, is one more opportunity to try his elegant food. If you’re in the mood for a sumptuous breakfast or brunch, you can satiate your desires at the Six Senses Douro Valley.
As our stay in the Douro Valley nears its close, it’s always hard to leave. Abílio reminds us that our restlessness reflects our “urbanoid” disposition – we constantly seek new vistas instead of embracing paradise. Why don’t you move to the Douro Valley?, he asks. Perhaps one day, we shall heed his wise advice.
Luís Sottomayor, the enologist who makes Barca Velha, an iconic Douro valley wine, is uncomfortable with his fame. He misses spending August in quiet solitude amidst the vines at Quinta da Leda, the large estate that produces most of the grapes used in Barca Velha. Today everybody wants to talk to him, journalists, sommeliers, and wine enthusiasts. They all want to discover the secret of Barca Velha.
Luís says the style was created by the legendary Fernando Nicolau de Almeida when he produced the first Barca Velha in 1952. Nicolau de Almeida traveled the Douro valley in search of grapes that could make an exceptional table wine and found them in a region called Douro Superior. He blended grapes from high altitudes that have acidity and freshness with those from low altitudes that have maturation, body, and color. This marriage of acidity and structure created a sublime wine that can age and improve for decades.
Barca Velha is made with the best grapes that Sogrape, Portugal’s largest wine company, has in Douro Superior. The parcels are vinified separately and stored in casks. Luís creates a blend from the different barrels. If the resulting wine meets his exacting standards, he bottles it. Then the wait begins. He samples the wine with his team for four, five, six, sometimes seven years before deciding whether to label it Barca Velha or Reserva Especial. Since 1952, there have only been 20 vintages of Barca Velha and 17 of Reserva Especial.
Luís says that some decisions are challenging but he was lucky to learn with the two masters who made Barca Velha before him, Fernando Nicolau de Almeida and José Maria Soares Franco. Luís was hired by Soares Franco in 1989 and became responsible for Barca Velha in 2007.
“For how long should we store a Barca Velha?” we ask. Luís smiles and says he doesn’t like waiting too long to pull the cork from the heavy bottles that guard the precious wine. “Open it when you’re with good friends,” he recommends. Luís is a hunter, so he loves to pair Barca Velha with partridge or duck. “But the wine also can be enjoyed without food, especially by the fire on a cold winter night,” he says.
We asked Luís about another remarkable Sogrape wine called Legado (the Portuguese word for legacy). “Barca Velha has a consistent style and is the expression of a large terroir,” says Luís. “Legado is the opposite. It comes from a small terroir– a vineyard planted in 1910 with eight hectares that produce only six or seven tons of grapes. Each vintage is a different chapter of the life of that vineyard.”
Luís grew up on a farm near Porto. His father, who studied enology in Dijon after the 2nd World War, worked in a port wine company. From an early age, Luís dreamed about being a winemaker. Now he makes wines that people dream about drinking.
The best partridges we ever tasted were cooked by a professor. His name is Emídio Gomes. He is the rector of the UTAD, the university that trained many of the star enologists who work in the Douro valley.
Emídio learned to cook while studying in France on a meager scholarship. He asked his grandmother to teach him some of her recipes so that he could eat at home. Cooking was so relaxing that he continued to cook regularly after returning to Portugal.
Emídio’s stewed partridges are renowned throughout the Douro valley. The professor generously gave us his grandmother’s recipe and allowed us to share it with our readers.
The recipe starts with an admonition: “If the partridges are good, make sure you don’t ruin them.” Here’s the rest.
Remove the feathers and the tripes of the wild partridges and cut them into pieces. Marinate them for twelve hours in a small amount of white wine, laurel, parsley, and a little thyme.
Heat a cast iron pot. Pour a generous amount of olive oil. The quality of the olive oil is paramount. Choose an olive oil with low acidity, ideally from the Douro valley. Slice enough onions to cover the bottom 2 inches of the pot. Slowly sweat the onions. Remove the thyme, laurel, and parsley, and place the partridges in the pot. Add a small amount of water to prevent the stew from drying.
Cover the pot with the lid and slowly stew the partridges for four to five hours. Monitor periodically to ensure the stew does not dry; add small amounts of water as necessary. Season with salt towards the end of the cooking period. After the first four hours, regularly pierce the meat with a fork. The partridge is ready when the meat offers no resistance. Serve with white rice and toasts.
Like a top scientific paper, the recipe requires high-quality content and flawless execution. And in the end, the results look deceptively simple.
Quinta do Seixo in the Douro valley is a place of timeless beauty. Here’s how Henry Vizetelly described it in his book “Facts about Port and Madeira,” published in 1880:
“It occupies the spurs and slopes of a mountain, one side of which bounds the Douro, and the other the Rio Torto valley. Scattered over the heights above are the white cottages of the village of Valença, the vineyards of which produce a considerable quantity of first-class wine. The buildings of the Quinta do Seixo , which is entered through an imposing gateway, surmounted by the armorial bearings of its owner, are very extensive. The casa is both commodious and well arranged, and has a certain air of pretension about it, while the lagares and the adega are on a scale proportionate to the extent of the surrounding vineyard.”
This description remains remarkably apt. The main house still offers spectacular views of the surrounding vineyards, some of which are centenarian. But Vizetelly would be amazed to see that inside the traditional building, there’s a state-of-the-art winery.
Our guide explained what makes the Douro different: the stone terraces built to support the vines, the “field blends” made from varietals planted together in the vineyards, the poor soils that force the plants to struggle, making the berries small but full of flavor, and the methods used to produce tawnies, vintages, and late-bottled vintages.
She also told us about Georges Sandeman, the Scottish merchant who founded Sandeman in 1790. The company quickly became the largest port-wine shipper. Its mysterious logo, created in 1928, was inspired by its two product lines: ports from Portugal and sherries from Spain. It is a silhouette of a man wearing a Spanish hat and dressed in the cloak used by students in Coimbra, Portugal’s oldest university.
At the end of the tour, we tasted four wines—first, a harmonious white Vinha Grande with fine tannins and a pleasing acidity. Then, an exuberant red Callabriga made with grapes from the Callabriga hill, which was originally planted by the Romans. Next, a delicious 2019 Vintage Port from Quinta do Seixo that tastes even better with a view of the vines that produced it. And, finally, a great Sandeman Vau port wine from the 1999 vintage.
A visit to Quinta do Seixo is a delightful introduction to the wonders of the Douro valley.
We used to buy jams endorsed by the British monarchs, figuring that centuries of sampling jams at tea time gave them the practice required to select the cream of the jam crop.
We quite liked the British jams until one fateful lunch at Toca da Raposa in Ervedosa do Douro. A sampling of jams arrived without fanfare at dessert time. When we tried them, we experienced a whole new level of deliciousness!
What makes these jams so sublime? Their fruit comes from the Douro valley, a place where the scorching summer heat and a wealth of soil micronutrients create unique conditions that intensify aromas and flavors. And each batch is handcrafted by Dona Graça, a legendary cook, and her talented daughter, Rosário. The two leave nothing to chance, shunning the use of preservatives and making adjustments small and large to ensure that the results are perfect.
There is an orange jam chockfull of strips of orange rind that delight the palate and an orange and hot pepper jam with the ideal combination of sugar and spice. There are jars of jam brimming with perfectly ripe whole figs; a surprisingly delicious zucchini jam; amazing jams made with must from grapes used to produce port wine; jams made from a rare peach variety that grows amidst the vines, and much more.
The jams favored by his royal majesty pale by comparison with the wondrous jams from Toca da Raposa! The question is: how do we tell the king?
Toca da Raposa is located at Rua da Praça in Ervedosa do Douro, tel. 254 423 466.
Salt of Portugal 