Cálem Photos
Recommended Reviews - Cálem
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
Great experience here for the tour and fado show! The tour was super surprising with how technologically advanced it was from projecting the number of bottles in one of the large barrels to the year the barrel was made and a technological welcome area, it was very cool! We also got the fado show which was great, we tasted some of their port wines with some crackers and got to listen to a wonderful show. The staff and tour guide were super helpful and knowledgeable and made for a great experience!
I thought the tour was very informative and interesting. If you're into wine, especially Port wine... this is your place. Of course you'll have the opportunity to taste a few wines at the end of the tour. And even have the option to purchase and have bottles shipped all over the world. The more bottles you order, the less you pay. I ordered a few bottles so I can drink on special occasions.
Very nice wine tasting experience. The experience starts out with a 15 minute self guided tour of their small museum which was quite informative and educational followed by a an immersive tour of their barrel room which was excellent. Our guide probably spent half an hour going over the Calem operation, the various wines they make, the processes they use, how they are stored, shelf life, and on and on. You get the picture a very good educational overview that most people would appreciate especially if you are into wine and have a desire to learn about all things Port like I did on this trip. The barrel room and its stone walls with wooden beams dark lighting and stacks/rows of aged barrows of wine was quite impressive and one of the main things I was hoping to see on this trip. Check that box off big time! Relative to the wines they were good like many of the wines are in Porto. I think anytime they serve someone something sweet like Ports you are going to like it. Which has been the case for me on many of these tasting experiences in Porto. The separator on these experiences comes down to the barrel room Experience and knowledge and communication skills of the tour guide which this tour excelled at. Overall a very enjoyable experience and one you should check out if you are in Porto. The Barrel room environment by itself is a must see!
Cálem is one of the more popular port wine tastings in the Gaia region, that is because they have so many tours happening, tours in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese. The tours are about 30 mins and take you face-to-face to see the wooden barrels that hold more than hundreds of liters. The tour also ends with a port tasting, which you select when purchasing your ticket. There are many different options based on the number and quality of port you will taste. We got the premium package that includes 3 port tastings. I was honestly not impressed. Hubby likes the 10 year Tawney and thought that was the best. Overall, tour was short, you learn about the port wine process and tasting and prices is based on what you want to taste. I would probably recommend going to a more smaller port maker. This one is very commercial.
Great tasting paired with cheese and chocolate. Cálem is a well known port house for a reason. I enjoyed getting to try their vintage ruby. We opted not to do the tour but still received a nice run down from the staff when presented with the ports and cheeses. This specific tasting was 35 euros. It was a great way to spend a portion of a rainy afternoon. There was no fado music while we there and just one other table so it felt a bit quiet. We ended up buying some port for two packs when we left.
Learn a little about Port when in Porto As one of my fellow Yelpers on this page suggested, "Once in Poroto, do like Port lovers!"; go port wine tasting! We were in Porto, and every time we walked along the waterfront, we could see the Calem winery on the other side of the river. My partner was adamant that we take the Calem tour. I tried to resist arguing that it was a touristy thing to do, but she won the battle, to no surprise! The tour is about an hour, and just like the Napa winery tours, you learn about the history, walk through the cellars, learn about the different varieties and the processes that produce them, and taste a few samples. Ultimately, you end up in the shop where you can buy a couple of bottles or more. One excellent addition to the above is that in Calem, you also enjoy an additional 45 minutes or so of a Fado concert by two or three artists. Our tour took about two hours, and I must admit that I enjoyed it. Porto Cálem was founded in 1859 by António Alves. It is one of the most recognized Port Wine brands. It has been a family business for four generations and has won numerous awards and prizes. António Alves was determined to market his wine in Brazil when the primary market was mainly in Europe. He used his fleet of ships and was successful in achieving his goal. Cálem Cellars in Porto was renovated in 2006. It is located in Gaia, a short distance from the Dom Luís I Bridge. So, my fellow Yelpers, if you are in Porto and read my review, please know that at the end of the day, I admitted to having been wrong about the tour, and it was a fun two hours. Take this tour if you are in Porto and want to learn about Port wine and its origins.
When in Porto, you must go wine tasting. I'm not a fan of Port wine, but when in Rome, or in this case, Porto at least try. All tastings include a guided tour and unlike US wineries and beer distilleries, you can only get to the tasting room after the tour. The tour was interesting, except for the one women who wouldn't stop asking questions, I actually felt sorry for the guide, because every time she tried to explain how the Port was aged, the yapper would chime in, until the entire group walked away. The tasting room is nice. I sampled 3... still not a fan... but it was a fun afternoon and I highly recommend.
This place is the best winery I've been to. When I came to this place with my family, I saw a tour of the winery and it's history. After showcasing the tour, they game me a tangerine juice. SOO TASTY. I tried the tapas, RECOMMENDED. A little bitter, but that's okay. The staff was nice. What I liked was a little store at the end where you can buy wine and merchandise.
The tour felt incredibly long even though it was interesting. Although it was a long tour, our guide did not seem open to answering questions asked by the group and seemed to rush through things with a well rehearsed speech. The tasting was decent- port isn't really my thing so I'm a little biased (VERY strong and VERY sweet). Overall a decent experience but wouldn't do it again.
We signed up for a Fado and wine tasting here because we were interested in learning about Port wine and also liked the idea of experiencing a traditional Fado. The tour was informative and the guide was very knowledgeable. After the tour, they offer you 2 port wines to try as you get to listen to the beautiful fado played by the very skilled musicians. There were two singers and both did a lovely job. It was also fun that we were seated almost family style in large elevated picnic-type tables. We met some great people while also getting to enjoy the music and wine. This might be one of the more well-known which also equals touristy places, but overall the experience is top notch and a decent value for the price. read more
A great stop in Porto for anyone interested in port wine and Portuguese wine heritage. Calém (Kopke Group) offers a well-organized and informative tour that walks you through the history of port production, aging processes, and the Douro Valley wine region in a clear and engaging way. They offer 45-minute tours in multiple languages. Our tour guide was informative and kindly tolerated my non-stop questions. One standout detail: their largest aging barrels are big enough to fit a car inside. The guided portion ends with a well-curated tasting, accompanied by explanations of flavor profiles and styles. (Tickets are under 25 euros.) read more
As part of our tour of Porto we visited here to see the port wine process. It looked like a very modern winery. We started our tour with a an overview of the port wine process from ground and soil to final product. It was interesting to see how they originally used the river to make and get the wine to Porto. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and was able to answer all of the questions of the group. We ended up in a tasting hall where we were given a sample of red and white port. Of course you finish by going through the gift shop. read more
Great experience here for the tour and fado show! The tour was super surprising with how technologically advanced it was from projecting the number of bottles in one of the large barrels to the year the barrel was made and a technological welcome area, it was very cool! We also got the fado show which was great, we tasted some of their port wines with some crackers and got to listen to a wonderful show. The staff and tour guide were super helpful and knowledgeable and made for a great experience! read more
I thought the tour was very informative and interesting. If you're into wine, especially Port wine... this is your place. Of course you'll have the opportunity to taste a few wines at the end of the tour. And even have the option to purchase and have bottles shipped all over the world. The more bottles you order, the less you pay. I ordered a few bottles so I can drink on special occasions. read more
Very nice wine tasting experience. The experience starts out with a 15 minute self guided tour of their small museum which was quite informative and educational followed by a an immersive tour of their barrel room which was excellent. Our guide probably spent half an hour going over the Calem operation, the various wines they make, the processes they use, how they are stored, shelf life, and on and on. You get the picture a very good educational overview that most people would appreciate especially if you are into wine and have a desire to learn about all things Port like I did on this trip. The barrel room and its stone walls with wooden beams dark lighting and stacks/rows of aged barrows of wine was quite impressive and one of the main things I was hoping to see on this trip. Check that box off big time! Relative to the wines they were good like many of the wines are in Porto. I think anytime they serve someone something sweet like Ports you are going to like it. Which has been the case for me on many of these tasting experiences in Porto. The separator on these experiences comes down to the barrel room Experience and knowledge and communication skills of the tour guide which this tour excelled at. Overall a very enjoyable experience and one you should check out if you are in Porto. The Barrel room environment by itself is a must see! read more
Cálem is one of the more popular port wine tastings in the Gaia region, that is because they have so many tours happening, tours in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese. The tours are about 30 mins and take you face-to-face to see the wooden barrels that hold more than hundreds of liters. The tour also ends with a port tasting, which you select when purchasing your ticket. There are many different options based on the number and quality of port you will taste. We got the premium package that includes 3 port tastings. I was honestly not impressed. Hubby likes the 10 year Tawney and thought that was the best. Overall, tour was short, you learn about the port wine process and tasting and prices is based on what you want to taste. I would probably recommend going to a more smaller port maker. This one is very commercial. read more
2 years ago
My family came here for tour based on idea my husband and I wanted to do. We had an informative tour on how Port Wine is traditionally made. We then got to taste 3 different port wines with a cheese pairing. read more
Great tasting paired with cheese and chocolate. Cálem is a well known port house for a reason. I enjoyed getting to try their vintage ruby. We opted not to do the tour but still received a nice run down from the staff when presented with the ports and cheeses. This specific tasting was 35 euros. It was a great way to spend a portion of a rainy afternoon. There was no fado music while we there and just one other table so it felt a bit quiet. We ended up buying some port for two packs when we left. read more
Learn a little about Port when in Porto As one of my fellow Yelpers on this page suggested, "Once in Poroto, do like Port lovers!"; go port wine tasting! We were in Porto, and every time we walked along the waterfront, we could see the Calem winery on the other side of the river. My partner was adamant that we take the Calem tour. I tried to resist arguing that it was a touristy thing to do, but she won the battle, to no surprise! The tour is about an hour, and just like the Napa winery tours, you learn about the history, walk through the cellars, learn about the different varieties and the processes that produce them, and taste a few samples. Ultimately, you end up in the shop where you can buy a couple of bottles or more. One excellent addition to the above is that in Calem, you also enjoy an additional 45 minutes or so of a Fado concert by two or three artists. Our tour took about two hours, and I must admit that I enjoyed it. Porto Cálem was founded in 1859 by António Alves. It is one of the most recognized Port Wine brands. It has been a family business for four generations and has won numerous awards and prizes. António Alves was determined to market his wine in Brazil when the primary market was mainly in Europe. He used his fleet of ships and was successful in achieving his goal. Cálem Cellars in Porto was renovated in 2006. It is located in Gaia, a short distance from the Dom Luís I Bridge. So, my fellow Yelpers, if you are in Porto and read my review, please know that at the end of the day, I admitted to having been wrong about the tour, and it was a fun two hours. Take this tour if you are in Porto and want to learn about Port wine and its origins. read more
When in Porto, you must go wine tasting. I'm not a fan of Port wine, but when in Rome, or in this case, Porto at least try. All tastings include a guided tour and unlike US wineries and beer distilleries, you can only get to the tasting room after the tour. The tour was interesting, except for the one women who wouldn't stop asking questions, I actually felt sorry for the guide, because every time she tried to explain how the Port was aged, the yapper would chime in, until the entire group walked away. The tasting room is nice. I sampled 3... still not a fan... but it was a fun afternoon and I highly recommend. read more
1 year ago
This place is the best winery I've been to. When I came to this place with my family, I saw a tour of the winery and it's history. After showcasing the tour, they game me a tangerine juice. SOO TASTY. I tried the tapas, RECOMMENDED. A little bitter, but that's okay. The staff was nice. What I liked was a little store at the end where you can buy wine and merchandise. read more
The tour felt incredibly long even though it was interesting. Although it was a long tour, our guide did not seem open to answering questions asked by the group and seemed to rush through things with a well rehearsed speech. The tasting was decent- port isn't really my thing so I'm a little biased (VERY strong and VERY sweet). Overall a decent experience but wouldn't do it again. read more
Really enjoyed the Porto tour here! The guide was very educational, although the tour was quite quick. We did a tasting with two Porto which I thought was plenty. The wine itself is very good, quite sweet which is expected. The gift shop at the end is perfect for all your Porto needs. read more
Cálem was the first stop on our port wine tour and described as a "traditional" house by our guide. All port wine has to be aged in Porto (though the wine is made in the Douro valley) and you'll see many aging barrels and vats. The tour is a short walk through the museum which is pretty slick and modern with lots of interactive screens. You'll then pop out in a tasting area surrounded by barrels and taste a few examples. We tried a white & a traditional tawny. I'm not a great port expert so I would say they were good wines. I'm glad we had a guide with to explain things it's in depth as the museum part was fairly basic. read more
2 years ago
Great tour and great port wine. The Calem fine white is my absolute fav and I even had a whole case shipped back to the US. Very clean establishment. Super informative tour and tasting. Highly recommend! read more
3 years ago
It was and amazing tour, historical. We tasted the Porto a white and red one direct from the calem. The tour was worthed I have Learned a lot read more
3 years ago
Fantastic experience at the Port tasting and tour with our guide Leonardo. It was informative, interesting and so fun ( not technical and boring like others we've been to). Leonardo had a great sense of humor and he was personable. Everyone had a great time! We thoroughly enjoyed the tasting experience, chatted with other travelers and found several new favorite ports including white port ! Yup ! Highly recommend! read more
Cálem was our favorite Port wine cellar during our latest trip to Portugal. Although we likely had a better experience because we did the tour in Portuguese, we had a great, knowledgeable tour guide. She explained the full history and process behind making Port wine and then led us to a big room to do the wine tasting. We opted for the full flight and loved the LBV. They had a very expansive gift shop with very reasonably-priced wine. The only downside is that it's not sold in the U.S.! read more
6 years ago
I visited Calem during my first rainy day in Porto. I hadn't exactly planned ahead and when I came in the next English tour was nearly an hour from then. I purchased a ticket and walked to their next door shop to do some browsing and use the restroom. I then returned and decided to just sit around and get off of my feet before the 4p tour (which starts at 415p after a self led tour of their museum). I really enjoyed the museum. I noticed this was something Sandeman didn't have but they did have a great video - so, different strokes for different folks at all of these cellars. The tour itself was extremely full and felt semi rushed, and semi informative. After a few brief stops here and there and a bit of info at each its time to all file into a room and be sat at an extremely long table for your tasting that they were still scrambling to set up when we arrived. I opted for the premium tasting. I mean if I'm here to taste Port a girls gotta go all out. I'll say, I don't particularly like Port. It would never be my go to wine and I really treat it as a dessert wine (and still rarely if ever would order it or drink it). I'll do Port tastings because my Dad loves it but while in Gaia I just really wanted to embrace it all. I didn't care for any of the three; the white, ruby or tawny but... to my surprise if I had to like one the most it would have been the white because it was more dry versus sweet and super strong making it tough to enjoy on my palate. The tawny was just downright tough for me and the ruby was ok but all three were just not my style of wine. I enjoyed knowing I'd had the experience here but found the ports I had the next day to be a lot yummier and I drank all of them where as I left all three mainly full here. Beautiful cellar, nice enough experience but not my favorite port - this all from a non port drinker ;) so take all of that in mind. read more
Service is okay, they should run their tastings the entire time they're open, it's a money maker for them but they stop it around 6:30pm on weekdays. I did not do the tour but I did have some 20 year old tawny for €9 and by buddy had a 10 year old tawny for €7. You can honestly buy these in the shop rather than sitting and paying. Would rate the spot as average for sitting and having wine, I'm sure the tour is better than the sitting area. read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
Great visit that is very informative explaining all the aspects of producing the different types of port and the different aging processes. Also enjoyed the tasting at the end. read more
7 years ago
Informative wine tour with a thorough history of how port wine started. Our tour guide described the different types of port and how it is a much different process than still wine. We purchased several wine tastings at the end of the tour and sampled everything from their dry white (much sweeter than traditional dry white) to a 10 year old tawny port. We enjoyed everything and purchased several bottles at the end. The prices were reasonable €9 for the dry white with the pricier wines being a 40 year old tawny port for €65. read more
The most touristy of the wineries I visited (Taylor and Croft being the others). Not bad, but a bit different. Definitely more crowded though. The tasting area is outside and can be a bit confusing, especially if you didn't do the tour beforehand. They had the largest gift shop of the wineries I went to as well. They had some cheaper chocolates though and as you can imagine the ports prices ranged widely. They offered the standard flight with 3 ports. White, ruby and tawny. All great tasting ports. It's the perfect way to try a little of the three major port types. read more
Great winery tour! They start with a full history of how port wine is made (soil, weather, etc) and then move into the barrels and how they are built and how long they are used. They explain each type of port wine and then it ends with a lovely tasting of a white and tawny wine. The tour guide we had did a great job. He was thorough and answered several of our questions. Of course, after the tasting you are moved through the gift shop. There you can purchase bottles and gifts for very fair prices. I purchased several bottles to bring home to the US. Great tour to gain a little history and knowledge of port wine- a favorite of mine! I'd recommend tourists stop in if they have time. read more
3 years ago
8 years ago
The beat feature is: Prime location for the view of Porto's skyline. Of course: you should try port, right?! Add-on: Cheese/Charcuterie plates are looking very enticing. Pricing is certainly adjusted to the "hungry seagulls/tourists will pay anything" level, but views will justify it. :) read more
15 years ago
The port wine cellars are lined up like perls on a chain at the south bank of the Douro. So if you will get there to visit one, you have the chance or the burden to decide for one. We decided for Cálem. I am not sure why, maybe because of the schedule at this day. The ladies at Cálem are very friendly and offer a tour in your home language, no matter what your home language is, and no matter how many you are. Very helpful especially for the children. You will lern a liitle bit about the history and the technique to make port wine. In my eyes it is little bit an alibi for the connected wine tasting. But I learned some things I still know today: the normal port wines you get in your home country are mostly cheap mixed stuff. So get a vintage port, if you are lucky of your birthyear or for smaller pockets of your childrens birthyear. Cheerio! read more
Had a very nice tour and tasting here. The tour was small and intimate at this first Portuguese owned port winery. The tour we signed up for was all in english. The guide was excellent. Saw the storage and aging areas. After the tour we were brought to a large tasting room. They gave us two full glasses of port to try. While we were sipping away, two musicians and singers played beautiful fado music. Great experience here and I highly recommend it. read more
Took the tour in English. It was pretty informative and the guide was very good. It had a little more information than some of the other tours I've been on. You enter and the tour starts behind some doors. Learn a little about the region and different types of port. Then a quick walk through the cave and see the barrels. Then the tasting. Two types. White and tawny. Not bad. And if you opt foe the fado show you can sip your tastings and watch a show. They give you some biscuits to munch on.... not a bad deal! read more
4 years ago
8 years ago
Porto is the city of ports and what better way than to take in its history with a port tour and tasting. There are dozens of wineries to choose from but this is one of the largest with a full tour. Kids are also welcome and can taste of over the age of 18. Wineries are Located across the river from the mainland so you can walk there or take the river ferry. We walked by crossing the the bridge which overlooks the river at a very high height. The scene is beautiful overlooking the city and river. Once crossed, it's all downhill so the walk is easy. The tour was educational and the guide spoke English well so it wasn't a problem understanding the details. Additionally, there are many languages to choose from for the tour but English was the most on demand and can book fast so call ahead. There is a half hour museum visit so you can read on your own it's history then it's followed by the tour which lasts about 30 minutes. At the end you're taken to the tasting room where the ports are poured and ready for your tasting. Since we had the special option, there were 3 ports to taste but the regular option only had 2. All were sweet as expected (not my kind of wine though) but enjoyable. I would prefer a cab or merlot but if you're into the ports this would definitely be a hit since this is where port all started. A good experience overall and a must on your visit. Be careful as port is 19-22% alc so when you're done and can't walk, take the gondola or river ferry back to the mainland as the walk back up the hill can be quite challenging. read more
Page 1 of 2
More info about Cálem
Av. Diogo Leite, 344
4400-111 Vila Nova de Gaia
Portugal
Directions
223 746 660
Call Now
Visit Website
http://www.calem.pt
Hours
Services
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
Cálem Reviews in Other Languages
Review Highlights - Cálem
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
1 review that is not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
6 years ago
