An amazing winery in Vinho Verde with a historic and picturesque setting. We visited in late…read moreSeptember with a private guide for lunch and a wonderful tasting of their fine selections. We sat nestled under a shady arbor enjoying 3 fabulous white wines, a luscious red and of course port with dessert. We even tasted a bit of their digestif to round out everything. While they aren't a restaurant, we enjoyed a delicious private lunch while we tasted the wines beginning with some fresh bread and house made olive oil. Next came a light and savory goat cheese puff pastry over roasted mushrooms. For our main we feasted on seared pork belly in a bed of fresh peas and for dessert a sweet orange roulade with strawberry compote. Definitely one of the tastiest meals on our two week trip in Portugal so far. After lunch we strolled a bit around the historic property with its small chapel ruin and many fruit trees. A great wAy to kick off our wine tasting journey in northern Portugal.

This was exactly what we were looking for on our drive up the Duoro Valley. Quinta de Covela was…read morejust a few minutes off of the main road - a slightly harrowing drive down to it so do yourself a favor and stay alert (and plan for accordingly for the drive out if you are having wine). My wife and i drove in and just wondered around until someone approached us in our clearly lost/confused state. We were greeted by an incredibly friendly young gal and treated to an impromptu wine tasting on a stone table in the shade of a large tree on a patio overlooking the Duoro River. Honestly, the wine would have been swill and this would have been an incredible experience... but luckily we were treated to some very crisp and refreshing Vihno Verdes (green wines) while having some nice conversation with the Covela pourer (whose name I have forgotten). Afterwards she took us for a tour of the grounds where we saw the vineyards, orchards and the few centuries old ruins of the old manor house and chapel. To sum it up... this was the stuff of dreams. Unfortunately they do not distribute in the USA or I would most certainly buy their wine often. Instead we left with a bottle and drank it at the hotel later that evening (yes, i am a wino). If you are in the region - certainly make a stop here. Well worth it.

Me and my wife came here for a couple night and we must say we were both in shock. Of how beautiful…read moreand relaxing this vineyard was. We had no idea this GEM of a place existed. From service to accommodation and food and we can't forget about their wine 5 stars. We definitely recommend this Quinta. There pool is amazing with views of the mountains. It's like a dream. Rooms are clean and very up to date. We got massages at the spa and Rita was excellent and ze who checked us in is great! We didn't want to leave haha.

Absolutely loved our stay at the Quinta do Vallado. Such a gorgeous spot in the Douro…read moreValley...peaceful, extremely comfortable and sprawling accommodations, warm staff, stunning grounds. It even smells heavenly with the orange blossoms and rosemary all around the property. Had dinner both nights at the hotel as it was delicious, affordable for the area (which generally has considerably more expensive restaurants) and easy. Kids enjoyed the bar menu to have an earlier night of it (plenty of options for lighter dinners in the bar if you don't wish to eat heavy or late) and we loved our premium wine pairings with dinner. They also have an honor bar with all of their fabulous wines and some spirits for mixing, which was a nice touch. The breakfast was plentiful and very tasty. Wish it would start a little earlier (7? 730? would be great, but I believe it started at 8) but other than that, zero complaints. Our stay included a tour and tasting, which was truly educational for all. Our guide was the sommelier of the hotel and she also poured the wines at dinner. Our stay at the Quinta was a true highlight of our trip. I highly recommend it.

BEAUTY ALL AROUND!!!! DELICIOUS PORTS AND SUPER FRIENDLY STAFF!…read more This is the most picturesque winery I have ever been to! It is also one of the oldest wineries in the valley. I booked the tour to the this winery because it was recommended by our hotel (24€ pp) . We got there 10 mins before the tour. Parking was right at the entrance and plenty of space to park. Next we headed to the wine shed for our checkin. Then we waiting for our tour to begin. The tour guide was super knowledgeable and explained us the details the difference between port and wine and walked us through the different stages of wine making! The last but not least was tasting the wines and I have to say that QDP went all out on this. We have tasted some of their finest selection and all 5 were phenomenal. We eneded up buying 20 year aged Port and 40year aged port. After visiting here we came to know that this is also a hotel. Next time I am definitely staying there .

This was one of the best experiences of my life! As soon as we arrived, I wanted to blow out our…read moreother travel plans and stay more nights. The hotel is beautiful and the room was one of the bigger ones I had in Portugal. The wine tour and tasting experience was top-notch. We had dinner at the Wine House restaurant and did the tasting menu with wine pairing. Everything was delicious and fresh and we were able to taste amazing fish, foie gras, steak, and more. There was even a ginger palate cleanser and a tasty dessert. The wines were excellent. And the price was so reasonable I had to read it again! It was a little jarring the next day when we went to the same restaurant for breakfast and it was not a lot of selection and poorly prepared.

Beautiful location right on the vineyard…read more Full service hotel with spa, wine tasting, great food and excellent staff. Rooms are exceptional and a full breakfast is included in the main dining room. It's called a wine experience for a reason!!! From the moment we checked in we were welcomed with a glass of champagne. After check in, we went to the room, which was spacious, spotless and absolutely lovely. A bottle of champagne was on ice in the sitting area with a nice welcome note. Everything in this hotel was a 5 star experience. If this hotel was in Napa, it would easily be $1000 a night. So IMO, it's an exceptional value. The main are of the hotel has beautiful sitting areas with fire places. It's relaxing and calming. Besides the amazing wines, the food was very good. At dinner, the Sommelier paired wine with our dishes which was a nice touch. The staff was super friendly and helpful, especially when they pick you up by tuk tuk to take you the restaurant and then back to your room after dinner. The pool and spa are also a nice touch to complete this experience. I highly recommend this hotel. If you want to feel pampered and a little bougie this is the place.

This hotel is such a beauty! Directly in the vineyards, the…read morehotel is composed of different small buildings for the rooms and other facilities. All of them surrounded by the calming and gorgeous view of perfectly straight rows of plush, green vines. Our room was very modern and comfortable with a full wall window facing a view I won't forget. Even on the second night, it seemed as exciting as the first. I can't get enough of this place. It may take some time to find all the light and decipher all the switches and options but if you have trouble, the staff is very friendly and keen to help you. On our arrival we were greeted with a very welcoming glass of their own sparkling and they also brought our bags directly in our rooms while we were checking in. If you don't want to walk to your room, you can always ask for a ride in their golf carts. We did came back pretty late in the evening, but each night we gathered with our group in the lobby bar on the first floor of the main building. The bartender was very helpful and friendly. He made very pleasing recommendations and they had very interesting choices. I hope I get to go back.

We had a great time here today with our expert Ines. We sampled 3 different types of 10 year ports…read moreand splurged on the 10, 20, 30 and 40 yr ports.

My group participated in the port and chocolate tasting. It included a tour of the caves with a…read moreknowledgeable tour guide, followed by a three port tasting with dark chocolate truffles. A great way to learn about the history of port at Sandeman.

Dão is a famous wine region in Portugal, and we decided to visit some vineyards on our trip…read more Quinta do Perdigão is a small vineyard with just 8 hectares of land, with certified organic production. Several of its wines has 90+ points from Robert Parker among other awards. We had a lovely tour of the vineyard with Vanessa, the owner, and her entourage of dogs and horse. She and her husband met over her art exhibition, and her artwork graces the bottles. After the tour, we sat down for an informal tasting while chatting about everything. If you like white, try their Encruzado, a 91 pt wine made with their indigenous grape. Their Reserve 2006 is amazing, we couldn't resist getting a bottle to take home. pro tip: Do call/email ahead of time to arrive a visit, and don't trust your GPS to know the way.

Peter Eckert was a Swiss insurance company manager who fell in love with the Dão region, and with…read morehis wife, bought four hectares of abandoned land and a house. His story sounds similar to the many expat stories that for a while flooded bookstores. Skip the complains about local workers, fast forward twenty years, and you have a prospering family vineyard and a cellar of award-winning wines. During our visit, Peter's root shines through, in his warm hospitality and management precision. The wine making facility is a blend of modern and tradition. There is the lagar where grapes are stomped by feet, and chill rings on fermenting tanks. Peter is really proud of his Encruzado, an indigenous variety that is considered Portugal's finest white grape. It's full bodied, well structured, a creamy mouthfeel balanced with some acidity. I'll pick this over many chardonnay or sauvignon blanc! I feel privileged that I get to try both the unoaked and oaked versions (and I agree with Peter that I prefer the unoaked) of the wine, plus a barrel sample. For red, we tried the Touriga Nacional and Alfrocheiro, again indigenous varietals that I hardly find back home. We just wish that we can carry more bottles home with us!

Awesome hour here. Got a tour of their operations and awesome wine tasting. Very friendly and…read morechatty wine maker.

Quinta do Tedo is a gorgeous winery in the Doura valley. Its logo is a bird because the owners are…read morebird watchers. It is also a B&B, but we were here to taste port. The tour was excellent, our guide was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions. The process is fascinating. We finished with the tastings. The ports are fantastic. We had a Porto rose, tawny, and LBV. This winery is definitely worth a visit!

When we arrived at Quinta do Tedo the views were just breathtaking. The entire Duoro Valley is so…read morepicturesque. We were supposed to have a private lunch under an olive tree, but the weather didn't cooperate. That sounded lovely, but the back-up may have been even lovelier. They set up lunch for us in the wine cellar. It was such a beautiful space, the walls were lined with oak barrels and there was some cool art at the far side. The table was set so perfectly with a couple of bottles of wine, a charcuterie board full of different cheeses and meats, and a very tasty fruit salad. They thought of everything, even having a heater under the table. We had the entire cellar to ourselves, just the three of us. After lunch, we did a tasting and tour of the winery with a group. The day couldn't have been more perfect and I had an amazing experience here!

We are so very happy we took their tour and tasting! Our guide was amazing, so informative,…read moreexpressive & patient with the group. Ferreira is truly beautiful inside & out. It was such an enjoyable experience. We highly recommend taking their tour & tasting! And buy, buy the different ports in their shop!

This was by far the best Port wine tour of the four we took in the Duomo Valley. The building is…read morevery old, and has been restored beautifully, including taking adjacent buildings, and using those, now, cobblestone indoor streets for hallways. Our guide was taking classes for Sommelier. She said the "Wineologists" who check the wines for chemical balance, sugar, acid, taste, etc., was a more difficult profession to achieve. These wines are in huge oak barrels for years aging to become the perfect Port. Throughout the tours are displays, the history of Ms. Ferreira, a likeable woman who did wonderful things for the area, and the small details that we learned about. The tasting is a must. The room, including a gift shop, is lovely. Three glasses of Ports white, tawny and red, are presented with a cheese/nut board. These Ports were the best we had tasted all week.