We did a self guided day trip to the Douro Valley today and the two hour drive from Porto was worth it. We had no idea how breathtaking the views would be and it was amazing to drive through the terraced vineyards along the river. Absolutely stunning! The Douro valley is famous for its Port wines which are only made in Porto. I suppose kind of like a Bordeaux which only comes from Bordeaux.
We stopped at a Quinta, a vineyard or farm on the way to Pinhao, the small town where we would have lunch. The winery was up, up, up a cobbled and dirt road and as we drove the terraces of grapes were on either side of us. We bought the tour and We walked through the rows of grapes in the unrelenting sun for half an hour ending the tour with a little tasting of port while sitting on barrels drooling over the views. It was a hot day...37C! We had a hard time cooling down for most of the day after this point and shade was hard to come by but after a little lunch we hopped aboard a river cruise which went up the Douro River. The breeze was inviting and again the views left us wanting more. Here because of the hilly terrain they have learned to grow the grapes in terraced rows, in the ideal conditions. Hot!! It is just about harvest time and I wish we were here for grape stomping festivals which is still the most effective way to get the juice from the grapes. I think it would easily turn into an I love Lucy episode with me! We aren't sure we know much more about how Port is made but we sure enjoyed the experience in this beautiful place.