Food Tours · Tour

Eight Guests, Eight Wines, and a Boat That May Be Yours Alone

Eight people, one minivan, nine hours. The cap is what you are paying for: a Mercedes or VW Caravelle with a maximum of eight guests, so the day moves at the pace of one small group rather than a coach. You can be collected from most central Porto hotels, or meet at one of five points across the city, including the Vimara Peres statue beside the cathedral, the Clérigos tower, Trindade metro and Bolsa Palace. The drive to the valley is about ninety minutes each way. The first stop is a family-owned winery near Peso da Régua for four Douro DOC wines, tasted alongside olive oil and other local products, which is how these wines are actually drunk here. Then the N222 between Régua and Pinhão, the stretch that gets called the most beautiful road in the world, and a boat on the Douro that upgrades to a private one at no cost when the group reaches the minimum. Lunch is three courses at a local restaurant with regional wines. In the afternoon you stop at a viewpoint above the terraces, then visit a second estate near Sabrosa, this one for how port is made and four port wines to taste. Eight wines in total. Water is included in packaging that supports a social cause; the guide is local and works in Portuguese, English or Spanish, sometimes more than one on a departure. Drop-off is at Trindade station or Bolsa Palace, whichever suits. Dietary requirements including vegan and gluten-free can be handled with notice at booking. Alcohol is served only to guests of legal drinking age. Not recommended for infants.