DOURO
VALLEY
DAY
9
Vintage House Hotel
Our three hour bus ride was broken up with a comfort break, and then stunning views of terraced, port producing vineyards in the Douro Valley came into view. The staircased green and gold hills complemented the bright blue sky.The switchback road took us up to the family estate of Quinta de Santa Eufemia. Our host, Maria, showed us the stone that marks the property in the year 1756 for grapes. They are the 11th generation on the land and the 4th generation for port wine production, growing the tinta variety of grapes.
Maria gave us a thorough tour of the vineyard and then the production area where they still stomp the grapes. The wine cellar was stacked with wooden barrels filled with their precious commodity.
We sampled wines with our light lunch and the two words I came away with are "tawny port." (I came away with some travel size bottles, as well!)
Our stop for the night was the charming village of Pinhão, which sits on the the Douro River. Cruise boats were docked on both shores and vineyards lined the hillsides. The redbuds were blooming and the wisteria draped in shades of lavender. This felt like the vacation from the vacation!
As usual, Kevin and I took off on a walk after settling into the plush Vintage House Hotel. We walked along the river and through the winding streets, passing some river cruise tourists along the way. I, of course, took more than my share of photos! Our group gathered for dinner at the hotel and commiserated with one another about having to leave this place in the morning.
TOURTIDbits
On this tour, as in other RSE tours, continental breakfast is included at the hotel each morning. Times may vary slightly but it's usually between 7:00-8:30 am. and you'll get a bountiful spread. About half of your dinners or lunches are also included in the price of your tour. Special diets are accommodated but picky eating is discouraged. Be adventurous!