For a long time, the Douro was known as the source of Port wine, but nowadays the region is also renowned for its fine and full-bodied red and white wines.
Winding through the bends and turns of the Douro River, the region of the same name is one of Portugal's wildest and most mountainous corners, which also produces the most powerful wines. Along the banks and tributaries, the vines defy gravity on the steep slopes and thrive on slate-rich soil.
Man has left his mark here, literally building it into stone: The center of the Alto Douro region is famous for its historic, narrow vineyard terraces, which were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001. Today, modern terraces are built much wider and supported by the steep slopes.
Join us on a wine tour through the magical Douro region, which the river brings to life with water and wine.
Douro – The Magical River of Wine
The Douro is the third-longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. In Spain, it is called the Ribera del Duero and Toro.
The wine-growing areas follow the course of the Douro River from the Spanish border in the east of the country to a point near the town of Mesão Frio, around 90 km east of Porto. Here, the mountains of the Serra do Marão rise high and protect the region from the powerful influences of the Atlantic Ocean. Rain usually falls west of the Marão and to some extent in the western part of the Douro wine region. Further upstream, rainfall decreases, and almost desert-like conditions prevail at the Spanish border.
The Douro region is divided into three subregions from west to east: Baixo Corgo, Cima Corgo and Douro Superior.
The fertile Baixo Corgo near the Serra do Marão is cool and rainy and is known as the subregion with the most vineyards.
Cima Corgo, including the towns of Pinhão, São João da Pesqueira and Tua, is the heart of very high-quality wine production and also the source of many non-fortified wines.
The extreme Douro Superior region is very cold in winter, while sweltering heat prevails in summer. Douro Superior is the largest subregion of the Douro, although far from everything is planted. Those longing for untouched wilderness will find it here.
“Dry” is the New Port
The Douro offers a huge selection of local grapes. Many wineries are planted with impressive, rugged old vines that yield fine grapes year after year. The local winegrowers produce small quantities of powerful, complex wines that are used for both Port and non-fortified wines.
For a long time, Portugal relied solely on the famous dessert wine Port, but nowadays local winemakers have discovered that their magnificent grapes hold much more potential.
Thus, heavy and sweet finally became dry. Traditional grape varieties such as Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Barroca and Tinto Cão, which until now had been used to make Port wine, are now being rediscovered. The result is highly complex dry wines that linger in the memory and leave many wine lovers speechless.
Dozens of different grapes are planted and processed together here. This is a regional specialty that is mainly observed at old wineries. Modern wineries take great care to keep their vines separate.
The cultivation of the red-juiced Sousão, which is very acidic and also known as Vinhao, has increased in recent years. Another black grape that is often grown here is Tinta Amarela (also known as Trincadeira).
Among the white grapes, the varieties Gouveio, Malvasia Fina, Moscatel, Rabigato and Viosinho are noteworthy. Some of them are also used for the new generation of dry white wines, which are cultivated at old wineries in high altitudes.
The Best Wine Route Through the Douro Valley
Portugal has many dream holiday destinations, but the Douro Valley is something truly special. The magic of the river, the impressive vineyard terraces, and the full-bodied wines give the Douro an incomparable aura that is worth at least one visit. Below you will find some suggestions for a wine route through the magical Douro Valley.
Along the route of the viewpoints, the river is crossed from north to south and vice versa. A comprehensive exploration of the entire Douro region can be done well by rental car. But beware: The narrow streets in the valley are not for inexperienced drivers, as they run very close to the cliffs.
With danger close at hand, the river at your back, and the tannins in your mouth, we arrive at our first stop. On the southern shore of the Atlantic, the Douro River flows into the port of Vila Nova de Gaia, an important place in the history of Port wine production.
Vila Nova de Gaia lies directly across from Porto on the other shore and offers many good opportunities to familiarize yourself with Douro wines. In the old wine cellars, you can learn everything about the 2,000-year history of the wine trade and the international rise of Port wine. Various tastings help awaken the taste buds and deepen the impressions of the long wine history on the Douro.
Further inland along the river lies the town of Peso da Régua, where the Museu do Douro is also located. Here, the cultural identity of the Douro Valley is illustrated in various exhibition halls. An integrated restaurant, a library archive, a reading room, and a wine bar overlooking the region's namesake, the Douro River, combine tradition and modernity.
Not far away on the south side of the river is Lamego. A beautiful little town at the foot of a giant staircase of blue and white tiles – the typical Portuguese azulejos – which leads to the pilgrimage church of Santuário de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios .
We continue along the riverbank eastward and soon come across Pinhão. A visit to the train station reveals a lot about the old, traditional history of wine-growing, because the detailed azulejos tell many stories.
We continue and enter the international nature park Barca d'Alva, Parque Natural do Douro Internacional. Here, the Douro forms the border between Portugal and Spain. Along this route, the river is hemmed in by mountain slopes until it reaches the border town, where it flows into Portugal.
Up to this point, the wine region of the Douro Valley is the oldest in the world. Although the river did the preliminary work by carving the deep valleys into the earth, many generations of people created the green vineyard terraces on the slate mountains. And so, from the interplay between the power of nature and the hard work of man, this unique landscape was created, which produces a wine that to this day delights the soul and palate of wine drinkers all over the world.
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Inara Muradowa is an SEO expert and corporate blogger. In addition to technical search engine optimization and SEO consulting, she actively supports companies with the conception and writing of professional blog posts.
