Culinary Quests

A must-do activity while visiting the Douro Region, the tutored tasting Port Experience at the Wine Lodge, introduces you to the different types of Port, its history, the years in oak, the importance of temperature, pairing wine with food and the importance of the properly shaped glass.  You will sample the following types of Porto: White; Tawny; 10 Years Old Tawny; 20 Years Old Tawny; and, Late Bottled Vintage.

For those who already have experience with port wine, this class will give you insights into specialized port.  You will sample the following types of Porto:  Late Bottled Vintage; 10 Year Old Tawny; 20 Year Old Tawny; 40 Year Old Tawny; and Vintage.

This gourmet tasting offers you the opportunity to try different combinations between recognized up-market, refined products and some of our greatest Ports.  Discover the ideal matching for the cask aged Ports (the Tawnies) or the bottle aged ports (the Vintages).  You will sample white Port combined with Neuhaus Chocolate Aphrodite; 10 Year Old Tawny Port combined with Neuhaus Chocolate Orangette; 40 Year Old Tawny Port combined with Neuhaus Chocolate Caprice; and Premium Ruby or Late Bottled Vintage Port combined with Neuhaus Chocolate Fraise des Bois.

For this tasting we have combined different styles of Port wine and assorted hors d’oeuvres to show how there are some ideal combinations of Port and food whilst others do not go as well together because of the different flavours.  You will sample Extra Dry White Port with tuna on toast; 10 Year Old Tawny Port with pineapple wrapped in smoked ham; 40 Year Old Tawny Port with prawn kebabs; Premium Ruby or Late Bottled Vintage Port with octopus; and, Vintage Port with a rabbit pasty.

Spend a few hours drinking in (literally) the very best that the Douro region has to offer.  Join in a tour of one of the famous Douro wineries and learn about the grapes unique to the region.  Enjoy a guided wine tasting and afterwards, sit down for an authentic Quinta lunch.

Explore the Douro river in the best possible way – by boat!  The Rabelo boats were used for transporting the products from the farms of the Douro for centuries and became a trademark of the region.  On a river full of history and special places, the Rabelo boat trip from Pinhão until Tua, shows us some of the best landscapes and secret places of the Port Wine in the heart of Douro Valley.  You can view some of the old Quintas such as Quintas das Carvalhas, Quinta do Ventozelo, Quinta dos Malvedos, or Quinta dos Arciprestes as well as many others.  On the return to Pinhão you will enjoy the absolutely indescribable scenery that this place offers you.