The Douro is one of the major rivers of Portugal and Spain, flowing from its source near Soria across central Spain and then on through Portugal to its outlet at Oporto. Once the Douro enters Portugal from Spain major population centers practically disappear. The Portuguese Douro is a region of narrow canyons, making it both a historical barrier for invaders and a linguistic dividing line; until recently, small villages along this reach of the Douro were relatively isolated from the rest of the country. Except for Oporto, at the mouth of the river at the Atlantic, the main population centres of any note are Pinhão and Peso da Régua. The Douro possesses a microclimate allowing for the cultivation of olives, almonds, and especially grapes - both for making the famous Port wine and, more recently, a growing market in table wine.

Some say the Douro is the oldest demarcated wine growing region in the World - there exists evidence of the Romans developing vine-growing in the Douro region in the 7th Century AD (indeed, vestiges of Vitis grape seeds dating back to the 10th Century BC have been found in archaeological sites).

In 2001 the Douro region was recognised as a World Heritage site by UNESCO

The Terroir

The landscape features steep slopes and hard soils that are difficult to mechanically cultivate, requiring hard work in the slate and gravel based soil. The landscape both resists and endures through time as a result of the collective efforts of many generations and developing into an essential factor in the extraordinary quality of the wines that is reflected in its low yields. The irregular landscape has made the Douro region one of the most expensive and difficult to cultivate in the world.

The Douro boasts many traditional grape varieties including:

Touriga Nacional - Considered as one of the World’s finest grapes and one of the fundamental grapes of the Douro. A low yielding crop providing high tannins and flavours of black fruits for structural longevity;

Touriga Franca - Another pillar of Douro blends, adding lighter perfume and refinement to the core of Touriga Nacional;

Tinta Roriz - A more neutral variety (known as Tempranillo in Spain) used both as a single varietal and in blends; and

Tinta Barroca - rarely used as a single varietal but quite common in blending wines adding complexity with low tannins.

A note on Port Wines

Tawny Ports are aged in wood for varying periods of time. Whilst they age in cask, the young, fruity and fresh aromas undergo changes through oxidation and give way to a bouquet in which the foremost aromas are of dried fruits, wood and spices. As they age, they improve in smoothness, balance, their bouquet becomes more complex and their colour changes towards the golden; very old wines may even have green nuances.

Ruby Port Wines are wines in which the winemaker looks to retain their deep red colour and maintain the fruit and strength of a young wine by ageing after fermentation in bottles rather than casks.

Vintage Port is made from the harvest of a single year and must be bottled between the second and third year after the harvest. It is deep purple in colour and full-bodied. The wine must be approved and declared as a Vintage when it is two years old. As it ages in bottle it becomes smooth and elegant, and it gradually loses its initial astringency and acquires a balanced, complex and highly distinctive bouquet. The aromas of Vintages that have aged several years in bottle are associated with chocolate, cocoa, coffee, cigar box, cinnamon, pepper and sometimes ripe fruit.