Duero & Douro

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Duero & Douro

Duero & Douro

28 May - 3 June 2007

This is a fascinating opportunity to follow the course of the River Duero from Spain until it becomes the Douro in Portugal and down to the river mouth at Oporto. This tour stays at luxurious accommodation, including at wine estates.

The countryside changes from the limestone crags and huge vistas of the Spanish side, to the deep gorge that the Douro has carved though the soft slatey soils on the Portuguese side.Starting in the Ribera del Duero region, we taste many of the greatest red wines made in Spain. The region enjoys an incredible temperature variation between day and night, which is reflected in the high quality of the wines with lifted aromas, fine acidity and penetrating flavour, predominately from Tempranillo, the famous grape of Rioja.

The first of many meals as private guests at top bodegas is dinner at Condado de Haza. Our visits the next day start with Spain’s most legendary estate. Then over lunch we taste wines of the rising star, Pagos del Rey. We stay at the hotel owned by Bodegas Arzuaga and taste their wines before dinner.

Next day in the emerging region of Toro, we taste with Bodegas Farina. As we follow the river through some stunning countryside, we stay in the beautiful university town of Salamanca, where there is time to explore its medieval centre.

On our way to Portugal we stop at Durius and taste their fruit driven wines over lunch. Part of our journey today is by train on the famous Douro railway line. Our next hotel is situated near Pinhão in a stunning position on a bend of the river with impressive steep terraced vineyards nearby.

From here we have a series of tastings - not only of Ports, but of Douro table wines too. Each time we run this tour, people have expected that the serious wine interest would be on the Spanish side of the border, however they are amazed by the quality and sheer personality of the Portuguese Douro table wines. The visits include Quinta do Noval, Quinta do Bomfim, Quinta do Crasto, Quinta do Vale de D. Maria, and Quinta do Passadouro.

We continue to the mouth of the river to the city of Oporto, where the port lodges are situated on the opposite bank in Vila Nova da Gaia. Here we taste outstanding old Tawnies at Andresen.

Our hotels are of superb quality, including staying on working wine estates and one former Port Quinta and finally in a comfortable 4* on the banks of the Douro in Porto.