The Caves of Vila Nova de Gaia
Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 12:25 pm
A few years ago whilst on Holiday in the southern Algarve where my wife lived for 23years where she quickly picked up how to read /write and Speak Portuguese , she suggested that as I like Olden architecture I might like to catch a train up to Porto and visit the wine cellars where the casks of Port were transported down the Douro river and stored in caves to mature over the years .
Although a long train journey we did and stayed three days and enjoyed one of the best holidays ever site seeing and partaking of the local produce
On our second recent visit we stayed for eight days and visited several of the Wine stores along the waterfront , which were both fascinating and dare I say it very intoxicating .
This is now big business with free guided tours around the long vast tiled stores which having started inside the caves extend out into the vast cool aired wine stores .
Many of the more well known houses are here like Taylors ,Cockburns ,Barrosa, Callem, Porto Ferreira ,Quinta dos Corvos ,and perhaps the most well known Sandeman port , but there are dozens of smaller houses , both here and dotted further up the Douro river which we went along later in the holiday
As I am sure you know there are differing types , colours and flavours to try , but I did my best in the time I had to try some .
What I did not appreciate were the "wines" which are also available and are just as potent and strong which are around 13.5% vol [2016] and full bodied reds , one of which was FEITOSA Douro Doc , another was MILAGRE Douro....colheita '13 which was 15% vol which were left by the apartment owners who took a shine to us and left us as a welcoming gift
I am no wine expert I assure you but both of these would lay back the most ardent of red wine lovers .....and if you can get hold of any BUY IT ! .
Here are a couple of shots from inside the Sandeman' store to give you a feel for what its like and after the tour are the endless free wine tastings to wet your whistle .
It is rumoured that a young wife of the Sandeman's ghost walks these halls in a black cape .. but I don't believe in them
You will see that some of the vintage wines are securely stored whilst others maturing in vast oak casks of thousands of litres .
Although a long train journey we did and stayed three days and enjoyed one of the best holidays ever site seeing and partaking of the local produce
On our second recent visit we stayed for eight days and visited several of the Wine stores along the waterfront , which were both fascinating and dare I say it very intoxicating .
This is now big business with free guided tours around the long vast tiled stores which having started inside the caves extend out into the vast cool aired wine stores .
Many of the more well known houses are here like Taylors ,Cockburns ,Barrosa, Callem, Porto Ferreira ,Quinta dos Corvos ,and perhaps the most well known Sandeman port , but there are dozens of smaller houses , both here and dotted further up the Douro river which we went along later in the holiday
As I am sure you know there are differing types , colours and flavours to try , but I did my best in the time I had to try some .
What I did not appreciate were the "wines" which are also available and are just as potent and strong which are around 13.5% vol [2016] and full bodied reds , one of which was FEITOSA Douro Doc , another was MILAGRE Douro....colheita '13 which was 15% vol which were left by the apartment owners who took a shine to us and left us as a welcoming gift
I am no wine expert I assure you but both of these would lay back the most ardent of red wine lovers .....and if you can get hold of any BUY IT ! .
Here are a couple of shots from inside the Sandeman' store to give you a feel for what its like and after the tour are the endless free wine tastings to wet your whistle .
It is rumoured that a young wife of the Sandeman's ghost walks these halls in a black cape .. but I don't believe in them
You will see that some of the vintage wines are securely stored whilst others maturing in vast oak casks of thousands of litres .