Best Porto Wine Cellars
Port is integral to the life and history of Porto, and of Portugal in general, and to visit the city without sampling the wine and learning more about it is to miss an essential part of the local culture. Most of the port produced in the city is made by vintners who have fields and wineries in the surrounding Douro wine region, where grapes are grown and harvested, and the wine-making is begun. Then the wines are fortified, and their second aging takes place in wine cellars in the city itself, where the finished port wine was more accessible to international trade by the river. This makes Porto an interesting wine destination, because tastings and wine experiences can be had in the city itself, as well as in the wineries in the surrounding smaller towns. Porto’s wine cellars are rightfully proud of their traditions, their vintages, and their beautiful, historic settings. Here are some of the best:
Caves Croft Cellar
Croft was established by founder Henry Thompson in 1588. The Croft family joined the business in 1736, and it is one of the most important and prestigious wineries in Porto today. The cellars are open for tours and tastings all year long. In the summer, enjoy a glass of their legendary port on the sunny terrace, or in the winter keep your vintage inside near a roaring fire. They offer a variety of tour and tasting experiences, and offer insights into the past and present of wine in Porto.
Sandeman
Sandeman is one of the most famous wine cellars in Porto, and has been aging wine in Porto for more than two hundred years. They offer a variety of tours and tastings that share insights into port wines and Porto itself. They also have a restaurant and wine bar with a terrace overlooking the city for spectacular views any time of day.
Ramos Pinto
Founded by Adriano Ramos Pinto in 1880, Ramos Pinto cellars specialized in high quality port and innovative marketing techniques. Their cellars are open all year long for tours and tastings, to learn more about their heritage and their wines. They also have an on-site museum for the art collected by Adriano Ramos Pinto, and a museum for preservation and study of the wines of the region, as well as a historical archive and library.
Ferreira
Founded in 1751, Ferreira has a history that is deeply integrated with the history of the Douro region and of Portugal itself. In the 19th century, matriarch Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira faced tremendous adversity as she consolidated the brand, and the regional identity of Douro wines along the way. A visit to the Ferreira cellars offers fascinating insight into the history of this family and the region, and includes a museum of ancient wine-making tools, vintage port wine bottle labels, and other curiosities.
Graham’s
Graham’s Lodge is in a villa commanding spectacular views of Porto, just a few hundred meters from the Douro river. Founded in 1890, it is a working wine cellar, and visitors can see craftsmen making barrels and vintners sampling ports as they age. The estate includes the cellars, tasting rooms, a museum, a restaurant and wine bar, and of course a shop where you can take home your own bottle of Graham’s legendary port wine. Visits to the cellar are by reservation only, and reservations are also strongly recommended for the restaurant, which was recently nationally recognized as the Best Wine Restaurant at the prestigious Best of Wine Tourism Awards.
Port wine is embedded in Porto’s history, and these cellars offer incredible opportunities to see how it is made, learn local history, and sample wines you are unlikely to get anywhere else. You can educate your mind as well as your palette in these exceptional cellars.
