Hello, fellow wine enthusiasts! If you’re planning a visit and want to know about Porto Wine Tours in the charming city of Porto, you’re in for a treat as it’s home to some of the world’s most exquisite wines.
As your trusty Portugal travel blogger, I’m here to guide you through the maze of wine-tasting tours available in this beautiful region. This is a safe space for seasoned wine connoisseurs and curious port wine newbies. I’ve got you covered with insider tips and recommendations so that you can find the perfect tour tailored to your preferences.
Also, Be sure to check out my list of the best Porto restaurants with a view, many have wine tastings and food pairings. Get ready to delve into the captivating world of Portuguese wines, from the iconic Port to the elegant Douro varieties, all while exploring stunning vineyards and port wine lodges. Stay tuned as we embark on a flavorful adventure, discovering the very best that Porto’s wine country has to offer!
There are many different neighborhoods in Porto to review if you planning on spending a few days.
I have also put together a complete 7-day Porto to Lisbon itinerary, so you don’t miss out on any of the best things to do in Portugal.
Porto Wine Tasting Tours
Overview of the Porto Wine Region in Portugal
Nestled in the northwestern corner of Portugal lies the enchanting wine region of Porto. This world-renowned region for the iconic Port wine production, which has captured wine enthusiasts’ hearts for centuries. Marked by steep hillsides that cascade down to the Douro River, creating a picturesque and breathtaking landscape.
The Douro region’s unique topography and climate are the perfect place hiking in Portugal, but more importantly, the grapes are perfect for Port wine. And the Douro Valley wine-making methods have remained unchanged for generations. Today, Port wine is enjoyed worldwide, and the region has become a top destination for wine tourism.
From its vibrant culture to its rich history, the Porto wine region in Portugal embodies the taste and charm of Portugal, and it’s a must-visit for anyone seeking an unforgettable wine experience.
Types of Port Wines In Porto Portugal
Porto wine is a fortified wine that is produced in the Douro Valley of Portugal. When you book one of the premium tasting tours you will have the opportunity to taste all of these amazing wines, and from there pick your favorite blend of port wines.
The Douro Valley boasts some of the best port wines in the world. Everyone knows about the famous rich port wines, but did you know that the Douro region also has crisp white port wines, rose port, and tawny ports and they all have their different flavors?
- The most common and one of the best Douro port wines is a red port, which is always made with red grapes. You will see around the region that this is one of the most popular table wines to enjoy at restaurants and wine houses.
- White port wine is made with white grapes and is a great wine that has a sweeter flavor than red port.
- Rose port is made with a blend of red and white grapes and has a fruity flavor.
- LBV port is a type of red port that is aged for four to six years before it is bottled.
- Vintage port is a type of red port that is made from the best grapes of a single year and the wine ages for at least two years before it is bottled.
- Tawny port is a type of port wine that has been aged in oak barrels for several years, giving it a brown color and a nutty flavor.
- Ruby port is a type of port wine that has been aged in wooden barrels for three to five years, giving it a ruby color and a fruity flavor.
- Crusted port is a type of vintage port that has been aged for six to eight years in wooden barrels, giving it a crust-like sediment on the bottom of the bottle.
- Single-Quinta ports are made from the grapes of a single vineyard, or Quinta.
- Colheita ports are tawny ports that have been aged for at least seven years in oak barrels before they are bottled.
What to Expect on a Porto Wine-Tasting Tour
There are several different types of ways to taste port wine. If you’re a history buff, try a private tour of the historic port wine cellars where you can learn about the traditional production techniques that have been used for centuries.
For a more rustic experience, head to the Douro Valley for a guided tour of the vineyards and a taste of locally-produced port wines. Want a bit of adventure? Take a bike tour of the Douro Valley region, stopping at multiple wine lodges along the way for port tastings.
You can visit a local wine bar and enjoy Porto nightlife, check out port wine lodges in vila nova de Gaia, port cellars, guided tours, port houses, and even gorgeous wine estates!
Whether you’re a seasoned wine enthusiast or just want to try one of the port cocktails, there’s a tour in Porto that will leave you feeling informed, delighted, and, of course, a little bit tipsy.
13 Best Douro Valley Wine Tours
Sandeman Porto Tour- The Most Famous Port House
One of the best wine tours in Porto Portugal, Sandeman offers an incredible Porto wine cellar tour. Located in the heart of the Douro Valley, Sandeman is in a historic building from 1797 with tours that bring the history to life with guides dressed as “the Don” (an iconic figure associated with Sandeman that is a silhouette of a man wearing a black cape and wide-brimmed hat).
The Don symbolizes Sandeman along with its rich history and deep sense of tradition. The entertaining and theatrical experience makes this one of the best wine tours in Porto. The port tasting tour includes a small group visit to the impressive cellar. here you will learn about the interesting history of Sandeman and the process the port wine goes through, and a wine-tasting session of multiple different Port wines.
Not only is this one of the best Porto wine tours with professional and knowledgeable guides, but Sandeman also offers stunning views overlooking the Duoro River and the city of Porto.
Address to Sandeman Porto, this is also in Vila Nova de Gaia.
Graham’s Port Lodge & Tasting Room
If you enjoy wine tasting, Porto is the place to be, and with over 200 years of experience, Graham’s has become one of the most high-end Port wine lodges for tasting experiences. Graham’s Port Lodges offers tours and tastings and even has an extraordinary ‘vintage tasting room’ that will make you feel like you’re in the year 1890 when the Lodge was built.
They offer a wide variety of premium port wine-tasting sessions. With the option to try Port wines from the year 1974. With several wine tastings options, you get the choice of how many port tastings you prefer, with ranging price points making this an accessible option to all types of travelers.
The guides are passionate and welcoming and create an incredibly memorable experience and one of the best port tours Porto has.
Address to Graham’s Port Lodge!
Cálem Porto Tour
Cálem provides so much more than a tour, with emotive music shows and phenomenal food pairings, visiting Cálem is one of the best Porto wine tours you can do. Cálem takes you through an interactive museum making this a fun and entertaining activity where you learn every step of the winemaking process from grape to glass.
They offer an option to book a Fado show as well, which is a 45-minute musical experience showcasing a traditional Portuguese culture and musical style. Fado is from the 19th century and has become a UNESCO World Heritage site for the listed musical genre. You can see displays in most of the History Porto museums.
On top of a Fado show, Cálem also offers a food pairing tour, giving you the opportunity to taste delectable finger foods and cheese tastings that pair perfectly with your port wine tasting. With delicious ports, Cálem has some of the best Porto wine tastings in the city.
The address to Caves at Calem in Porto!
Book your Fado & Port tasting ticket before you arrive: GetYourGuide.com
Cockburn Tasting Room & Cellar Tour
Up next is the famous Cockburn Port Lounge. Here you can tour the entire grounds for one reasonable price. The guides are incredibly knowledgeable and friendly and make it fun to learn more about Port wine in Porto.
Be sure to plan on going before 6:30 when they close down for the day. They have a bright main tasting room where you can do as many tastings as you wish.
They can also help you get any Douro wines you may want to bring back home! Just ask the lovely guides. The tour itself should last you about an hour, but many people fall in love with the atmosphere and end up staying all afternoon.
Taylor’s Port Wine Cellars
Taylor’s Port Wine Cellar provides a self-guided audio tour of their fascinating 300-year-old former port house and port wine cellars. The extensive audio guide provides an interesting background of the lodge with films, images, paintings, and exhibits throughout the self-guided tour.
Taylor’s wine tour takes you from the historic past of port wine-making to the present-day process and procedures with everything in between. At the end of the private tour you get to enjoy the best port wine tasting Porto has to offer in the decadent garden, and maybe if you’re lucky, you might get a glimpse of the family of colorful peacocks that live among the wine houses.
The Port wine tasting includes two of Taylor’s most iconic wines- an extra dry white port wine and a late bottled vintage port wine. This style of enjoying the tour at your own pace makes Taylor’s Port Cellar one of the top Porto wine tours.
Find the address to Taylor’s Port Wine Cellar here!
Book a guided tour to Taylors & Other Port Houses: GetYourGuide.com
Caves Ferreira Porto Wine Tour
Visiting Caves Ferreira is one of the best experiences in the Porto Douro Valley. It is named after Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, a successful businesswoman in the wine industry who has become iconic after consistent selfless acts to those in need.
Caves Ferreira offers multiple experiences, including a tour of the Port wine cellars, an exclusive experience, and a tour focusing on the character, business, and life of Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira. The personable guides provide a fascinating and clear explanation of the details of the winemaking and the history of Ferreira, with a few tour options even starting at the home of Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira.
After you end your tour of the beautiful facility, you will get to enjoy a few delicious port wine tastings. Find Ferriera Caves here in Porto!
Or Book your walking tour with a stop at the Caves Ferreira!
Offley Porto Tour
If you’re a fan of port wine, Porto is the city for you and built in 1737, Offley visit Porto Wine Cellars provide a fascinating and historic port wine experience. The company was founded by William Offley but really took off under the ownership of Joseph James Forrester, who later became very influential in the port wine industry.
There are multiple tour options at Offley, with options including standard port wine tastings, the history of Joseph James Forrester, and even an intimate visit with a wide range of unique Offley wines. This Port Wine Cellar is a great place to try excellent port wine in Porto.
Find Offley Porto Wine Cellar here in Vila Nova De Gaia.
Quinta do Bomfim
For an amazing experience in the Duoro Valley, you can take the train from the São Bento station in Porto to Pinhão to visit Quina do Bomfim. Make sure to get a window seat to enjoy the stunning views through the wine country!
Quina do Bomfim is easily accessible without a full-day tour from Porto and offers absolutely stunning views over the Duoro River and surrounding vineyards. This is a family business that offers vineyard tours of the grounds and the port wine cellar. They also offer vineyard walks, a tranquil and unique chance to see exactly where the delicious wines come from.
If you come during harvest season you will get to watch the winemaking action up close and personal before heading to their gorgeous terrace to enjoy a port tasting or a meal from their fantastic restaurant.
The staff at Quinta do Bomfim are phenomenal, interacting with guests and making sure everyone is getting the more intimate visit and the most out of their Douro Valley tour.
Or you can book a whole day tour, visit Quinta do Bomfiim, and taste 2 other wineries Douro wines, have lunch, and ride along the river!
Negreiros Wine Duoro Valley Experience
In the heart of the Duoro Valley, Negreiros Wine offers one of the most extraordinary experiences you can have from Porto. This family-owned local vineyards have a guest house within the midst of their wine estate.
The owners, Mario and Eva, have created an intimate and peaceful experience for their guests, including transportation from Porto, home-cooked meals, and port wine from their vineyard during your stay. Passionate about music, there are instruments all over the house and you won’t leave your stay without learning to play a beat or two on the vintage guitars or Portuguese drums.
Surrounded by breathtaking nature, Negreiros is located on a UNESCO site next to the Douro River, where you can go out for a private boat trip or walk down to the private river beach. Spend your days wasting away with a bottle of port wine and looking out at the gorgeous and endless view of vineyards. The hospitality shown here goes above and beyond all expectations and provides a remarkable experience.
If you are traveling independently here is the address to the Negreiros tasting room!
Douro Valley with Boat Tour, Wine Tasting, and Lunch
This is an amazing Douro Valley wine tour from Porto. With hotel pickup and drop off, you will get to explore two beautiful locations in the Duoro Valley, take a 1-hour river cruise, and enjoy an incredible lunch featuring Portuguese specialties.
The guided tour runs seamlessly and the guides are personable and attentive, almost as if you’re spending the day with an old friend. The cruise, sailing through gorgeous landscapes, even takes you to one of the most beautiful viewpoints in the world. This is an amazing way to explore the Duoro Valley with no worries about doing any planning yourself.
Full-day boat cruise and guided tour with port wines!
Private River Cruises
Private River Cruises are an unforgettable Porto wine boat tour experience. With the option to book a food and Porto wine institute pairing cruise, sail along the Duoro River on a classic boat while enjoying mouthwatering Portuguese cuisine paired with delicious Porto wines.
They also offer a buffet tour or an intimate and traditional Portuguese lunch or dinner option. Pass under 6 bridges and look out at the stunning landscape of the Duoro River and Porto all while being on an informative tour.
Private River Cruise: Viator.com
Douro Valley Promenade Tours
If you’re looking for something different than the usual Porto wine-tasting tours, Douro Promenade provides spectacular Duoro Vally tours from Porto. With multiple tour options, you can either opt for the ‘Duoro Valley Roots’, ‘Sommelier Promenade’, ‘Duoro Superior’, or the ‘Tailored Tour’ option.
With any tour option, you will get to know the real side of Duoro’s wine-making industry. You will see the enthusiasm that the winemakers have and the deep passion that goes into each and every grape and vine when it comes to their wine houses.
The tour begins with a walk through the exclusive vineyards, signature Portuguese dishes, and a boat cruise along the river. Douro Promenade might just offer the best port wine tour Porto has to offer.
Book your spot today: GetYourGuide.com
Porto Wine Tours and River Cruise
One of the best Porto wine-tasting river cruises available offers a magical day aboard a luxury yacht sailing from Porto into the heart of the Duoro Valley. Providing hotel pickup, you will be driven through the stunning wine country to Pinhão, where you will embark on your private yacht.
Enjoy the stunning views of the passing vineyards while sipping port wine all day. You will stop for a traditional lunch and a vineyard tour at Quinta da Gricha, where you will explore the estate, built in 1852, and meander through the vineyard. After lunch, sail back to Pinhão to finish your Porto wine and enjoy a lunch cruise.
Douro Valley Tours from Porto: Book your spot today!
How far is the wine region from Porto?
The Douro region is only about an hour away from Porto! And there are many ways to the best wine tasting in Porto! You can book any of these amazing Porto wine tours, book a car and drive yourself, or hop on the fast train!
Benefits of visiting the Douro Valley for a day-trip
If you’re looking for an escape from bustling city life or Lisbon, the Douro Valley should be at the top of your list for a day trip. Not only is it one of the most beautiful regions in Portugal, but it’s also known for its world-renowned wine production and have the best Porto wine tours.
You’ll be able to explore the charming medieval towns, like Obidos, that dot the landscape while taking in breathtaking views of the winding Douro River and the surrounding hills. And let’s not forget about the wine.
You will also be able to learn about the wine-making process firsthand. A day trip to the Douro Valley is the perfect way to experience some of the best that Portugal has to offer while drinking port wines and learning more about Portuguese culture.
Delicious Portugal Food Must Try While in Porto
There are so many amazing restaurants in Porto! When in town be sure to have at least one of these yummy, local dishes! Report back and let me know which one was your favorite! I love the Francesinha for the cheesy goodness.
Francesinha – The Francesinha is a sandwich that originates from Porto, Portugal. It is made with bread, ham, sausage, steak, and melted cheese, and it is often served with a fried egg on top. The sandwich is then covered in tomato and beer sauce.
Tripas à Moda do Porto – Tripas à Moda do Porto is a dish made with white beans, pork belly, and chorizo sausage. It is typically served with white rice, but it can also be served with potatoes or bread and a little olive oil.
Carne de Porco à Alentejana -Carne de Porco à Alentejana is a dish made with pork, clams, and potatoes.
Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá – Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá is a dish made with codfish, potatoes, eggs, and olives.
Arroz de Pato – Arroz de Pato is a dish made with duck, green peas, and carrots.
Visiting Lisbon? You will need this list of the best restaurants in Lisbon with a view!
What is the most famous winery in Porto?
If you’re looking for the most famous winery in Porto, then look no further than the internationally known Sandeman Winery. Located in the historic Vila Nova de Gaia district, Sandeman is one of the best wine houses in Europe. Take one of the Porto wine tours at the Sandeman and sample some of the finest Port wines while taking in panoramic views of the Douro River.
What wine town is near Porto?
If you’re looking for a charming, wine-filled getaway near Porto, look no further than Vila Nova de Gaia! Just across the Douro River from Porto, this picturesque town is home to centuries-old port wine lodges, where you can sample the sweet elixir while taking in stunning views of the city skyline. Read more about all the different neighborhoods and where to stay in Porto!
How far are the Vineyards from Porto?
Lucky for you, the vineyards are just a stone’s throw away from Porto! Hop on a quick train, that takes about 2 hours or grab a rental car and drive the 3 hours yourself. You’ll be captivated by the breathtaking views of rolling hills and neatly manicured grape vines along the way.
Soak in the warm sun and indulge in some seriously tasty sips along the way. Trust us, the journey to the vineyards and taking one of the many Porto wine tours will be well worth it!
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