Fascinating Facts about the Douro Valley – Portugal

• The Douro Valley is Port Wine Country
• The region is located in the North of Portugal
• The Douro “vinhateiro” winegrowing area of the Douro Valley is a designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Port and DOC Douro wines are made only with native grape varieties.
• Authentic port is made at ‘quintas’ (estates) along a narrow river gorge that winds 100 miles through the mountain ranges
• There are over 200 Quintas in the Douro Valley
• Port Wine produced in the Douro Valley was once shipped downriver to the city of Porto in sailboats called ‘barcos rabelos’
• The terraces of vines in the Douro Valley were introduced by the Romans in the third century A.D
• Spring and fall are mild, with daytime temperatures between 60 and 75 degrees
• The grape harvest season starts in September
• The valley was the first demarcated wine-producing region in the world established in 1756
• The River Douro rises in Spain and flows across Northern Portugal reaching the sea at Oporto

 

More about Portugal:

Some fascinating facts about Portugal

Fascinating Facts about Lisbon

Fascinating Facts about Porto

 

Visit the beautiful Douro Valley and more in Portugal on one of our private Portuguese Culture, Food and Wine Tours to see the wonderful vineyards and fascinating culture of this country, taste port wine, local foods and much, much more!