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Douro Valley

Doura Valley collage

Quinta Vale D. Maria

No visit to the Douro Valley can be complete without a visit to a winery for this is the way to understanding the landscape and heritage of the region.   As part of our stay at the Aquapura we arranged to go wine tasting at two quintas at the heart of the revolution in Douro table wines, Quinta Vale D. Maria and state of the art Quinta de Napoles. Quinta Vale D. Maria is Cristiano and Joana van Zeller’s place in the Rio Torte Valley. Cristiano, by all accounts a larger…

Aquapura Douro Valley

In recent years the Douro Valley in northern Portugal has been getting noticed for its scenery and as a wine tourism destination.  It’s no surprise, the world’s oldest demarcated wine region is stunning; a place where steeply terraced, schist screed hills rise steeply from the Douro River and its lesser tributaries leaving even those who travel the world’s vineyards in awe.  Now too, there are an increasing number of desirable places to stay with new hotels and quintas opening their doors. We’re winding along the contours of the hills between…

The Douro Harvest

A table was laid out in the shade at the side of the house with a big sardine pie, fish heads staring out, at the centre; there were potatoes a plenty, salads, water to slake the thirst and jugs of local red wine.  Driving up over the hills from the Douro Valley we’d pulled over seeing grape pickers at work in a small vineyard to ask if we could take some photos and kindly been invited to join the them for lunch. It was good, simple, fresh and tasty in…