Bairrada, Dão & Douro Wine Tour

Spend four days exploring northern Portugal’s three most fascinating wine regions. Explore Bairrada, Dão and Douro, visiting wineries in each and dining at the best local restaurants.

Day 1 – Bairrada

Private transfer from Lisbon or Porto to the Bairrada wine region
Quinta das Bágeiras winery visit
Lunch at Rei dos Leitões
Luís Pato winery visit
Transfer to the Dão wine region
Overnight Dão

Bairrada

Spread along the Atlantic coast between Lisbon and Porto, Bairrada is known for two things: leitão (roast suckling pig) and great wine. Bairrada reds are almost always made from Baga, a local grape that can yield some of Portugal’s longest-aging dry wines. New producers have tamed Baga, and their reds are wonderful in their youth as well. Fresh, mineral whites made from indigenous Bical and Maria Gomes grapes have captured attention in recent years. Many Portuguese also know Bairrada for having the best quality sparkling wines in Portugal. This is an exciting region that is establishing itself as one of the most interesting in the country.

The Wines of Bairrada

The wines of Bairrada are dominated by Baga, a local red grape that is typically made into varietal wines. The classic style of Baga is a wine with potent tannins and equal acidity, challenging in its youth but infinitely rewarding after decades. In 2003, much to the chagrin of some producers, foreign grapes like Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon were allowed into Bairrada. Those who disagreed formed Baga Friends, a group of producers focused on preserving and refining the grape. Luis Pato could be said to be the godfather of modern Baga. He pioneered techniques to tame the grape long before the current trend of appreciation for it. Destemming, careful plot selection and different aging vessels make today’s Bagas some of Portugal’s great wines. Douro legend Dirk Niepoort’s entry into Bairrada in 2012 only confirmed this. Both classic and more innovative Bagas can age spectacularly well, so if you have the chance to try a quality Bairrada after 20 years of aging, don’t miss it.

The main wine produced in Bairrada is not red, however. The most famous product of the region is the traditional method sparkling wine made, in many cases, from Baga itself. The traditional aging caves dug underneath cellars are still packed with bottles of what is generally considered Portugal’s best sparkling wine. There are some examples that are tasty but unremarkable, but the best producers make exceptional sparkling wines from quality vineyards and with enough aging to give them wonderful complexity.

Quinta das Bágeiras Winery Visit

A pillar of tradition and quality in Bairrada, Quinta das Bágeiras makes classic wines from family vineyards in the best growing area of Bairrada. The Alves Nuno family has been making wine at the property for generations, but it was only in 1989 that they began bottling their own wines rather than selling them in bulk. Since then, Bágeiras has developed into one of Bairrada’s great wineries, making red, white and sparkling wines that exemplify the best of the region. Long-aged reds made from the local Baga grape are particularly complex, timeless wines, but there is something for everyone here. It’s a chance to taste the tradition as well as the future of Bairrada.

Lunch at Rei dos Leitões

Just outside the town of Coimbra lies Rei dos Leitões, a temple to the traditional cuisine of the Bairrada region and its star dish roast suckling pig. The piglets are roasted whole and served on platters where you can contrast the crispiness of the outside with the impossibly tender meat. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming at Rei dos Leitões, and the food, leitão with sides of salads and local vegetables, leaves the diner in a state of bliss. To accompany your meal, the local tradition is to drink sparkling white Bairrada wine, the other key product of the area. The light, dry bubbles balance the richness of the meal perfectly. At Rei dos Leitões you’ll find a well-stocked cellar full of quality local sparkling as well as still wines from near and far. To eat here is an essential Portuguese food experience.

Luís Pato Winery Visit

Luís Pato and his terroir-driven Bairrada wines have been largely responsible for the region’s success over the last few decades. The son of the first winemaker to bottle Bairrada wines, Pato has always been forward-thinking, particularly when it comes to the Baga grape that dominates Bairrada. Today he makes a wide range of Baga-dominated reds, many of which come from single vineyards that offer the chance to contrast the clay and sandy soils that coexist in Bairrada. From delicious fruit-driven wines to brooding ageworthy Bagas in the classic style, each is unique and fascinating. You’ll also find classic sparkling wines and whites made from indigenous grape varieties among Pato’s specialties. A visit here is a masterclass in Bairrada and the best way to learn about the past, present, and thrilling future of one of Portugal’s great wine regions.

Day 2 – Dão

Julia Kemper winery visit
Caminhos Cruzado winery visit & wine-pairing lunch
Transfer to the Douro wine region
Dinner at Castas e Pratos
Overnight Douro

Dão

Dão is perhaps Portugal’s most exciting wine region at the moment. Surrounded by mountains on three sides and featuring granite soils, this region of northern Portugal has a long history of producing fine red wines. Its potential is only now being realized, as local producers and outside stars experiment with a range of excellent indigenous grapes and a geography of rivers and forests that creates immense variation from one vineyard to another. Red wines blending Portuguese star grape Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro, Jaen (Mencía in Spain) and Tinta Roriz (Spain’s Tempranillo) are among the best in Portugal, subtle and aromatic but with great aging potential. The Dão is also home to Encruzado, a white grape quickly gaining fame for its ability to produce deep, complex aged whites when matured in oak. Dão may finally be claiming its position as Portugal’s premier region for unfortified wine production.

Julia Kemper Winery Visit

Luís Pato and his terroir-driven Bairrada wines have been largely responsible for the region’s success over the last few decades. The son of the first winemaker to bottle Bairrada wines, Pato has always been forward-thinking, particularly when it comes to the Baga grape that dominates Bairrada. Today he makes a wide range of Baga-dominated reds, many of which come from single vineyards that offer the chance to contrast the clay and sandy soils that coexist in Bairrada. From delicious fruit-driven wines to brooding ageworthy Bagas in the classic style, each is unique and fascinating. You’ll also find classic sparkling wines and whites made from indigenous grape varieties among Pato’s specialties. A visit here is a masterclass in Bairrada and the best way to learn about the past, present, and thrilling future of one of Portugal’s great wine regions.

Caminhos Cruzados Winery Visit & Lunch

Caminhos Cruzados is one of the stars of the new generation of wineries that has helped bring attention to the Dão in the last few decades. The local Santos family decided to invest in winemaking in their region, buying quality vineyards and building a gleaming modern winery to craft their blends. Today, they have one of the strongest lineups of top-quality Dão wines. The local red grape, Touriga Nacional, and the white, Encruzado, form the basis of a line of complex wines that have proven themselves to be versatile and age-worthy.

Visit the winery and learn about the project before enjoying a very special lunch at the winery. Experienced chef Miguel Vidal prepares dishes that make use of local ingredients as well as his wide-ranging experience. Pair flavors with the wines of Caminhos Cruzados for a real sense of the region’s food and wine in context.

Dinner at Castas e Pratos

The former Peso da Régua train terminal has been converted into a unique space for retail shops and bars and restaurants right next to the Douro River. Castas e Pratos is the most important occupant, a comfortable restaurant where you can dine on delicious Portuguese cuisine, carefully presented and elegantly updated. The real surprise here is the wine list, a virtual encyclopedia of the most important wines of the Douro. This makes Castas e Pratos the perfect place to discover producers you haven’t visited or double down on a wine you loved.

Day 3 – Douro Innovation

Wine & Soul winery visit
Niepoort winery visit & wine-pairing lunch
Private Douro River cruise
Dinner at DOC
Overnight Douro

The Douro River Valley

The Douro is easily the most dramatic wine region in the world. And stunningly beautiful. The riverbanks, covered in near-vertical sloping vineyards that look impossible, rise thousands of feet above the Douro River. Whitewashed quintas–winery manor houses– punctuate the hilltops, offering incredible views across the valley. The roads wind their way through the hills, making even short journeys scenic and painfully slow. The Douro is where Port comes from, and Port is perhaps the greatest sweet wine ever produced. It’s also the source of Douro wines, dry wines which 30 years on have staked a claim among the most respected wines in Portugal. It’s a seemingly impossible place to grow grapes and make wine, but today, as in centuries past, the quality of the Douro terroir seems to justify the effort.

Port and Douro Wines

The Douro is the source for Portugal’s two most important wines. The first and by far the most storied is Port, the sweet wine that has been made from Douro grapes and aged in Porto for centuries. British wine shippers popularized the wine and named it with a shortened version of the name of the city of Porto. Today, Port remains atop the world of sweet wine, particularly vintage and tawny Ports. Vintage Port is a powerful, sweet fortified red wine that is built to age for decades in bottle before being consumed, while tawny does its aging in large barrels in the cavernous cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia and develops into a golden elixir with the years. Quality examples of both types are some of the best wines in the world and will dispel any preconceptions one might harbor about sweet wines.

Douro wines are a different beast entirely. In the 1990s, a group of producers known as the Douro Boys brought dry wines from the Douro Valley to global attention with their unique and complex bottlings. The same exceptional vineyards that produced the grapes for the best vintage Ports turned out to be exceptional for making powerful red wines that were unlike any other in the world. In the last three decades, Douro reds have become the most interesting and appreciated Portuguese wines on the market. The extreme slopes, varied soils and harsh climate of this valley combine with a wealth of local grape varieties to produce wines that range from fruity and delicious to intense and enormous. Even the whites from the region are becoming better and more diverse every year.

There’s something for everyone in the Douro, an essential stop for every wine traveler.

Wine & Soul Winery Visit

Husband and wife team Jorge and Sandra had ample experience as winemakers when they decided to start their own project based on a tiny plot of old vines in the hills above Pinhão. This vineyard produced Wine & Soul’s first red, Pintas, a powerful and characterful red that cemented the seriousness of the project. Over time, Jorge and Sandra have acquired and inherited more old Douro vineyards and expanded their selection of wines. Throughout all of the wines you’ll find a dedication to the terroir and history of the Douro. The winemakers believe that the best vineyards for vintage Port have the potential to produce exceptional wines, and have proven it with their wines.

Niepoort Winery Visit & Wine-pairing Lunch

It’s rare for an old family business like Niepoort to experience positive change as radical as this venerable Port producer has over the past thirty years. Under the direction of fifth generation Dirk Niepoort, Niepoort became a pioneer in the production of unfortified wines in the Douro Valley. Along with the other four “Douro boys,” Niepoort helped prove that red and white wines from the stunning vineyards in the Douro River could challenge the finest in the world, all while maintaining and expanding Niepoort’s reputation as one of the greatest Port producers of all time.

Yet Niepoort has not stood still for a moment since beginning to make Douro wines. Dirk is continually experimenting and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the Douro and other regions of Portugal as well. A love for the traditional wines of Portugal combined with a broad perspective on wine and winemaking have made Niepoort the most innovative winery in the country and the face of the new Portuguese wine.

You’ll have the chance to visit Niepoort’s Quinta de Nápoles, in the heart of the Douro Valley. This historic property is the center of Niepoort’s wine and Port production. Learn about the history and wines of the house before tasting a selection of Niepoort wines. Then, it’s time for a special experience: a traditional Portuguese lunch with the winery staff, accompanied by Niepoort wines, guided by the winery’s sommelier. This is a unique opportunity to embed yourself in the world of one of Portugal’s visionary wineries.

Private Douro River Cruise

In the village of Pinhão catch the boat for a private cruise on the Douro River. Don’t think “cruise” or “ship", however. You will be on a traditional wooden rabelo boat, formerly used to transport the port wine barrels from the vineyards to Vila Nova de Gaia for ageing in the cellars.

Dinner at DOC

Chef Rui Paula is the star chef of northern Portugal, having garnered two Michelin stars at his restaurant outside of Porto. At DOC, he offers innovative cuisine based on regional specialties, including seafood from the coast not traditional to the Douro but very welcome. Opt for a tasting menu or order à la carte. The wine list is one of the best in the area, offering a wide selection of Douro and other Portuguese and world wines, including hard to find rarities and ultra-premium wines if you are feeling adventurous. The outdoor terrace offers a one of a kind spot to eat overlooking the Douro River. All of this adds up to one of the Douro’s finest restaurants.

Day 4 – Port Country

Quinta do Seixo winery visit
Quinta do Bomfim winery visit
Lunch at Bomfim 1896
Overnight Douro

Quinta do Seixo Winery Visit

Quinta do Seixo combines historic vineyards and a modern winery with dramatic views of the Douro river. The Quinta is responsible for producing superb Port wines for Sandeman, one of the most respected Port producers of all time. The wine is produced in the Douro and shipped to Sandeman’s Port lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia. The iconic logo of the Sandeman empire features a man wearing the traditional Portuguese student’s cloak and the Spanish wide-brimmed hat, a nod to their presence in both Port and Sherry wine.

Quinta do Bomfim Winery Visit

Symington is one of the oldest and proudest names in the Port business. This British-Portuguese family has built an empire of the grandest Port houses, including Graham’s, Warre’s, Cockburn’s and Dow’s. The Ports produced by Symington are among the greatest in the region. Since the 1990s, Symington has begun producing top quality Douro wines alongside their Ports. Notable projects include the powerful reds from Quinta do Vesúvio and Chryseia, a wine made in collaboration with the Prats family, former owners of famed Bordeaux winery Château Cos d’Estournel. Symington has been one of the most innovative and creative producers in the Douro despite being the largest.

Quinta do Bomfim has been the Symington family’s outpost in the Douro for over a century. With a tasting room and terrace overlooking the river, this is the perfect place to taste Symington wines. Ports from all of the Symington wineries are available alongside dry Douro wines.

Lunch at Bomfim 1896

The latest opening from Portuguese star chef Pedro Lemos occupies one of the most privileged positions in the Douro Valley at Symington’s Quinta do Bomfim. The elegantly furnished and luminous dining room offers views of the Douro River and hillside vineyards through plate glass windows. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a leisurely lunch on a day of Douro touring. Pedro Lemos’s eponymous restaurant in Porto has 2 Michelin stars; in contrast Bomfim 1896 serves sensible, product-focused cuisine. The heart of the restaurant is the wood-fired oven and grill, a throwback to the traditional kitchens of the Douro Valley. Most dishes are cooked over wood, and the kitchen is open to the restaurant for the curious diner to watch the flames. The menu is short and seasonal, focused on highlighting the best Portuguese ingredients and their pure flavors. Local vegetables, fish and seafood from the nearby Atlantic, and the finest meat come together in flavorful, honest dishes. The wine list is a plus, bringing together excellent dry wines from the Douro and other Portuguese regions with a truly world-class Port list thanks to Symington’s ownership of more than their fair share of great houses. This is a welcome addition to the Douro’s fine dining landscape.

Day 5 – Departure

Private transfer to the Porto airport or train station for departure.

Hotel

Dão - 1 night

Casa da Ínsua - 5-star hotel set in an 18th-century palace with sprawling grounds in the heart of Dão wine country. The property also produces its own Dão wine which you can taste in the hotel’s cellar or restaurant.

Douro - 3 nights

Quinta da Côrte - Whitewashed hilltop Quinta overlooking the Douro river converted into an 8 room boutique winery accommodation. The rooms and public spaces have been redone with expert design and great taste. The rooms offer excellent views of the countryside. There’s no restaurant, but delicious meals are prepared for guests using local products, including the estate’s delicious wines and Ports.

Trip Includes

4 nights hotel, double occupancy
breakfast daily in the hotels
expert private guides
private premium tours and tastings at wineries
private driver-guide for wine tour days
4 lunches with wine
restaurant reservations and recommendations
full trip planning
in-country trip assistance and on-the-ground support
Epicurean Ways expertise

Not Included

flights to/from Spain and flights within Spain
tips to guides and drivers (optional but appreciated)
travel insurance (recommended)
extra charges in hotels (minibar, room service, etc)

A note on winery visits, restaurant selections and hotels

All tours, experiences and hotels are subject to availability and will be confirmed upon booking the trip.

You will be accompanied by a driver-guide during your wine touring. Your visits and tastings will be private and with the winemaker, a family member or an expert who knows the winery and the wines well. We work with the wineries to make sure that you taste the best and most representative wines during each visit. It is sometimes possible to arrange extended tastings that include old vintages or rare wines. We have an extensive group of wineries whose owners we know and with whom we work regularly, so we can guarantee high-level visits even if a winery has to be substituted. If you have an interest in visiting a particular producer please let us know.

We include restaurant concierge service as part of your trip. Note that our restaurant suggestions are just that–suggestions. Places we love, places to go back to time after time. We recommend these places after years of experience eating in Spain and Portugal together with frequent research and input from our local partners. We aspire to guide your choices with information on the styles of cuisine and restaurants; the choice on where to eat is yours based on your preferences and desires.

We have included hotel options ranging from 5-star luxury properties to small boutique hotels. Let us know your preferences and we will tailor the hotel choices for you.

Trip Prices

Note that we can customize this trip for you. Add days in your arrival or departure city or in other locations or make changes to the experiences, winery visits, restaurants, or hotels included in the trip. Whatever it is, we’re here to work with you. Once you’re happy with the trip plan and have some idea of your dates we will calculate and send you the price.