International Lodging Corporation

Where Amazing Travel Experiences Begin

Cheers…Quinta do Seixo – Sandeman Winery, Valença do Douro (Portugal)

By

Quinta do Seixo is the picturesque estate of the Sandeman brand, located just 10 minutes from the charming town of Pinhão. The vineyards spread out over 100 hectares of pristine grape growing territory in the Douro Valley wine region.

The estate’s original house and chapel are perched on a hilltop overlooking the scenic Douro River and surrounding vineyards. The winery is accessed via a narrow winding road that crisscrosses through the vines that are planted on the slopes of the terraced hillside. Adjacent to the original Douro house is Sandeman’s state-of-the art winery, built in 2007, that uses both tradition and innovative technology to produce the highest quality wines.

Tours of the winery and vineyards are offered daily in English (and other languages) and last about 50 minutes. Hours vary depending on the season, and advance reservations are recommended. For more information about tours, including business hours, tour prices and availability, click here.

  • Quinta do Seixo – Sandeman
  • Valença do Douro, Portugal
  • Phone: +351 254 732 800
  • Website: Quinta do Seixo

Photo credit: © Christopher Pappas · All rights reserved.

For assistance with your travel plans, including hotel and private tour reservations, click here.

Cheers…Quinta de la Rosa Winery & Restaurant, Pinhão (Portugal)

By

Quinta de la Rosa is a family owned winery that was established in 1906. It is located on the bank of the Douro River just outside of the charming town of Pinhão. The vineyard consists of 55 hectares of land, which produces approximately 85,000 liters of Port and 200,000 liters of wine each. The grapes grown are the top 5 varieties that are considered to produce the finest wines: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Cao.

The winery produces high quality ports, wines and olive oils. Tours of the winery and cellar are offered daily in English and Portuguese for visitors 12 and older. The winery’s restaurant, Cozinha da Clara, offers local Portuguese cuisine in a beautiful setting overlooking the river and surrounding vineyards. Lunch and dinner service are offered, and diners can enjoy the ports, wines and olive oils produced by the winery. Reservations are recommended, especially in the busier months (April to October).

  • Quinta de la Rosa
  • Pinhão, Portugal
  • Phone: +351 254 732 254
  • Website: Quinta de la Rosa

Photo credit: Quinta de la Rosa

For assistance with your travel plans, including hotel and private tour reservations, click here.

Cheers…Graham’s Port Lodge, Porto (Portugal)

By

No visit to Porto would be complete without visiting one of the many wine lodges that are located across the Douro River in the Vila Nova de Gaia area. While the grapes are grown in the Douro wine region located to the east of Porto, after the harvest they are transported to Porto and the actual production of wine takes place in the wine lodges located in Porto. So even if you don’t have enough time to take a trip out to the wine region, you don’t have to miss out on doing a wine tasting and learning about the history of Port wine.

One of the lodges that welcomes visitors is Graham’s 1890 Port Lodge. W&J Graham’s was founded in 1890 and continues to be a working wine cellar. Grahams was acquired by the Symington Family and is the only remaining British Port company independently owned by a single family. The building currently houses over 2,000 pipes (oak casks) and 40 tonels and balseiros (large oak vats) of ageing Port wine, as well as extensive cellars of Vintage Port, ageing in bottle.

Visits to the lodge are by reservation only and can be requested online in advance. The hour and a half guided tours are offered in a number of languages (including English) and conclude with a wine tasting. Visitors can choose from a variety of tasting options of Classic, Premium, Vintage or Tawny Ports. If you are interested in a more intimate setting you can book a tasting in the Vintage Room, where a more select group of Super Premium and Luxury wines can be tasted, including rare Vintage Ports and Aged Tawnys. Visitors can sample Port wines in the the wood-paneled room that has the cozy feel of a library in a manor house and order snacks to accompany their wine selections.

Graham’s also has a museum and a shop that offers a wide variety of Graham’s Ports as well as Ports and Douro DOC wines produced at other Symington Family Quintas.

Tours of Graham’s 1890 Port Lodge are by advance reservation only.

  • Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
  • Phone: 22 377 64 90 or 22 377 64 92
  • Website: Grahams
  • Click on Visit Graham’s Lodge for the link to book a tour

Located on the top floor of the lodge is Vinum Restaurant & Wine Bar, a highly rated restaurant that offers panoramic views of the river and the historic center of Porto. For more information on Vinum, click here.

Photo credit: © Christopher Pappas · All rights reserved.

For assistance with your travel plans, including hotel and private tour reservations, click here.