Today we hopped on a tour to the Duoro Valley, the oldest wine region in the world and a UNESCO heritage site. The Duoro Valley has its own microclimate and can reach 120F degrees in the summer. And today it was hot in the sun. 

Previously it took drivers 2-3 hours to reach the valley from Porto, going around a large mountain. Thank goodness the longest tunnel in Portugal was built relatively recently so we could go straight through — it’s four miles long!

Once we passed through the tunnel the temperature changed dramatically from cool but humid Porto to dry and hot. The perfect conditions for grape vines and olive trees to thrive.

Our first stop was the village of Amarante where we visited the church and old bakery which makes eclair-esque treats in the shape of a penis in honor of the patron saint of the town which was believed to help older women find a husband. 

Next stop on the tour was Favaios cooperative winery we tried a ten year muscatel, and then we grabbed lunch at a restaurant we think was affiliated with the Favaios even though it was a ten minute drive away. We had some type of root vegetable soup, scalloped potatoes with cod, a mixed salad, pork, potatoes and roasted vegetables. We made friends with the other eight people at our table and the bottomless local wine being served. 

The tour then took us to Pinhão we sailed down the Duoro River marveling at the vineyards, olive trees and stately homes. 

We then went to Croft Port where we learned about the vineyard, port making process; and sampled three ports before heading back to port.  

After 11 hours we arrived back in Porto and headed to dinner at Poente by Vallado on the waterfront. We enjoyed curry mussels, fried string beans, brioche with Spanish ham and olive spread, and baccala with shredded potatoes and egg. The restaurant was in a great location to view both the north and south sides of the river as the sun set and signs for the port houses were illuminated. A great end to our Portugal adventure!