If we had to choose one place that tourists cannot miss in Porto, apart from many great options listed below, the Porto wine cellars (Caves de Vinho do Porto) would be the must see number one. Located on the south margin of the Douro River, a few meters walk thru Dom Luis bridge, in a neighbour town called Vila Nova de Gaia, you will find many cellars to explore, with guided tours and wine tastings.
In those old warehouses the Porto wine is aged, it is a Unesco World Heritage landmark. This fortified wine is the first in history protected designation of origin product, even before the famous french protected origins as Cognac, and Champagne.
The Porto wine has a high alcohol by volume degree, of around 20° , the sweetness is due to its production process in which the grape juice, at an early fermentation stage, is added "aguardente", a distilled of grape, preserving the taste of the grape fruit. It is also called "fortified wine", as Moscatel de Setúbal and Vinho da Mandeira.
Yeas ago, I went to a friends house in Brasil, to meet a few friends. I had brought to them a Porto wine bottle. His father showed up, and I offered him "would you like some Porto?", he replied "no thanks, it´s too adicting" :)
By the way, many people drink Porto in very small classes, that is not correct, it is much better to enjoy it in a regular red wine glass.
In those old warehouses the Porto wine is aged, it is a Unesco World Heritage landmark. This fortified wine is the first in history protected designation of origin product, even before the famous french protected origins as Cognac, and Champagne.
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