Another fascinating day in the Douro Valley began to unfurl as we headed south towards Regua and the tiny boutique estate of Casa do Romezal. Here Luis and his sister Margarida oversee a small family estate with Bed and breakfast accommodation with stunning views over the river valley. For some it was a taxi, other made the steep walk up the hill where no bus could venture. Luis used to be a pharmacist until the family estate beckoned and they oversaw the project that their father started but sadly was unable to see finished.
We took a walk into the vineyards where Luis captivated us with family history, great detail about viticulture and terracing and of course the wines they make. Luis was utterly brilliant – passionate, funny and an excellent communicator. He brought the Douro Valley to life.
The tasting was a very casual affair as we drank through his range of two whites, a red and a white and tawny port. All brilliantly made and we snacked on some delicious cheese, salmon, pastries and meats. This was a great start to the day.
From Casa do Romezal, it was a thirty minute drive to Quinta do Portal – our lunch destination. I have visited Portal over a number of years and they have a great reputation for table wines as well as Port. Lunch was a delicious vegetable soup, perfectly cooked lamb and a delicious dessert, all washed downed with a dry Moscatel, Douro red and some 10 and 20 year old Port.
From Portal it was a mere 500 metre walk to Quinta do Beijo.
This is another family owned property where Joao Monteiro is the current family leader – with dad still in the background. Joao was engaged with the forklift truck as we arrived – literally just bringing in some containers of grapes.
A small cellar – we took a look at some freshly fermenting grapes and then tasted their excellent wines in the barrel cellar. Dad took over the tasting so we got the full family experience and tasted another superb range of wines. We returned to Vila Real for some recovery time, and a night strolling around the town – with different people taking different approaches to how much they ate!
