Any recommendations for quinta accommodations in Duoro Valley?
Jan 12th, 2009, 12:24 PM
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Any recommendations for quinta accommodations in Duoro Valley?
We are considering Quinta de la Rosa or Quinta de Marroccos. Any recommendations? I would like it if we could participate in the wine production somehow or at least tour the production. Thanks.
Jan 13th, 2009, 08:10 AM
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Hi, Lily,
I took a tour at the Quinta de la Rosa but did not stay there. You get a pretty standard tour, nothing very hands on or detailed. We talked to people who had stayed there and they said that the food was not very good (but that there's a great place to eat just a short walk away towards town). They said the rooms are nice, too -- my own take on that was that I much preferred to stay up high for the views, there's just no comparison.
One vineyard we visited, and really enjoyed because we really felt like we got a real tour and understanding of the place was Quinta do Passadouro. It's managed by a young Dutch expat couple, very knowledgeable, and at the time we visited, they were in the process of developing some on-site tourism. That now seems to be up and running: http://www.quinta-do-passadouro.com/QdP-uk/index.htm
I think that would be a very good option. Only drawback might be that it doesn't have a view of the river.
In terms of just visiting the quintas, in addition to the Quinta do Passadouro and Quinta de la Rosa, we also visited the Penascal vineyard. (It's part of Fonseca, a large port maker). Their "tour" consists of giving you headphones and sending you out to walk around, both in the vineyards and in the rooms where crushing takes place. I actually found that very interesting, if impersonal.
I don't know how many days you have in the Douro, or if you object to moving from one place to the next. But if I had several days, I think I'd split my time between the Quinta do Passadouro to get the real feel of the vineyards, and then spend a night at the pousada at Mesao Frio, which is just spectacularly beautiful -- up high, looking down on the river. (But if you go, try to stay out of the top floor -- rooms are smaller and seem to be crammed into the eaves). The other floor is MUCH nicer -- we got put up on the top and asked to move. Luckily they had space.
Hope this helps a bit. Laurie
I took a tour at the Quinta de la Rosa but did not stay there. You get a pretty standard tour, nothing very hands on or detailed. We talked to people who had stayed there and they said that the food was not very good (but that there's a great place to eat just a short walk away towards town). They said the rooms are nice, too -- my own take on that was that I much preferred to stay up high for the views, there's just no comparison.
One vineyard we visited, and really enjoyed because we really felt like we got a real tour and understanding of the place was Quinta do Passadouro. It's managed by a young Dutch expat couple, very knowledgeable, and at the time we visited, they were in the process of developing some on-site tourism. That now seems to be up and running: http://www.quinta-do-passadouro.com/QdP-uk/index.htm
I think that would be a very good option. Only drawback might be that it doesn't have a view of the river.
In terms of just visiting the quintas, in addition to the Quinta do Passadouro and Quinta de la Rosa, we also visited the Penascal vineyard. (It's part of Fonseca, a large port maker). Their "tour" consists of giving you headphones and sending you out to walk around, both in the vineyards and in the rooms where crushing takes place. I actually found that very interesting, if impersonal.
I don't know how many days you have in the Douro, or if you object to moving from one place to the next. But if I had several days, I think I'd split my time between the Quinta do Passadouro to get the real feel of the vineyards, and then spend a night at the pousada at Mesao Frio, which is just spectacularly beautiful -- up high, looking down on the river. (But if you go, try to stay out of the top floor -- rooms are smaller and seem to be crammed into the eaves). The other floor is MUCH nicer -- we got put up on the top and asked to move. Luckily they had space.
Hope this helps a bit. Laurie
Jan 15th, 2009, 12:36 PM
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Hi Lily
We stayed at the Quinta de la Rosa and while the accomodations were nice and the balcony overlooking the Duoro was lovely. We were there in October and it was the last of the season before they closed. The offered a dinner for 25E and it was really terrible and as we were the ONLY people in the Quinta, it was obviously not a priority to serve a great meal. The wine was average. The restaurant up the street just before entering the little town was Ponte Romans, and it was exceptional. We had the best cabrito ever!!
We stayed at the Quinta de la Rosa and while the accomodations were nice and the balcony overlooking the Duoro was lovely. We were there in October and it was the last of the season before they closed. The offered a dinner for 25E and it was really terrible and as we were the ONLY people in the Quinta, it was obviously not a priority to serve a great meal. The wine was average. The restaurant up the street just before entering the little town was Ponte Romans, and it was exceptional. We had the best cabrito ever!!
Jan 17th, 2009, 03:06 PM
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In my previous post I wrote:
"We stayed at the Quinta de la Rosa and while the accomodations were nice and the balcony overlooking the Duoro was lovely."
Didn't quite finish that sentence. After the words "the Duoro was lovely", I should have written, "but the Quinta was so quiet it was deadly". It was strange being the only guests and the little village of Pinhao is pretty dead. Staying at the Quinta was not a highlight of our trip.
"We stayed at the Quinta de la Rosa and while the accomodations were nice and the balcony overlooking the Duoro was lovely."
Didn't quite finish that sentence. After the words "the Duoro was lovely", I should have written, "but the Quinta was so quiet it was deadly". It was strange being the only guests and the little village of Pinhao is pretty dead. Staying at the Quinta was not a highlight of our trip.
Feb 6th, 2009, 06:11 PM
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We stayed at the vintage house on the douro river. Ok its not cheap but we treated ourselves since it was my birthday, we stayed two nights. It was beautiful! Upon arrival they give you a glass of port wine, they also upgraded us to a better suite because they had room without request. The restaurant was wonderful, overlooking the river at night, food was fabulous. There are some houses around to take tasting tours as well although we did not get a chance with our time.
http://www.csvintagehouse.com/index.html
http://www.csvintagehouse.com/index.html
Feb 6th, 2009, 06:38 PM
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Hi Lily. I just want to add that we didn't stay in the Duoro Valley, just took a couple of nice drives in the area but you should love the area wherever you stay.
I was always sorry we did not stay overnight somewhere.
I was always sorry we did not stay overnight somewhere.
Mar 5th, 2009, 12:09 PM
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We have stayed at the Quinta de la Rosa twice and were so pleased with it the first time we went back with my in-laws! In 2008 we stayed there four nights in the last week of Sept. and it was during harvest, which you just never know if you are going to hit! Other people staying in the Quinta participated in the grape-stomping, but we limited our activity to taking pictures. The Quinta is not very high up but the rooms look over the river and you can see upriver to Pinhao and downriver quite a ways. We loved sitting on the patio looking at the river; in Sept the leaves were turning and we got some fantastic photos. I thought the food was fine but not spectacular; it would be okay for one night but there are plenty of other options, especially if you have a car. In June 2007 we had fried chicken (!) which was good but not what I was expecting in Portugal. OTOH, in 2008 I ate more roast pork and potatoes than ever in my life (we did not eat at the Quinta in 2008).
