Sophisticated Manor house – excellent for gourmets and Port Wine lovers.
The extremely well located Vintage House - set as it is in the heart of the Douro Valley overlooking the symbolic river - is somewhat different to the usual accommodation found in northern Portugal in that it provides a sophisticated hotel environment rather then homely manor house charms usually associated with the region. Service is personalised, professional and discreet whilst the fine in-house restaurant offers a variety of local dishes, which visitors would do well to try.
Not only is this a stylish hotel decorated in classical good taste, reminiscent of an English country house, it is also a wonderful place for lovers of all things Port. In fact, Portugal’s most famous beverage runs through the veins of the Vintage House (even the name gives a clue), which actually started off life in the 18th century as a Port wine storage house.
The frescoes on the restaurant wall, for example, allude to the harvesting of the grapes, whilst views from the well-kept garden and shaded riverside patio (an excellent place to sip a summer drink) pan out to the terraced vineyards that fall steeply onto the water’s edge.
Visitors interesting in learning more about Port and the Port Wine route can arrange with the hotel to visit one of the numerous estates involved in the port winemaking process and participate in activities such as harvesting the grapes and treading.