 | Sandemans and other famous port wine lodges are open for weekday visits and tastings. You can find out where to sample your favorites at the
Nova Gaia tourist office on the waterfront. |
The World's Best Port Thursday, March 3, 2005
Porto, Portugal Dear International Living Reader, A Scotsman called George Sandeman knew all about profiting from the import/export trade. Back in 1790, with a loan of 300 pounds from his father, he founded a company to import port wine. And the best port comes from the vineyards surrounding Porto, Portugal's second city. Topped by a silhouette of a cloaked "Don," the Sandeman Lodge is still here--and the company is still making a small fortune from the port wine trade. If you're in Porto, it's one of the must-do's: crossing the Douro river to Vila Nova de Gaia and visiting one--or more--of the port wine lodges lining the riverbank. Besides Sandemans, there are another 16 lodges--famous names include Calem, Ferreira, and Graham. Most are open for weekday visits and tastings. Pick up a map and brochure with opening times from the Nova Gaia tourist office on the waterfront (Largo Miguel Bombarda). Sandemans charges 3 euro to tour their lodge and see something of the port-making process, but this is refundable if you buy a bottle. There's white port, tawny port, and ruby port. (To be honest, it's actually better value to buy in a Porto supermarket--prices start at just over $7). I've always associated the drink with Christmas mince pies, but apparently tawny port makes a great accompaniment to foie gras--and you should also try ruby port with chocolate. Although I don't have any foie gras or chocolate to hand, I'm having no problem sampling the different varieties… The waterfront is incredibly photogenic. Across the river, old Porto comes tumbling down to the shoreline--a hodge-podge of brightly painted houses and belltowers. And the river is dotted with little boats called barcos rabelos. Today, they're used to advertise the various port wine lodges but they're a link with history. In the past, it was these boats that transported the barrels of port from the vineyards of the Douro Valley. Steenie Harvey
Roving Euro-editor, International Living | 
