wineTouring ine is a marvelous subject to talk about and those who know and speak of it will take delight in any knowledge which adds to the pleasure of wine tasting.
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Landscape, Douro
Wine does more than create a warm bond between people.lt also creates bridges between the senses and the imagination and take us to another level of living which we call lifestyle. Pleasure, emotion, sensuality and curiosity well characterize the new ways of thinking about wine. Simply to drink the wine is no longer sufficient. It is therefore not surprising increasingly to meet those who love and are passionate about wine. When this love of wine is also accompanied by a passion for food, then inevitably there is a wish for harmony and to tie in the wine maker's creation with that of a master cook; the creation of the wine must blend with the exquisite flavors in food. If it were not possible to match food to a particular wine there would be no extreme pleasure in the world that could better describe the calling and blending of all human senses. History claims that the Romans started the production of wine over one thousand years ago, when they inhabited the Iberian Peninsula. In Portugal the first exportation of wine is attributed to King D. Fernando in 1367 to England, which today is still a major market. Portugal produces annually about 7 million hectoliters of wine. It ranks 8th in worldwide production. In 1756 Portugal became the first country in the world to create a "Regiao Demarcada" a demarcated region in which wine can be produced. The Portuguese Ambassador Wines are Madeira wine {produced in the Atlantic island of the same name) and the internationally acclaimed Port Wine from the Douro Region of northern Portugal. Today wine enthusiasts can visit the great wealth of vineyards and wineries located throughout the wine routes of Portugal. Vinho Verde Wine Tour - The Vinho Verde is a unique product with a blend of aroma and crispiness that makes for a very pleasant drink. Medium in alcohol, Vinho Verde is a highly regarded wine, especially during the summer.The reds
are full-bodied wines with an intense color and rosy or light red foam. The whites usually present a lemony or deeper yellow color. The Vinho Verde area is located in northern Portugal, outside the town of Porto in the Minho Region.There are 49 wineries that can be visited and the visitor can plan the day trip to include visits to historic towns and nature areas. Some of the wineries also offer accommodations on a B&B basis and some can also prepare lunch for you.The website www.vinhoverde.pt provides all the required information about the area, and allows tourists to plan in advance their itinerary,The site also tells the visitor what can be included in the trip in terms of historical places and nature areas. Port Wine Tour- For almost two millennia, a unique viticulture landscape rose out of the rocky hillsides along the Douro River valley and has produced an exceptional wine. More than a gift of nature. Port Wine is at heart the expression of its history, a collective cultural heritage of work and experience, know-how and art.
www.visitportugal.com • Travel Agent • December 24,2007
built up from generation to generation. Port Wine was, and is, a key product for the national economy and even more, a symbolic asset that represents Portugal throughout the world. Wine lovers should include in their travel plans a visit to this beautiful region, filled with steep terraces of vineyards on the valley of the Douro River. The Port WineTour can be enjoyed in two different ways.Visiting the Port Wine Cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia, on the other side of the town of Porto and on the left bank of the Douro River, or by driving up the mountains to the Douro Valley to visit the local farms.There are 46 properties and wineries to be visited in this region, and it is strongly advised to stay overnight at any of the B&B's or hotels in the town of Regua, Vila Real and Pinhao. It is advised to call in advance to inform them of your arrival. At Vila Nova de Gaia just outside Porto there are 16 Port Wine Cellars to be visited.They usually open from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and from 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm. Visitors can stay at any hotel in Porto or Vila Nova de Gaia. Website: www.ivdp.pt.
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