THE DOURO VALLEY

The 560-mile Rio Douro (River of Gold) begins in northern-central Spain, and flows to its outlet in Porto, Portugal. Along the way the river runs through the Douro Valley. The "gold" here is the grapes that grow on 617,000-plus acres of some of the most spectacular quintas (wine-producing farm complexes) I’ve ever seen. Most quintas lie on almost completely vertical slopes; the land is said to be the toughest to cultivate in the world. In the old days farmers used the river to transport their wine to the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia (located across from Porto -- we visited there last week). Because Porto was a major port city, and this is where they shipped it from, "Port wine" gained its name. The farmers also used the mountain railroad, but today there are excellent highways so they use trucks. The jaw-dropping Alto Douro region has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site (here’s the link), because the region has produced wine for almost 2,000 years and its landscape has been molded by human activities (see this UNESCO link for more criteria). The Douro Valley is a perfect place for growing grapes, cherries and olives. They are also some almond and cork trees. The weather is hot and dry in the summer, cold and wet in winter. Once you drive over the Serra do Marão mountain range, the weather changes instantly. Thanks to humid air, fertile soil and schist rock to keep the fruit warm at night, grapes thrive here. The next time you see a bottle of wine labeled "vinho do Porto," you’ll know it was created right here in the Douro Valley.