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A NEW WINE HOTEL
After another long, winding road we were high in the upper Douro Valley, in the parking lot of the Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo estate. Quinta Nova dates back to 1758 when the first vineyard was planted. The wine cellar has some history too. It was built in 1764, the same year as the estate's baroque chapel. The estate covers 120 hectares (296 acres) of breathtaking rolling hills. They became even more appealing in June 2005, when the estate opened the luxury Hotel Rural Burmester. All 11 immaculately clean rooms are decorated in 18th-century style, using local materials like slate and cork. This wine-focused hotel includes breakfast and wine baths in its rates, which begin at €75 ($95). There are also walking and biking trails, and the hotel prepares picnic baskets. Guests who come at this time of year can help harvest, too!

HARVEST TIME
Harvesting grapes was the highlight of my trip to Portugal. Our group was given white Quinta Nova T-shirts, a black bucket, and orange-handled scissors. We piled in the back of a pickup truck like 8th graders, and were off to even higher ground. If I had had any idea where we were headed, I probably would have walked. Seriously, even those with no fear of heights would be spooked. We went up a single, one-way bumpy dirt road with the gnarliest turns that had everyone (including me) screaming. You’d scream too if you faced a 3,000-foot drop. But if I was going to be taken from this world, it would not have been the worst way to go. At least I was among new friends and beautiful women; the sky was clear, the sun was warm, and the views – well, they were to die for. When we reached the top we saw farmers of all ages enjoying their work. They chatted easily with each other, wearing wide smiles, as they breezed up and down the rows of ripe grapes. Our task was to help them until we filled a couple of larger bins, placed strategically alongside the road for easy pickup.

FACTORY TOUR AND LUNCH
Half an hour later we drove down the back side of the steep hill (I’m not sure which way was worse). Safely at home base, we toured the distillery. This was not your standard 30-minute wine tour – instead, we sampled wines during the different stages of the fermenting process. We skipped the formal wine tasting at the end, because we enjoyed those same bottles over an authentic Portuguese lunch at the hotel restaurant. The food was made fresh from local ingredients (sorry, no pictures -- my camera battery died), but trust me: It was delicious. Hotel Rural Burmester, Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo, 5085-222 Covas do Douro, Pinhăo, Portugal; tel.: 351-254-730-430.

HOTEL RURAL
Forty kilometers (25 miles) away, on the south bank of the Douro Valley, I found myself checking into the Hotel Rural Viscondes da Várzea. Finding this 180-hectare (444- acre) family estate would be a challenge without a local driver. It’s off the beaten path; just a small sign reads "Hotel Rural," with an arrow. At the end of that road, the estate’s gated entrance takes visitors down a long driveway past the family vineyards, fruit orchards and olive trees. Hotel Rural is a 37-bedroom house with a great story. Maria Manuel Cyrne grew up in this 17th-century noble house with her family. In 1975 her family sold the house and property to Seagrams. Maria was devastated. She then fell in love with her first cousin, and married him without her family’s blessings. She had no children, because she feared they would have genetic problems. She opened a boutique, and when Seagrams put the estate back on the market a few years ago she bought it back to fulfill a lifelong dream. Her other was having healthy children – and she finally had twins. They are now 4 years old, and live in the house. Maria asked me to pass along her story, to inspire other people to live their dreams. What is even more interesting is that everything in the house is for sale -- and I mean everything. She decorated the place from her store, and it’s delightfully tacky. You can lift up the salt shaker at dinner, and see what it costs. The staff are young, friendly and strong suburbanites. Two of the girls insisted on carrying three people’s bags (see the video below). The first room I was in, off the main house, was a little musty. But I was quickly moved to the main house, and the staff placed humidifiers in the other room to clear it up. The highlight -- besides sitting on the veranda overlooking the marvelous grounds while checking emails using free wireless -- was the incredible meals. I felt like I was at my Italian grandmother’s house during the holidays. All the meals here are traditional Portuguese dishes like feijăo frade com atum (beans with tuna) or farinheira and chouriço e morcela (typical Portuguese sausages). Room rates start at €95 ($120) during the week. Hotel Rural Viscondes da Várzea, Várzea de Abrunhais, 5100-878 Lamego; tel.: 351-254- 690020.

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