Vintage House Hotel Restaurant Douro Valley Portugal –

The Vintage House Hotel enjoys an idyllic and tranquil, riverside location at Pinhão in the authentic heart of the Douro Valley. The Douro is one of Europe’s oldest and most beautiful wine regions, a breath-taking man made landscape enjoying World Heritage status. Remote and undiscovered, it offers the discerning traveller one of Europe’s most unforgettable vineyard experiences. Port is one of the world’s great classic wines and no meal, formal or informal, is complete without it. Like any great wine producing region Port is the result of a unique combination of climate, soil and grape which generations of human skill and dedication has allowed to express itself as great wine. Like other classic wines its appeal is timeless, as relevant today as it was over three hundred years ago when the first Croft Ports were made.

entrance of Croft Family Port Shippers Quinta Da Roeda

The 430th Anniversary celebrations commemorate the house’s establishment in 1588 and the rich history of the oldest port company in operation. The long and fascinating history of the Croft Port company begins neither in Portugal nor with the Croft family. It begins in the English city of York in 1588, with founder Henry Thompson, the year of the attempted invasion of England by the Invincible Armada of King Philip II of Spain. According to Adrian Bridge, Managing Director of Croft, « The excellence of Croft, one of the most distinguished and traditional port companies, endures through time thanks to the enterprising spirit of the owning families and the total dedication to the production of the finest port.” He adds, ”We are delighted that in the same year we celebrate the 430th anniversary of Croft we also mark the 10th anniversary of the launch of Croft Pink, the first ever rosé port, which continued the pioneering spirit that characterises the history of the company”. In 1889, Croft firm acquired the famous estate of Quinta da Roêda, one of the Douro Valley’s finest vineyards, which further enhanced the company’s reputation as well as giving it control over a source of wines of outstanding quality. This exceptional property, often referred to as the jewel of the Douro Valley vineyards, remains the main source of wine for Croft firm’s Vintage Ports to this day. To commemorate the event, the company has decided to produce a limited edition port, the Croft 430th Anniversary Celebration Edition. The wine, exclusively created for this anniversary edition, is described as follows by the Head Wine Maker, David Guimaraens: « Croft is known for its Vintage Ports with opulent fruit aromas and silky tannins. This is a superb Ruby Reserve Port, displaying all its fruity character, a hallmark of the company’s distinctive style.” The grapes used to produce Port are grown in the upper Douro Valley in north eastern Portugal, one of the world’s most beautiful wine regions. It was the first wine region to be demarcated and regulated by law, in 1756, making Port the oldest controlled denomination of origin.

The upper Douro Valley lies about 100 kilometres inland from the coast and is protected from the influence of the Atlantic winds by a range of mountains called the Marão. Consequently it is cold in Winter and very hot and dry in Summer. Because the region is mountainous, most vineyards are planted on terraces, many supported by ancient dry stone walls. As elsewhere in Portugal, a vineyard estate is known as a ‘Quinta’. The vineyard soil of the Douro Valley is very stony and is made up of a flaky ochre-coloured rock called schist. This soil is rich in nutrients but is free draining, obliging the vine to push its roots deep into the soil and down through fissures in the bedrock in search of water. The hot dry climate and the rocky soil mean that yields are very low, not much more than half a litre per vine in top estates like Quinta da Roêda, and the juice extremely rich and concentrated.

In the heart of Douro Valley’s Demarcated Wine Region, considered World Heritage by Unesco, you will find The Vintage House Douro, right on the Douro River. On arriving at the bedroom, the first instinct will be to walk to the the terrace to take in the unique landscape before you, already thinking how wonderful it will be to have dinner in the restaurant terrace, making the best of the panorama. After the meal in the “Rabelo” Restaurant, then have a glass of port with your friends in the Library Bar. The Vintage House Hotel is a luxury five star hotel in the Douro Valley, with stunning views over the Douro river and surrounding vineyards. (photo of the large lobby)

Room with a living room area, a desk and a large terrace providing breathtaking views over the Douro River letting you enjoy the sunlight

the outdoor pool with a cocktail bar & long chairs to rest and relax

At lunch or dinner, the outdoor open air restaurant with its terrace under the trees, offer a romantic time and the perfect view over the Douro river and vineyards

Tomato, mozzarella, flowers, vinaigrette, olive oil, basket of breads; Pasta Tagliatelle, braised lentils, nuts, pine nuts, spinach, roasted cherry tomatoes and cream sauce; Trio: Sericaia, Abade de Priscos pudding, Papos de Anjo and lemon ice cream; Croft Reserva Tawny Port 20 Year Old Wine

The front of Rabelo Restaurant, with the vegetable garden, palm trees and the cosy Library Bar

The Croft Quinta da Roeda Visitor Center offers wine tastings and a private lunch in a typical house overlooking the Douro River, just a unforgettable moment !

The Vintage House 5* Hotel restaurant

R. António Manuel Saraiva

5085-034 Pinhão Portugal

Tel.: +351 254 730 230

https://www.vintagehousehotel.com

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Also, Infante Sagres Hotel 5*

Vogue restaurant in downtown Porto:

The most prestigious luxury hotel in downtown Porto. Infante Sagres has been Porto’s first five-star hotel and the residence of choice for discerning travelers for more than six decades, renowned for its elegant ambience, personalized service and its unique blend of timeless elegance and contemporary refinement. This legendary grande dame of Portuguese hotels reopened in April 2018 after extensive restorations and renovations. The Infante Sagres opened in 1951. The vision of its creator, the entrepreneur and philanthropist Delfim Ferreira, was to endow the city with a luxury hotel on a par with the finest in Europe. Housed in a listed building, it contains a wealth of decorative features, such as exquisite ironwork, carved wood detail and magnificent stained glass panels from the workshop of Ricardo Leone. The hotel is named after Prince Henry the Navigator, initiator of the Age of Discovery and the early Portuguese voyages of exploration. Also known as the Prince, or Infante, of Sagres, after the town where he established his school of navigation, he was born in Porto in 1394 to King John I of Portugal and Philippa of Lancaster, sister of Henry IV of England.