Lonely Planet

32 Lonely Planet Traveller October 2017The steep-sided Douro Valley.BELOW FROM LEFT The VintageHouse Hotel; cod in ‘Gomes deSá’ style, with roasted peppersand green sauce, from the hotel’sRabelo Restaurant``````Airlines including BA, Monarch and Ryanair fly toPorto from the UK (from £55; monarch.co.uk). Pinhãois a scenic two-hour train trip away (from £20; cp.pt).Q u i n t a d e Ro ê d a ’s g r a p e - t re a d i n g p a c k a g e i s £ 2 2 ,tours with tastings from £11 (croftport.com).Housed in an old port warehouse, the VintageHouse Hotel has huge rooms with balconies overthe Douro River, plus a garden, outdoor pool and anexceptional restaurant. There are also port tastingsand picnics (from £140; vintagehousehotel.com).In Porto, The Yeatman has luxurious suites, pools,a spa with wine-based therapies and a two Michelin-starred restaurant with a wine cellar to match. Viewsare incredible (from £195; the-yeatman-hotel.com).``````One of the world’s oldest wine regions, the Douro Valley curves through Portugal’s farnorth like a beckoning finger and, as the grape harvest gets going, now is the best timeto respond to that summons. Deep in the Alto Douro – a cinematic stretch of terracedvineyards and historic wine estates on the Douro River – the village of Pinhão is anideal base. It’s here that the oldest port house of all (Croft, est 1588) makes wine,at Quinta de Roêda. Visitors can witness the ritual of grape picking and even join in,treading grapes in lagares (granite basins) in the centuries’ old way. You can rewardthis work in the tasting room with a ruby vintage, cocktail or pink port – though fora truly fitting end, head downriver to Porto. The wine is aged in its slope-huggingcellars and their terraces are the top spot for a toast overlooking the city.``````THE DOURO AND PORTO, PORTUGAL MAKE IT HAPPENCalling in to port