Pinḥo РQuinta do Bomfim

Quinta do Bomfim is only a short walk from the railway station in Pinhão in Portugal’s Douro valley and is therefore probably the easiest tasting room to visit if you have arrived by train from Porto. You can read my post about the train journey here . Reservations are now required to visit the Quinta and so it is best to do this in advance of your visit. It is well worth it. The tour includes a vineyard walk but this is optional if the weather is very hot. You can make a reservation via their website here

Quinta do Bomfim is owned by Symington Estates. The Symington family have been involved in the port industry since 1882 and the company now own several of the well known port brands including, Grahams, Warre’s, Dow’s and Cockburn’s. The vineyard here is about 61 hectares under vine and the production largely got into making  Dow’s.

It is a beautiful location, with the tasting room overlooking the river, you could sit and drink it in all day!

 

Dow’s 10 year old Tawny. Tawny in appearance with a feint ruby tinge. Nose of caramel, toffee, stewed fruits and a hint of orange. Palate is rich and savoury with a lovely lingering finish.

Grahams 20 year old Tawny. Good colour with a feint ruby. Nose not as expressive as the Dow’s. Caramel and dried fruits. Richer in style, sweeter. Not as nuanced as the 10 year old.

Dow’s 20 year old Tawny. Pale tawny in appearance. Nose of burnt caramel, toffee and orange peel. Palate is rich, complex with a lovely freshness.Lovely balance with a lingering praline finish.

Grahams 40 year old Tawny. Nose is nutty, caramel and sweet fruit. The palate is complex, harmonious with dried fruits, nuts and a wonderful lingering finish.

Dow’s 1985. Appearance is mature fading to tawny at the rim. Nose is black fruit, stewed prunes, cinnamon spice, medicated sweets and cherry. Palate is smooth and rich, tannins are integrated. A lovely glass of vintage port.

A visit to Quinta do Bomfim will give an excellent understanding of the process of making port from the vineyard to the bottle. You can also taste the fruits of their labours in such a beautiful setting.

The Douro River Valley

The Douro river rises in Spain and flows some 900km before it reaches the Atlantic Ocean just west of the Portuguese city of Porto. For much of its journey through Portugal it is a quiet and lonely river with very few centres of habitation. Its banks are steep and terraced and are covered with vines that will produce grapes for the regions famous port wines. Wine and the Douro river are closely entwined.The wine growing region is large and extends from 70 Km east of Porto to almost the Spanish border. Wine is very important here and you can not visit the Douro valley without experiencing  the wines that are made here.

Travelling in the Douro Valley provides you with a number of options. While driving gives you the greatest flexibility, especially in terms of winery visits, it is not perhaps the best option for some. Many of the roads are winding and narrow with some steep ascents and descents. For the driver this means missing much of the scenery along the way as driving requires a good deal of concentration. It is possible to take a day river cruise from Porto and see the valley from the relative comfort of a riverboat however this option doesn’t really give you any time to actually explore much of the region. indeed river cruises are very popular and it is possible to spend several days making the journey up and down river. These are perhaps not the cheapest way to see the area and of course not really suitable for those with only a couple of days to spare.

If you do have a couple of days available perhaps the best option is a combination of train and a short half day river cruise. The Linha do Douro runs from the city of Porto to the town of Pocinho close to the border with Spain and the complete journey takes just short of three and a half hours. There its not much to see in Pocinho so a better option is to leave the train at the small town of Pinhao, a journey of two and a quarter hours, which is really at the heart of grape growing in the region.

Trains leave Porto Campanha every two hors or so. The first half of the journey is unremarkable, travelling through residential/industrial areas and farm land. After the town of Peso da Régua the line follows the river and for the next ninety minutes you are treated to what must be the best, and most scenic, rail journey in Portugal. Make sure you sit on the right hand side of the train for the best views.

The railway station at Pinhao is notable for the 24 blue tiled panels on its walls. Dating back to 1937 and depicting life in the Duoro valley they make this one of the prettiest railway stations that you are likely to visit.

Pinhao is a small town which is centred firmly around grape growing and is an ideal base for exploring the region. There are a number of opportunities for tasting port within walking distance and taxis are available at the railway station if you want to venture further afield. It is worth remembering that Pinhao is only small and it does not have a large number of hotels so it is best to book accommodation before arriving, especially in the summer months.

From Pinhao it is possible to take a river cruise further up river.

Pinhao

There are a number of options but we chose the cruise up to the town of Tua, the round trip takes about two hours and gives probably covers the most scenic part of the valley.

It is a nice contrast to the views from the train as you can appreciate the steepness of the valley and get a better understanding of the importance of the river to the local inhabitants. The boat turns around by the famous Grahams wine estate, Quinta dos Malvedos.

It can be very hot in the Douro in high summer and while the boat does offer some shade it is best to have plenty of sun lotion water and a hat to hand so that you can enjoy the cruise.

Waterloo Beer Festival

The 14th Waterloo Beer Festival was held at Old Christ Church in Waterloo, just a short train ride from central Liverpool. On a hot day in a very atypical summer the venue was cool and most welcoming.

One hundred and sixteen beers from 29 different breweries along with ciders and gin were available for sampling. All beer was sold in halves. I sometimes think that thirds should also be an option as it enables you to try a few more of the beers on offer.

Elderflower Ale. Gibberish Brewing. Speciality Pale. 4.5% – With a taproom in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle Gibberish is very much a local brewery. Pale amber in appearance with a slight haze. Aromas of lemon and grass and the palate is soft, round and low bitterness. Doesn’t have much elderflower character which is a shame. Has a nice lemony tang on the finish.

Juicy 4pm. One Mile End. Pale Ale. 4.9% – From the East End of London One Mile End has been in operation for four years. This beer is dark yellow and cloudy. There are aromas of tropical fruits; pineapple, mango, melon, candied peel and lemon. Palate is creamy, low bitterness with orange pith and tropical fruits. As juicy as the name suggests this is New England IPA in style and has been double dry hopped. The finish is reminiscent of lemon and orange cordial!. There may be better examples of the style out there but this is very drinkable non the less.

Juicy 4pm

First Chop Brewing Arm. SUP. IPA. 3.9% – With a brewery now based in Salford this beer pours amber, clear, small white head and some nice lacing. The aroma is malty, lemon, caramel and yeasty. The palate has a nice hit of resinous pine, pineapple and is smooth with a slight creaminess. Low bitterness. Nice malty finish.

Crusader. Milestone Brewery. Pale Ale. 4.4% – Light amber in colour, clear with a small white head. Aromas of malt and grassy. Palate is slightly sweet malt and is low bitterness. Well made and quite drinkable.

South Island. Vale of Glamorgan Brewery. Pale Ale. 4.2% – Very pale yellow, clear (just) and with a non persistent head. Aromas of citrus and hoppy mango. Palate is very dry, crisp, medium bitterness and malty in character. There is a nice bitter tang to the finish. Very light but characterful and very drinkable.

Gulp. Milk Street Brewery. IPA. 4.8% – based in Frome, Somerset. This beer is amber, clear with a small white head. Aromas of malt, caramel, bread and a touch of citrus. The palate has a little crispness and is not overly sweet. West coast in style.

Mango Fever. 4T’s Brewery. Special Pale. 4.6% – Brewery based in Warrington. This beer is yellow gold, clear, bright and has aromas of grapefruit, lemon, mango, pineapple, candied peel and pear drops. It has a good mouthfeel with medium minus bittering.  There is a sweetness here and the flavour is reminiscent of fruit salad sweets.The finish is full on mango.

Yakima. Great Heck Brewing. IPA. 7.4% – Dark amber, clear and with a small white head. Aromas of malt, caramel, toffee and nuts. This is a serious west coast style IPA with bags of sweet malt flavours, it is creamy with low bitterness and hints of citrus and dark muscovado sugar. Very nice.