After skipping my annual trip to Portugal in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic, I was very happy to be able to return to Porto and the Douro Valley in 2021 to reconnect with old friends, visit the vineyards, do some Port tasting, and join the 2021 For The Love Of Port Harvest Tour.
The Port Harvest Tour is led by my dear friend (and Port Expert) Roy Hersh, and in addition to helping Roy run the For The Love Of Port website (www.fortheloveofport.com) since 2004, I’ve been going with Roy on his tours to Northern Portugal since 2006.
Pre-Tour Day 1 – Sunday
Note this section covers the seven days in Portugal before the start of the FTLOP Port Harvest Tour
Yeatman Hotel
After our long but uneventful overnight flight from the US, we touched down in Porto’s International airport. We gathered our luggage, cleared Portuguese customs, and caught an Uber to the Yeatman Hotel in Vila Nova de Gaia, where we would be staying for the first few days of our trip.
It is always a treat to stay at The Yeatman, which opened in August 2010 and was the brainchild of Adrian Bridge, CEO of Taylor Fladgate. The hotel, which sits on the Vila Nova de Gaia side of the Douro, has a sophisticated neo-classical design, and all the rooms have patios with stunning views of the Douro and of Porto directly across the river.
After checking in and getting settled, we walked over to the adjacent World of Wine to grab a glass of wine and a bite to eat from one of the restaurants there. We returned to the Yeatman, spent a few moments admiring the nighttime view of Porto across the Douro River, and then turned in for the evening.
Pre-Tour Day 2 – Monday
The next morning, we woke up to a beautiful sunny day in Porto, and the view during the day across the river was equally impressive. We were excited to get our first full day in Portugal started, so we grabbed a quick breakfast and headed to our first tasting: Kopke.
Kopke Tasting Room
It has been my tradition that on almost every trip I’ve made to Portugal, my very first tasting is at Kopke. Kopke bills itself as “The Old Port House,” having been founded in 1638. They are most famous for their wide range of Colheita Ports but have some exceptional wines across many of the different Port styles.
Kopke 10 Years Old White Port. Yellow golden color. Bottled 2021. Rich honey and caramel, with a touch of spirit on the nose. Elegant, well-balanced flavor profile with rich butterscotch and dried fruits. Some acidity with a touch of bitterness appears on the mid-palate. Nice, balanced finish. 90 points. 9/20/2021
2005 Kopke White Colheita Port. Bottled in 2019. Made from Malvasia Fina 50%, Gouveio 15%, Rabigato 15%, Viosinho 15% and Arinto 5%. Clean nose with some hints of cedar and tropical notes – white peach and some light banana. Bright acidity and a nice smooth, long finish. 91 points. 9/20/2021
2003 Kopke White Colheita Port. Bottled 2021. Nose is a little subdued. Light yellow in color. Swirling the wine brings out tropical fruits and some floral notes on the nose. Super smooth in the mouth, with great structure. A touch of maple syrup and great acidity on the rich, long finish. 92 points. 9/20/2021
Kopke 30 Years Old White Port. Dark yellow-golden color. Deep, rich, complex nose of oak, citrus, and candied navel orange peel. Orange spice and burnt sugar (like the crisp top of a creme brulee) on the palate. The tannins are round, and there is great balance and rich complexity on the finish. 94 points. 9/20/2021
Quinta do Noval Tasting Room
Our next stop was the Quinta do Noval Tasting Room, which has traditionally been my second stop at the beginning of my visits to Portugal.
Quinta do Noval 10 Years Old Tawny Port. Brilliant, medium ruby in color with dark Ruby center. Christmas spice, a touch of oak, and dried fruit on the subdued nose (the wine was chilled). Rich red fruits on the palate. Smooth texture with rich red fruits and some light spices on the palate. Youthful tannins with rich but smooth palate. Long finish. 89 points. 9/20/2021
Quinta do Noval 20 Years Old Tawny Port. Amber orange in color. Cedar, dried fruits, almonds, and orange spices on the nose. Oxidized notes with noticeable tannins and bright acidity. Almond skin and creme brulee on the palate. Very long, rich finish with a residual touch of oxidation/bitterness. 91 points. 9/20/2021
World of Wine (WoW) Wine School
After we finished our tasting, we spent the afternoon exploring Vila Nova de Gaia. We ended up at World of Wine (WoW), a sprawling complex of museums, restaurants, and attractions.
We popped into The Wine School, and as I was hoping, we happened to catch our old friend Anne Marie Faustino. Anne Marie, whom I first met on the 2016 FTLOP Harvest, was responsible for (among other projects) running The Wine School.
The Wine School is a welcoming, beautifully designed space that offers a wide range of classes for visitors. Anne Marie gave us a quick tour of the facility, and we got a few minutes to chat and catch up.
After saying goodbye to Anne Marie, we found a quiet little spot to have dinner, and returned to the hotel for the evening.
Pre-Tour Day 3 – Tuesday
World of Wine
After a leisurely breakfast and morning, we headed back over to WoW for lunch with two extraordinary (and extraordinarily fun) people: Alistair and Gillyane Robertson.
Alistair is the former head, and now Non-Executive Chairman, of Taylor Fladgate. I met Alistair and his wife Gillyane on my first visit to the Douro during the 2006 FTLOP Harvest Tour when we visited their estate – and Taylor’s flagship vineyard – Quinta de Vargellas. The property is steeped in beauty and history, and the hosts provided us with an exceptional experience on that first visit in 2006 that I will never forget.
I kept in touch with Gillyane and Alistair and have frequently visited them at Quinta de Vargellas over the years during my trips to the Douro.
Today, Jody and I would be meeting them at The Golden Catch – one of the restaurants right on the WoW Plaza.
After a few minutes of catching up, we took our seats at an outside table and the waiter came to take our drink order. Alistair asked if we had tried the new Taylor Fladgate White Port-and-Tonic in a can yet. I got a little excited because 1) I love White Port and Tonic, 2) these were brand new on the market (the regulations had just recently changed to allow this type of “Port cocktail in a can”) and 3) Alistair had served me my very first White Port and Tonic on that memorable trip in 2006. A few moments later, I was sipping a lovely (and conveniently-served) version of my favorite Port cocktail.
 My First White Port & Tonic in 2006 |
 White Port and Tonic in a Can 2021 |
We had a fabulous lunch, and as always, Gillyane and Alistair kept us entertained with their stories and perspectives of WoW, the Port Trade, and how Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia have changed over the years.
Fonseca Wine Experience
After lunch, we took a walk around WoW. Alistair suggested that we duck into the new Fonseca Wine Experience, as he hadn’t visited it since it had opened.
The Fonseca Experience’s main feature is a small museum that allows visitors to learn more about the Douro Valley and the history of Fonseca. There are some great interactive exhibits, including one where you can try to identify the aromas of Port wine. There are some wonderful bits of Fonseca history here, including biographies of the heads of the company over the years, and information on Fonseca’s efforts around sustainable agriculture.
After a wonderful afternoon with Alistair and Gillyane, and our tour of The Fonseca Experience, Jody and I said our goodbyes and headed back to the hotel.
Taylor Fladgate Lodge
On the way back, we decided at the last minute to stop by the Taylor Fladgate Lodge and have a snack and some more Port before returning to the Yeatman.
The Taylor Lodge has a very nice tasting room, but since it was a sunny day, we opted to sit out in their lovely courtyard. We enjoyed some light fare, more White Port, and tonics, and were entertained by the roosters who meander among the tables in the courtyard.
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The Sandemans
After returning to the hotel to freshen up and change, we were heading to meet up with two people who have become close friends over the years – George and Eduarda Sandeman. I met George on my first trip to Portugal in 2006 when he gave us a boisterous tour of the Sandeman Lodge.
George is from the seventh generation of the Sandeman family, who, from 1790 until 1980, owned the Port Producer bearing the family name. George began his apprenticeship in the wine business in 1971 and joined The House of Sandeman in 1977. He eventually became Chairman of the House of Sandeman, and remained involved in the company after it was first sold to Seagram in 1980, passed briefly to Pernod Ricard in 2000, and then acquired by Sogrape in 2002.
George is also the former Chancellor of the Confraria de Vinho do Porto (Port Wine Brotherhood).
We met George and Eduarda at their apartment and had a lovely evening catching up with them, enjoying dinner and some great wines.
Dinner Wines
- 2002 Niepoort Charme Douro Red. From Magnum
- 1975 Sandeman Vintage Port
- 1970 Sandeman Vintage Port
- 1945 Sandeman Vintage Port
- Andresen 40 Years Old Tawny Port. 500ml Bottle
