Port Wine Cellars & Tastings in Vila Nova de Gaia

Port is made in the Douro Valley but it ages across the river from Porto, in the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia, and touring those lodges is one of the essential things to do in the city. A port wine tour in Porto usually means crossing the Dom Luis I bridge to Gaia, where the famous houses line the waterfront and the riverbanks are stacked with barrels maturing in the cool dark.

A port wine cellar tour walks you through how the wine is made and aged, from the styles you know to the ones you do not, and ends with a tasting. When you compare port wine tastings in Porto, look at how many lodges and which styles each covers. A single-lodge visit goes deep on one house; a walking tour threads several cellars together with a guide who explains the difference between a ruby, a tawny and a vintage as you go. Some pair the port tasting with a Six Bridges cruise on the river below, which makes an easy half day.

The lodges sit close together on the Gaia side, so wine tasting in Porto is walkable once you cross the bridge. Book the bigger names ahead in summer, and go a little hungry, because the tawnies and the chocolate pairings are the point.

12 Port wine cellar tours and tastings from EUR 25. Single-lodge visits and multi-cellar walks in Vila Nova de Gaia, with free cancellation on most - easy to book online.