The city of Vila Nova de Gaia, on the south bank of the beautiful River Douro, is home to the majority of the Port cellars which have housed wine for centuries. Today, the historic cellars are open to everyone who would like to learn more about how Port is made, how it is aged and its crucial role in the history of the city.
The cellars are located in the heart of the historical area of Vila Nova de Gaia, and most still have a large reserves of Port wine aged in barrels and bottles, depending on the style of the wine within. Wine has always aged slowly in these warehouses, until they reach an amazing maturity, with complex and sublime aromas, making this wine one of the most famous in the world. The temperature, the balance of the environment and its location have made this area of Vila Nova de Gaia one of the key ingredients to the splendour of Port Wine throughout its history.
How to get to the Port cellars
Imagining that your visit to our city starts in Porto, you can enjoy a quiet stroll through the streets of Porto to the Ribeira river front, visiting some shops and sampling some of our local delicacies. Once at the river, take the Douro River Taxi and in just 3 minutes you will be across the river Douro, whilst enjoying a wonderful view over the two cities.
Once in Vila Nova de Gaia, you will notice the numerous wine houses of Porto. There are lots of small souvenir shops that have the best handcrafted items made of cork, wood, crochet or small bottles of Port wine that you can take home with you.
Climbing the historic hillside of Beira-Rio, you will find two of Porto's oldest wine cellars, Croft and Taylor's, the latter having a recently renovated visitors' centre. At Croft, enjoy a tour with guide and taste the first ever rosé Port, Croft Pink, surrounded by the huge barrels in the tasting room. After visiting Croft, continue your walk and visit the wonderful Taylor's, which offers guided tours and an audio tour in several languages. The experience also features interesting films of the harvest season in the Douro wine making region. Here you can taste two iconic Port wines from this house: Chip Dry - Extra Dry White and Late Bottled Vintage (LBV), invented by Taylor's in the 1930s and 1970s, respectively.
Dive into the history of this wonderful wine and if you have the opportunity, visit two or three cellars before your return to Porto. Take some time to have lunch or a snack in one of the many typical restaurants that you will find in Beira-Rio or Ribeira do Porto to fully enjoy the amazing views.
