What better way to acknowledge history than with your own eyes?
But until that day comes for you to see it, we will tell you a little bit about it...

Alto Douro has a long history regarding wine culture. There are several archaeological finds that prove the existence of viticulture from other Eras, from grape-seed remains dated from the XX Century before Christ to traces of wine presses and wine containers trough all the Douro Region going back at least to III-IV centuries.

The name “Douro” has several origins: one comes from the Celtic ‘dur’, which means water. Another says that in the deep slopes existed, in ancient times, gold nuggets, hence the name ‘de + ouro’. Yet, another version states it derives from the Latin ‘Durius’, which means hard, due to the hardness of its sinuous outlines, protruding rocks, violent flows, and rapid waters that made this river untamed.

With the construction of the first dams in the 50’s and 70’s, the river was definitely tamed, creating reservoirs of calm water. Douro River is considered the oldest Wine Demarcation of the World – The Douro Valley Region, it dates back 1756.

It’s the third longest river from the Iberian Peninsula with 897 km, from which 572km in Spanish soil and 213 km navigable in Portuguese soil.

Also known as the “Country Wine Region”, it extends along the Douro Valley, from Barqueiros – Mesão Frio, to Barca D’Alva, and it is divided into three “zones”: “Baixo- Corgo”, “Cima-Corgo”, and “Douro Superior”.

Baixo Corgo

(“Lower Corgo”) extents from the town of Régua to Corgo. It has approximately 14,000 hectares of vineyards and historically was the first area to be planted. This area receives the most rainfall, which leads to a production of a lighter type of wine, with less ageing making it perfect for entry level ruby ports.

Cima Corgo

(‘’Up Corgo’’) is centred around the village of Pinhão, this is the largest sub-region with around 19,000 hectares of vineyards. Here the climate is warmer and drier producing grapes with tremendous depth of flavour. The wines created are deep and concentrated, ideal for maturing and developing the rich, velvety and smooth tones characteristic of an aged wine or port.

Douro Superior

(“Upper Douro”) extends from the Valeira Gorge nearly to the Spanish border and is the hottest and driest of all the regions. The wine area is around 8,000 hectares, the smallest of the three, specially because it was so difficult to navigate after Cachão da Valeira. Regardless of these difficulties, this area is also known for some of the finest Ports and Table Wines.

This ‘’Região Vinhateira do Alto Douro’’ has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2001.

Historically, the Douro has been associated primarily with Port wine production, but now it is becoming well known for its unique red and white wines, as well as marvellous hotels and delicious food.

We can’t wait to take you there and keep you up to date with all the tales!