The Douro Valley, carved by the serpentine river of the same name, is one of the world’s oldest demarcated wine regions and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its terraced vineyards, etched into steep schist slopes, endure extreme conditions—hot, dry summers and poor, fractured soils—that yield concentrated, age-worthy wines. While long famed for Port, the Douro now commands equal respect for its dry reds and whites, crafted from native varieties like Touriga Nacional, Tinta Barroca, Rabigato, and Viosinho. These wines capture the region’s wild beauty: muscular yet mineral, structured yet precise. A place where ancient viticulture meets contemporary ambition, the Douro remains Portugal’s beating vinous heart.
