Dessert, Sherry & Port Dessert wines are, as their name implies, very sweet wines that are a great finishing touch for many types of meals. From appetizers to desserts, they are an extremely versatile flavor that can be enjoyed by themselves or as a pairing. There are no products matching the selection. {{var product.name}}has been added to your cart View cart & checkout {{var product.name}} has been removed from your cart View cart & checkout You have been denied access to the Online Store on the basis of your IP Address (54.255.10.196) and IP Address Country (Singapore).Perhaps the most famous of Portugal’s exports, port is a fortified wine made from grapes grown in the Douro Valley. Synonymous with the beautiful city of Porto, the drink draws millions of visitors annually to taste it at its source. Whether you’re a first-time sipper or a port aficionado, here’s what you should know to make the most of a port-tasting trip to Porto.1. Some walking is involved.

Porto is typically associated with port, yet most of the port houses or port tasting rooms are actually across the river in a town called Vila Nova de Gaia. You’ll have to walk a short distance across the Ponte Luís I bridge from Porto to Vila Nova de Gaia, but you’ll be met with Insta-worthy views. Good to know: Vila Nova de Gaia has even steeper hills than Porto, and some of the port houses are uphill. 2. Vila Nova de Gaia has 10 port houses. Sandeman, Graham’s, Cockburn’s, and Taylor’s — whose products are found stateside — are among the largest producers of port and have some of the busiest tasting rooms. buy french wine londonKopke, one of the oldest port houses, offers tasting flights paired with chocolate; best red wine with price in indiain addition to port, they also make other Portuguese wines. buy californian wine australia

A few lesser-known options (ones not sold in the U.S.) include Wiese and Krohn, Burmester, and Vasconcellos. 3. Some venues offer free tours, while others charge a small fee. Taylor’s is among the places you can visit for free, and Sandeman charges a nominal fee (from €6, approximately $7 USD) for the tour and tasting. If your time is limited — or if you want to taste a variety of port in one place — visit  Port Wine Institute in Porto, where hundreds of ports are available for tasting for as little as €1 per glass.4. There’s even a wine-themed hotel. The 82-room Yeatman Hotel  in Vila Nova de Gaia takes wine very seriously:  each room is named for a Portuguese winery and its 21,000-square-foot spa has products and services that incorporate wine, grapes, and grape seeds. Even the outdoor pool is shaped like a wine decanter. Its location near several port houses makes it convenient for tastings, too. Off-season rates are from €200 per night.5. Double check the port houses’ operating hours.

Most port houses open early — around 10 a.m. — and close between 5 and 7 p.m. Some close for lunch, and others operate on limited hours during the winter.6. Port tasting packs a punch; be sure to have breakfast and lunch during your outing. It’s also important to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. We recommend visiting no more than three port houses per day — fewer if you’re a light drinker.7. Plan to bring some port home. While some brands like Taylor’s are easily found here at home, not all varieties are found on American wine shop shelves. If you find something you love, ask if it’s exported. Since most shops have special wine bottle wraps for sale, you can pack a bottle in your luggage with no fear of a leak.8. Start farthest away from your hotel. We like to begin a tasting day at the port house located highest up the hill so we can work ourselves back down. Nothing takes the fun out of a day of port tasting like trudging up and down steep hills.9. Port comes in several varieties: white port, ruby port, tawny port, late bottled vintage, colheita, blends, and vintage port.

Even if you think you know what you like, it’s worth trying something new.Buy 6 or more bottles and we'll deliver straight to your door!Everything I’ve Learned About Costco Wine in Seven Years of Running This SiteTaylor’s Port Wine Cellar – A port with a viewOf course I have to (try to) write about Port Wine. Port is an important part of Porto (pun intended). Curiously, the wine cellars or lodges are all located in Gaia, on the other margin of river Douro. The main historical reason is because some centuries ago, the Bishop of Porto charged high taxes to the Port producers, so they moved to the other side of the river, where the Bishop didn’t have jurisdiction.History aside, of course I have to recommend that you go a Port wine cellar. There are lots of them. The most well known brands are probably Taylor’s, Sandeman, Ferreira, Calém, among many many others. I’m not writing about the types, brands, or crops of Port, or how to drink it, because I’m certainly not an expert and this is all very well explained during the visits.

I’ve visited several cellars (and some farms in Douro), and I like all the good quality Port I’ve tasted. Besides being there for 4 centuries, it’s just the lodge with the best view of Porto, settled upon the hill facing Porto (contrary to the others located at river level). Sure not the cellar itself which is dark and windowless (as the picture “clearly” shows), but the house, restaurant (good Portuguese dishes!), and gardens are not to be missed.You’ll try the Ports during the visits, ask also for the Tonic white Port. Check the Yeatman Hotel (bar, view, Michelin-starred restaurant!), up the street, belonging to Taylor’s.Get our iPhone / Android app! Details about this spotCategories Address Rua do Choupelo 250 Vila Nova de Gaia, PortoTelephone number +351223772956Opening Times Mon - Fri 10:00 - 18:00, Sat - Sun 10:00 - 17:00Price Visit: € 5WebsiteTaylor's Port Wine CellarGilded cathedrals, old buildings clinging to hillsides, angular modern architecture and of course, sweet Port wine all greet you in Porto – Portugal’s second largest city.

Overlooking the Douro River, Oporto, as it is known in English, was founded as an important port city between Lisbon and Braga. In this article we will advise you on the best places in Porto to taste Port Wine. Produced exclusively in the Douro Valley, Porto is a sweet, fortified wine that is typically served with dessert, and can be found at many of the restaurants in town. Ever since 1756, Douro Valley is the only region in the world with the right to produce Port wine. It is home to 40,000 to 50,000 hectares cultivated for wine production. The beautiful valley, which is two hours east of Porto by car, hosts several estates that offer wine tastings of port as well as other varieties of white and red wines. The Douro Valley can also be reached by train or river cruise. The area has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001. But for those of you who plan on just sticking to touring the city, there are four great places in town to sample Port wine. Vila Nova de Gaia, which lies just south of Porto across the Douro River, is technically another city, but also has iconic and incredible Port wine lodges to visit.

Founded more than three hundred years ago, the House of Croft was originally known as Phayre & Bradley but was renamed in 1736 after John Croft, a member of a distinguished wine merchant family, joined the company. In the 19th century, Croft returned to England, but left a strong mark on the business. Today, the company is owned and operated by the descendants of two Port wine families, the Yeatmans and the Fladgates. The Croft Port wine Lodge is open all year for tours and tastings except for on December 25th and January 1st. Admission for the tour is €3. It begins at 10 a.m., and offered about every 35 minutes throughout the day. After touring the wine lodges, visitors may taste three Croft ports. Along with a remarkable wine tasting experience, they also offer scrumptious chocolate pairings. Graham’s Port Lodge is one of the oldest Port wine producers and should be your first stop in Vila Nova de Gaia. Brothers William and John Graham founded W & J Graham’s in 1820 as an independent family business.

In 1890, the lodge was built to store and mature wine under the best possible conditions, inside its cool tunnels. Today, guests can choose from one of four tours of the Lodge and sample their wines, which are some of the best on Portugal. The Lodge’s granite walls house more than 3,500 casks of port as well as many large oak tunnels, vats and an extensive vintage port cellar. The location also offers grand views of Porto across the Douro River. Visitors may sample wine and ports at the Lodge’s wine bar. Taylor’s Port wine Lodges, another of the 50 or so Port makers in Porto, is one of the finest Port shippers. Taylor’s Port wine Lodge is in the heart of the historic area of Vila Nova de Gaia, across the river from the old city centre of Porto. It houses most of the company’s extensive reserves of wood-aged Port as well its vintage Port cellars. Taylor’s has been established in Porto since 1692! The €3 tour takes visitors into the history of the company and offers a taste of their products.

At the end of the tour, visitors are able to sample three different wines, Chip Dry – Extra Dry White, Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) and Tawny 10 year old in the elegant Library Room. Taylor’s also offers chocolate pairings with the wine and olive oil from Quinta de Vargellas, as well as workshops. Tours begin every 35 to 40 minutes. For non-drinkers, a gorgeous garden and terrace offer a spectacular view of Porto. Located in the historic center of Porto, this special Port wine bar has been operating since 2000. Inside a vintage tasting room, visitors can sample more than 240 different bottles of Port. The bar hosts a wide variety, from the most basic (white-Ruby Tawny) to the most sophisticated (Tawnies 30 and 40 years old vintages). The majority of Vinologia’s Ports come from small, independent producers. The store and tasting room allow for easy conservation with fellow visitors and total immersion into the wine. The tasting room also offers plates of cheese, dried fruit, nuts and chocolate desserts.