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The Douro Valley is the oldest wine region in the world. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.
Wine in Porto: Discover the fruit of the Douro Valley
April 30, 2025
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Porto stands along the Douro River, its infamous cobalt azulejo tile buildings glinting in the sun. Try culinary treasures like tinned fish or cured meats and cheese in Portugal’s second-largest city. Or visit the bookstores and cafés that inspired "Harry Potter." You can climb to the tippy top of a church tower, ride a streetcar and look out over the Douro River from Dom Luis I Bridge. But a trip to Porto is incomplete without trying one of its most famous products: Port.
Real Campanhia Velha is one of the few remaining Port wineries in the Douro Valley still owned by a Portuguese family. With over 265 years of experience making Port, Real Campanhia has perfected the craft.
What is Port?
Port is a sweet-tasting fortified wine that works a little like its bubbly sister. If Champagne isn’t produced in the Champagne region of France, it’s simply sparkling wine. If a Port isn’t from the Douro Valley, it’s simply sweet wine.
To make Port sweet, producers purposely end the fermentation process early to preserve the sugar content. So, it’s typically drunk with an appetizer or as a digestif.
There are various kinds of Ports, but the main ones are:
- White Ports: Unlike most Ports, these are not classified by age but by sugar content.
- Ruby Ports: This red varaition is typically aged around two years, resulting in a lighter and fruity flavor.
- Tawny Ports: Tawny’s can be aged from four to 50 years. As the Port ages, its color becomes lighter with deepening notes of tobacco, whiskey and cognac. Younger Tawny Ports have notes of chocolate and caramel.
When you’re reading a Port label remember that it might say it’s been aged 40 years, but that doesn’t mean the wine spent those decades in the same barrel or that all the grapes are from the same harvest. In reality, most Ports are blends of different years and barrels. So, when a label says you’re drinking a 40-year-old Port, it might actually be a blend of a 42 and a 38-year-old Port.
Did you know?
Blending Ports of different ages helps wineries maintain a consistent flavor and quality, regardless of year or harvest.
Real Campanhia Velha
The Douro Valley has been a protected region since 1756 when King José I established rules around wine production, from the types of grapes used to the required minimum aging time. This was done intentionally to ensure the quality of the region’s wine.
To enforce his orders, King José I created wine cops who patrolled the Douro Valley. Their name? Real Campanhia Velha. These production changes by King José catapulted Portuguese wine into the global market.
Today, wine from Real Campanhia Velha (known as Royal Oporto outside of Portugal) is sold worldwide. A tour of the winery takes guests through the wine-making process, the cellars which hold its oldest and most precious bottles and includes a tasting. The amount and kind of Ports you get to taste depends on the purchased package, but regardless, it’ll be a treat. You can also buy the perfect souvenir: A bottle of your favorite Port.
Whether you prefer drier wines, like me, or sweeter ones, a Porto winery tour is a fascinating window into Porto’s history and wine culture. You get to meet a few locals, learn something new and then sit back with a refreshing glass of your own.