The 6 Best Wineries in Porto

The city of Porto has some of the best wineries in all of Portugal. The density of high-quality vineyards, winemakers, and wine houses is one of the highest in all of Europe. Portuguese wine also doesn’t have the deepest roots in the US and other parts of Western culture, which gives it a touch of the exotic that you might not have encountered in the same way as French, Italian, and Californian wines.

Whether it’s a glass of port wine from the Douro Valley at one of the city’s port houses, a bottle of Vinho Verde at a wine bar or a wine tasting on a private tour, Porto has a lot to offer. To help you work a great wine experience into your next Porto food tour, I decided to take a closer look at the best wineries in Porto. 

Graham’s Port Lodge

Photo credit: Graham’s Port Lodge

Graham’s Port Lodge is located in Vila Nova de Gaia, which is right across the Douro River from Porto. Historically, this is where a lot of Porto’s winemakers stored their casks of wine. This is reflected in the fact that Graham’s wine cellar can be traced back to the 19th century!

The tasting room of this world-famous port house sits on a hill with stunning views of the Douro River Valley and the cityscape of Porto. The décor is infused with Old-World charm accented by wooden beams, aging barrels, and dim lighting. It’s the perfect backdrop, to enjoy their featured vintages.

Graham’s Port Lodge has an extensive wine list to fit any budget. However, they are best known for their vintage port and tawny port. With several 10, 20, and 30-year-old tawny ports with complex layers of flavor, reminiscent of dried fruit with nutty notes and a smooth finish.

My favorite wine at Graham’s Port Lodge is their special six grapes port wine. It’s a unique wine made with a blend of six different port wine grapes. The fermentation process is relatively short like you’d normally see with a ruby port. Yet it’s blended to perfection, like you find with tawny port.

I find the wine to have a bold fruity body and virtually no sediment. While still being smooth enough to drink as an aperitif or as an after-dinner digestif.

Graham’s Port Lodge also offers guided tours that offer a deep dive into the history of port wine, and its relationship with the region. While also highlighting Graham’s impressive commitment to quality.

Graham’s Port Lodge (€€€) – Rua do Agro 141, 4400-003 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal – Open every day from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM.

Churchills

Photo credit: Churchills

Churchill’s Winery in Villa Nova de Gaia offers a refined wine-tasting experience along with a touch of history. It was originally founded in 1981 by Englishman Johnny Graham, which makes it one of the last independent British port houses in the Porto area.

The winery focuses on traditional wine production methods, including hand-picking grapes and foot-treading for authenticity. It also creates distinct, high-quality wines with consistency.

The décor of Churchill’s Lodge is modern with soft-spoken elegance that complements the scenic views of the Douro River. They offer visitors a full menu of wine experiences, from exploring vintage ports to savoring wood-aged varieties.

While they do have a well-rounded wine list, Churchill’s is primarily known for its drier styles of port. Their vintage port is particularly popular with locals and tourists. However, my favorite wine to sample at Churchill’s is the white port.

The vintages I tried all had a refreshing crispness with citrus notes and hints of honey. The finish was smooth with an essence of almonds and the crispness of fresh apples. The bottle I brought home was perfect for DIY wine spritzers.

Churchill’s Port Lodge (€€€€) – Rua da Fonte Nova 5, 4400-156 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal – Open every day from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Cockburn’s

Photo credit: Cockburn’s

With a history dating back to 1815, Cockburn’s Winery offers visitors a rich and historical wine experience. Located across the river from Porto in Vila Nova de Gaia, this winery has a reputation for producing high-quality tawny and vintage port wines.

The tasting room ambiance at Cockburn’s effortlessly blends traditional charm with modern elegance. They proudly offer visitors guided tours that take them through every step of the wine production process.

From fermentation to fortification, barrel aging and bottling, you get to see the fine details of how Port wine is made. The tour concludes with a wine-tasting experience that typically includes pairings with cheese, curated charcuterie boards, and chocolate.

When I have the budget for it, I love to sample Cockburn’s vintage ports. I find they have depth and complexity with a rich, smooth finish. They also tend to need minimal time to breathe and decant compared to other bottles of vintage port, which I appreciate if I want to take a bottle home.

Cockburn’s Port Lodge (€€€) – Rua de Serpa Pinto 346, 4400-307 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal – Open every day from 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM. 

Calém

Photo credit: Calém

Located along the riverfront in Vila Nova de Gaia, Calém’s historic Port house has been in operation since 1859. They even have traditional caves for aging casks of wine from grapes grown in the Douro Valley.

Calém also offers an educational deep dive into the historical heritage of Port wine. They have an interactive museum as well as a classic wine cellar tour with sneak peeks into the port wine production process.

The wine list at Calém largely focuses on high-quality tawny and ruby port wines. Their tasting room includes premium selections of each with tasting sessions paired with local cheeses and chocolates.

One of their ruby ports sticks out most in my mind. It had a bold, fruity body with an aroma to match. When paired with a dark chocolate the berry notes really sang with the slight bitterness of the cocoa.

Calém (€€€) – Av. de Diogo Leite 344, 4400-111 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal – Open every day from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

Quinta do Noval

Photo credit: Quinta do Noval

With historical roots going back to 1714, Quinta do Noval is one of Porto’s most prestigious wineries. The main winery itself where they grow the grapes and handle the bulk of the wine production is deep in the heart of the Douro Valley wine region. Then they maintain a port house with a large cellar and tasting room right in Vila Nova de Gaia.

Quinta do Noval’s vineyard emphasizes their deep connection to the terroir of the land and the microclimate of the Douro Valley. The estate is immaculately maintained with stunning terraced vineyards. They also showcase the history of winemaking with heritage techniques like treading grapes in authentic stone lagares.

They offer several different tours and tasting experiences and even full-day tours. This includes private and exclusive tours and tastings that highlight their in-house vintages.  

Quinta do Noval has a strong reputation for exceptional vintage ports, like their vaunted Nacional and the modern Noval Black. Both of which pair amazingly with dark chocolate.

However, I think the secret gem at Quinta do Noval is their humble yet exceptional table wines. Their dedication to the terroir of the Douro Valley also shines through in their outstanding red and white wines. Each of these is made from native grape varieties that are carefully tended to express their unique characteristics.

I purchased a bottle of Cedro do Noval red wine to enjoy at home. It had layers of dark fruitiness, with pungent earthiness, and finished with a hint of spice. I used it to cook with and enjoy a homemade Caçoila beef stew, which turned out to be a delightful pairing.

Quinta do Noval (€€€€) – Av. de Diogo Leite 256, 4400-111 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal – Open from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

Kopke Wine House

Photo credit: Kopke Wine House

Founded in 1638, Kopke Winery’s claim to fame starts with being the oldest winery in the region. Their Port house in Vila Nova de Gaia offers a historically rich and intimate port wine experience.

The ambiance of the tasting room is small and cozy, yet charming. With sleek lines and shelves lined with black bottles of Kopke’s signature Port wines, it’s a perfect touch of old-world nostalgia with a modern atmosphere. However, the tasting room can only accommodate around 25 guests at a time. So, it’s wise to make reservations in advance.

While they have a wide selection of port wines, Kopke is best known for their exceptional colheita ports. It’s a type of tawny port made from a single vintage to create a pure expression of that specific harvest year. This differs from traditional tawny port wines, which are typically blended.

I think the sweet spot wine experience at Kopke is to reserve a tasting for their “Decade Flight,” which includes a range of 30- to 50-year-old colheita ports. This is a prime opportunity to explore how the vintages evolved.

Then purchase one of their less expensive, yet still impressive tawny, LBV, or white port wines to enjoy at home. This lets you enjoy the best of both worlds with a rare colheita experience, and an amazing bottle of port to enjoy at home.

Kopke Wine House (€€€) – 4430 999, Av. de Diogo Leite 312, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal – Open every day from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

Conclusion

Including a port house or winery tour in your Porto food tour is a great way to get a taste of the city. Many wineries like Cockburn’s and Graham’s have tasting rooms in Porto or Vila Nova de Gaia that offer an immersive experience. A few like Quinta do Noval can also connect you with a vineyard or estate tour.

Some, like Kopke Wine House, require special reservations for their limited tasting room space. Others like Churchill’s Winery have tours and tastings that easily fit into just about any day trip or food tour schedule.