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GOLF GUIDE


T


For wine lovers


he exuberant Duoro — river of gold — twists and swirls down from its source in Spain through the heart of


the vineyards to Porto, port wine’s historic outlet to the world. The Romans planted the first vines in the 2nd century BC, a heritage converted into commercial estates by the Portuguese elite 2,000 years later. By the 19th century, the British were buying into the dream — think Grahams, Cockburn, Sandeman — and adding a splash of brandy to fortify the nectar. Back home, no castle or mansion was without its aſter-dinner ritual, gents only, the decanter passed to the leſt.


The prety river town of Pinhao is a good


target for port weekenders, especially as geting there’s an adventure in itself. A rickety train from Porto creaks into a station with blue-tiled walls depicting the grape harvest. The road, much improved by the four-mile Serra do Marea tunnel and the new stretch of A4 motorway that opened in 2016, meanders through fig, orange and almond groves, then rises into the vineyards, row upon orderly row stretching steeply towards the sky. Signs for Taylor’s, Croſt and Fonseca leave no doubt as to their purpose. Quinta da Roeda outside Pinhao is a tasting centre of repute, with


the possibility of treading grapes during the harvest (book in advance). No time to make the journey? For centuries,


boats carried wine down to lodges with famous names in Vila Nova de Gaia across the river from Porto, where it matured in oak barrels until it was ready for botling and shipping. This is the place for cellar tours and tastings, stopping for lunch in cafes on the shore or dinner on rooſtop terraces with expansive city views. Porto itself is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, admired for the covered cloisters in the cathedral, the gilded baroque interior of the Church of San Francisco and the Salao Arabe (Arab Hall) in the Palacio da


116 ABTA Golf 2018


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