- Wine Tour Destinations
Region: | Porto and the Douro Valley |
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Type of Tour: | Essential |
Duration: | 3 Days |
Guide Price: | From £553 to £553 per person |
Number of Meals: | 2 breakfasts + 1 lunch + 1 dinner |
Number of Winery Visits: | 1 winery for a full day harvest and grape treading experience |
Number of Wines Tasted: | Approximately 10 |
Tour Transport: | Transfers to and from Régua station + all activities will then take place on-site |
Dates / Availability: | Available every September |
Around half of our trips are completely bespoke. Our expert team would be delighted to discuss your requirements and create your perfect trip.
Contact UsFor many wine lovers, seeing the process first-hand and tasting the end product just isn’t enough. And we completely agree with that sentiment! This exciting package gives you the unique opportunity to experience the real life of a wine-maker and take part in the fascinating and enchanting harvest. As one of the only wine regions in the world to continue to practice the grade trading tradition, you will also have the unique opportunity to get both your hands and your feet dirty, and make your own mark on this year’s vintage!
For those arriving in the Douro Valley by train, we will arrange for a driver to pick you up from Régua station and after checking in to your preferred room at the 4* Quinta da Pacheca wine hotel, the afternoon will be free to relax and enjoy your pleasant surroundings. In the evening, a four course welcome dinner with wines from the estate will be served in the on-site restaurant.
On the morning of day two, please pack your bags and leave them in your room, as an incredible experience will await you at the end of the day (more about this later!) Your guide will then introduce themselves and provide you with the traditional harvester’s attire; a straw hat, tobacconist’s scarf, secateurs and a bucket. The harvest should never be undertaken on an empty stomach, and so the first part of the morning will be spent delighting in the traditional Mata-bicho, a meal of onion soup and baked sardines with corn bread and olive oil. This will also provide the opportunity to get to know your fellow harvesters over a first glass of wine.
You will then head off to the vineyards, where you will pick the grapes alongside the rest of the harvesting team. Here, you will gain a deep understanding of the work which goes on in the vineyards throughout the year, and the various wine-growing techniques employed by the estate. A fun and convivial harvest lunch with more wine will then be served. The afternoon will be spent enjoying a tour of the winery (with further tastings!), concluding with the magical opportunity to tread the harvested grapes in the traditional Lagares. Grapes are traditionally trodden to music, with linked arms, tuneful comradeship and glasses of Port.
And if you thought that the day couldn’t possibly get any more memorable, think again! Whilst you were labouring in the vines and Lagares, the reception team at the hotel will have transferred your luggage to your new home for your final night- a wine barrel! The Quinta’s five wine barrel suites provide an unusual and utterly idyllic setting for an unforgettable night amongst the vines.
After a leisurely breakfast (delivered to your barrel by golf buggy if preferred) and check out, you will be taken back to Régua station.
Day One of your Grape Treading Experience
Day Two of your Grape Treading Experience
Final Day of your Grape Treading Experience
Important information: Please note that the definitive dates of the Douro harvest is entirely dependent on the weather. Harvest in the Douro Valley usually takes place in September, and the provisional dates are determined in June. However, in the case of extreme weather, the harvest dates can change (sometimes with just a few days’ notice). If this is the case, the winery will propose some alternative hands-on activities which will be equally enjoyable.
Wow what an experience! All perfect from start to finish!
Michael- Devon, UK
Hotel Name | Room Grade | Star Rating | Duration | Price Per Person | |
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Quinta da Pacheca | Standard and Wine Barrel | 4* | 3 Days | £553 | Book Now |
If you would like to make your Grape Escapes holiday even more special, there are a number of additional activities that we can arrange for you. To complement the experience, these could be arranged to fit in/around your current itinerary or we can arrange additional nights and room upgrades at your hotel, as well as your travel arrangements, a stop-over en route and even a visit to another part of the country! See below for some of the most popular upgrades.
Given the wide range of travel options, the package prices do not include travel to the Douro Valley. Please see our travel page for further information.
For more information on our Essential tours please see our Essential Tours page.
To secure your booking, a £100 per person deposit is required. Your remaining balance will then be due 60 days before you travel. Please call us on +44 (0) 1920 46 86 66 or e-mail info@grapeescapes.net to request a booking form.
"Really great trip with good vineyard choices and interesting wines."
Sarah- Cumbria, UK
What to buy for the wine lover who has everything? We offer a variety of gift options, and vouchers are valid for two years.
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