Page 1 of 1

Douro in Sept for the harvest

Posted: 00:57 Mon 01 Apr 2013
by djewesbury
Is September a bad or a good time to visit the Douro? Are the quintas generally trying to fend off visitors or is there a lot that can be enjoyed? Any recommendations? I'll be seeing some of you on Tuesday so we could have a chat then maybe.

Re: Douro in Sept for the harvest

Posted: 15:03 Mon 01 Apr 2013
by mosesbotbol
Most of the quintas are actually working farms and are not set up to greet tourists out-of-the-blue like in Napa

Re: Douro in Sept for the harvest

Posted: 23:38 Thu 04 Apr 2013
by djewesbury
So.. Following on from my not managing to chat about this on Tuesday, does anyone have anything to add to Richard Mayson's notes in the new edition re this topic, bearing in mind mosesbotbol's comments..?

Re: Douro in Sept for the harvest

Posted: 10:04 Fri 05 Apr 2013
by gljunglo
I have only good things to say about visiting the Douro in September. To be fair I have never visited Douro any other time of the year but we have never experienced any major problems with visits as long as you book them well in advance.
Both 2010 and 2011 we have stayed at Quinta de la Rosa and waking up in the morning smelling the grape must fermenting in the Lagares is in it self sufficent reason to visit the valley during the harvest.
Regarding recs for visits ve have visited Quinta do Vallado and Quinta do Napoles (Niepoort). The Niepoort visit was a fantastic experience (he is a fantastic guy!) but the visits to the smaller and more unknown producers have been equally satisfying. In our experience most smaller Quintas have no problem receiving visitors during the harvest but you have to be aware of the risk that the Quintas has to shorten or cancel your visit due to unforeseen events, for instance due to harvest time.

Re: Douro in Sept for the harvest

Posted: 15:06 Wed 10 Apr 2013
by djewesbury
Thanks gijunglo! Your advice and comments are very useful and I'm putting my itinerary together now.
DJ

Re: Douro in Sept for the harvest

Posted: 17:59 Sat 13 Apr 2013
by djewesbury
gljunglo wrote:Both 2010 and 2011 we have stayed at Quinta de la Rosa and waking up in the morning smelling the grape must fermenting in the Lagares is in it self sufficent reason to visit the valley during the harvest.
Booked. We're travelling about a little but if you're at QdlR between the 12th and the 18th of Sept we might see you there! :990033:

Re: Douro in Sept for the harvest

Posted: 15:33 Mon 15 Apr 2013
by gljunglo
Since we will stay at the Quinta between 13th and 17th of September I beleive that we will meet. If you see a Swedish-registered car it will most probably be ours...

The schedule so far...

Posted: 18:40 Mon 20 May 2013
by djewesbury
So far we have this itinerary.

We arrive in Porto on the 8th Sept and stay one night at the Infanta Sagres, uptown in Aliados. Stayed here before, very comfortable.
On the 9th, we go by train to Regua and pick up a car.
Staying at Quinta do Tedo from the 9th - 12th, and Quinta de la Rosa from the 12th to the 18th.
During this time, will meet Dirk N and others to put the final touches to a Belfast visit we're planning; also hopefully eat at Castas e Prato, AZ Douro (if they still exist; website suddenly offline), LBV 79 (some of these booked already...)
Return to Porto on the 18th in time for lunch at Vinum, then stay at the Yeatman before departing on the 19th...

All I have to do now is get through June, July and August... :| :roll:

Re: Douro in Sept for the harvest

Posted: 13:13 Wed 22 May 2013
by Alex Bridgeman
Nice itinerary.

If you can, see if you can fit in a visit to Quevedo near Sao Joao de Pesquera while you're in the Douro.

Re: Douro in Sept for the harvest

Posted: 13:23 Wed 22 May 2013
by djewesbury
AHB wrote:Nice itinerary.

If you can, see if you can fit in a visit to Quevedo near Sao Joao de Pesquera while you're in the Douro.
Good plan - everybody here has said good things.. Maybe I'll send Oscar a message..

Re: Douro in Sept for the harvest

Posted: 22:20 Mon 09 Sep 2013
by djewesbury
At Quinta de Napoles today: "Oh, yes, the Port Forum. You must know.. [great names listed]."

Nods of agreement to all, smiles all round. But a moment of confusion: who is this "Julian the Wise"?

Re: Douro in Sept for the harvest

Posted: 22:26 Mon 09 Sep 2013
by Alex Bridgeman
So what is the scuttlebutt on the harvest? Is anyone picking yet? How did the band of rain help? What are the temperatures like? What are people saying about the quality of the grapes?

Re: Douro in Sept for the harvest

Posted: 22:29 Mon 09 Sep 2013
by djewesbury
AHB wrote:So what is the scuttlebutt on the harvest? Is anyone picking yet? How did the band of rain help? What are the temperatures like? What are people saying about the quality of the grapes?
More news on all these fronts in the next day or two. As of today I have only picked the brains of one source, and he a notably idiosyncratic type (he thinks it's all very good....)

But I can say that it's still around 30º in the mid afternoon and the thunderstorms last week seem to have done some good. Detail is being sought.