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If there’s one factor I by no means tire of, it’s sampling Portuguese wines. The Portuguese are among the many largest shoppers of wine on the planet, so I’m fairly assured that you simply gained’t be disillusioned within the choice of wine bars in Porto.
The town has beautiful wine bars, together with cosy hideaways and chic haunts, and most of my Porto meals excursions embrace a cease at some Porto wine bars. This could let you know all you must find out about how fond I’ve develop into of those charming taverns!
These are the very best wine bars in Porto that any avid wine lover has so as to add to their record!
Wine Quay Bar
Photograph credit score: Wine Quay Bar
For Porto meals and even higher wine, look no additional than the Wine Quay Bar. A Ribeira hotspot perched alongside the Douro River, that is the proper spot for any budding wine connoisseurs visiting Porto for the primary time.
After I arrived at this cozy nook, I grabbed a seat alongside the quaint outside terrace, as I may hear the reside music taking part in from down the road. As quickly as I sat down, the waiter came to visit and recommended some wine and tapas pairings.
In all honesty, I couldn’t fault all of the plates and wines I sampled right here. Of all of the server’s incredible suggestions, although, the aged cheddar and Tawny port wine actually stood out to me.
Each the cheese and wine had subtly nutty undertones. I particularly beloved how the saltiness of the flaky cheddar brightened up the port’s wealthy, darkish fruit flavors.
Wine Quay Bar (€€) – Rua, Cais da Estiva 111, 4050-080 Porto, Portugal – Open each Monday to Saturday from 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm, closed each Sunday
Prova
Photograph credit score: Prova
I’m a agency believer that there’s no higher place for a wine tasting than at Prova in Ribeira. This Porto wine bar doubles as a wine store, and the sommelier right here is among the many most educated I’ve ever met.
For someplace with such an illustrious repute, I used to be stunned at how relaxed and low-key it was. The cave-like partitions, golden lighting, and background jazz music made this place really feel heat and romantic.
A gaggle of us got here right here and determined to share a charcuterie board as we sipped on a choice of beautiful native and European wines as a part of our tasting. It was this expertise that opened me as much as Madeira wines, and I’ve been fanatical about Rainwater Madeiras ever since.
Constructed from the pink Tinta Negra Mole grape, this wine had a refreshingly mild end and delicate hints of figs and nuts. All of the smoky, fiery chorizo chunks have been an particularly pretty accompaniment, as the fruity nature of the wine mellowed the meat’s spicy kick.
Prova (€€) – R. de Ferreira Borges 86, 4050-252 Porto, Portugal – Open each Monday and from Thursday to Sunday from 5:00 pm to 1:00 am, closed each Tuesday and Wednesday
Dogma Wine Bar
Photograph credit score: Dogma Wine Bar
I want I’d found Dogma Wine Bar close to Clérigos Tower sooner, as their line-up choices from the Vinho Verde wine area are arguably the best within the metropolis.
It’s a small, slender spot with just some tables tucked among the many plush patterned seats and low-hanging ambient lights. As cosy as it’s, there was such a vibrant ambiance once I acquired right here, and it felt as energetic as any bar.
Sadly, I didn’t have an excessive amount of time to spare once I acquired right here, so I selected only one glass of wine based mostly on the sommelier’s recommendation. He ran via the assorted Douro Valley and Vinho Verde wines that matched my tastes, and I selected an Alvarinho.
The shiny acidity and citrus notes have been a delight on my palette, and it had a crisp, mineral end. Feeling peckish, I requested the sommelier for a fast snack to enhance the wine. He recommended some grilled sardines and their savory taste enhanced the wine’s trace of saltiness.
Dogma Wine Bar (€€) – Rua dos Caldeireiros 238, 4050-139 Porto, Portugal – Open each Monday to Saturday from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm, closed each Sunday
Capela Incomum
Photograph credit score: Capela Incomum
Capela Incomum‘s setting in a Nineteenth-century chapel is an effective sufficient purpose to go to, nevertheless it’s the excellent wines and tapas that preserve prospects coming again.
I got here throughout this Baixa institution across the vacation season and was passionate about the lovable Christmas decorations. The inside was simply as beautiful, with polished picket tables and homely furnishings laid out alongside a remarkably intact altar.
Nevertheless, it’s not simply the picturesque atmosphere that makes it among the best wine bars in Porto. Their in depth wine record has pages of terrific Portuguese wines, my favourite of which was the Touriga Franca rosé.
This specific wine comes from the Douro Valley, and I couldn’t get sufficient of the variety of the flavour palette. There have been touches of darkish fruits and chocolate that contrasted with the earthy, coffee-like tones.
Although I didn’t anticipate it to be such a tasty pairing, I completely loved sipping on this wine with the beef croquettes. Whereas the croquettes have been hearty and healthful with their crunchy breadcrumbs and juicy, sturdy filling, the wine’s refined sweetness lightened every chew.
Capela Incomum (€€) – 79-81, Travessa do Carregal 77, 4050-167 Porto, Portugal – Open each Monday to Wednesday from 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm, Thursday to Saturday from 4:00 pm to 12:00 am, closed each Sunday
Portologia – La Maison des Port
Photograph credit score: Portologia – La Maison des Port
Vila Nova de Gaia is the epicenter of Porto’s port wine scene, and Portologia – La Maison des Port is among the high spots I’ve visited right here.
Among the many most buzzing wine bars on this record, it’s an ideal little spot while you’re searching for a change from the quieter wine lounges within the metropolis. The employees’s information of port wine was staggering, and there wasn’t a single query that was left unanswered.
My first glass right here turned out to be the wine I loved probably the most. This Ruby port was daring pink in shade, but it had a zingy, youthful style with an undercurrent of spicy, berry flavors.
I beloved teaming the port with some chunks of crumbly goat’s cheese. All the tart and sharp flavors of the cheese have been softened by the wine’s honeyish hues and easy end.
Portologia – La Maison des Port (€€) – R. Cândido dos Reis 106, 4050-513 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal – Open each Monday to Friday from 12:00 pm to eight:00 pm, Saturday from 10:00 am to eight:00 pm, closed each Sunday
A Cave Do Bon Vivant
Photograph credit score: A Cave Do Bon Vivant
Simply north of the Bolhão neighborhood is an excellent pure wine bar known as A Cave Do Bon Vivant.
Every thing about this place, from the stress-free music and dim lighting to the heat inexperienced and brown shade scheme, made it really feel like the proper hideaway. That’s earlier than mentioning the professional employees, prolonged wine record, and delectable snacking plates.
I caught to main varieties from native wine areas at first earlier than ending the night time with some Lisbon wines, probably the most notable of which was the Arinto from the Valle de Capucha. This grape is grown simply kilometers from the Atlantic coast, contributing to the wine’s tangy, clear flavors.
The sommelier suggested me to mix this wine with a seafood dish, so I went for the crab ravioli. By itself, the mix of pillowy pasta and delicate crab meat already made for a fantastically balanced dish. But, the wine kicked it up a notch with its punchy apple notes and excessive acidity.
A Cave Do Bon Vivant (€€) – R. de Santa Catarina 763, 4000-454 Porto, Portugal – Closed each Monday and Sunday, open from Tuesday to Thursday from 5:00 pm to 12:00 am, and each Friday and Saturday from 5:00 pm to 2:00 am
Conclusion
The wine mecca of Douro Valley is lower than two hours from Porto, so it’s hardly stunning to search out so many chic wine bars dotted all through the town. As such, you’ll by no means have to enterprise too far in Porto to get your arms on some nice wines!
