Full Itinerary:

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Day 1: Sept 28 

 

Michelin Star Welcome Dinner

Meet your wine guide and attend your private welcome dinner at ANTIQVVM a Michelin star restaurant.

(Pre-set menu with wines included in your package)

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Day 2: Sept 29 

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Foraging in an edible garden and cooking class

In the "enchanted" valley near Vila Real, our friend Graça has built a beautiful edible garden, and she has planted there over the last 15 years over 400 varieties of edible plants, flowers, fruit, vegetables, and all sorts of edible plants. Graça's goal is to create an ecosystem that really has nourishment value. During this day with Graça in her garden, you will learn a ton about plants, how they interact and complement one another, and how they can be used to create rich, succulent, and extremely flavorful dishes. You will all walk through the garden together, forage and pick many elements, taste some directly, and then enjoy a cooking class to learn what can be done with them. This cooking class can be indoors in Graça's beautiful kitchen, or outdoors using cast iron pots and pans and the most ancestral tool - fire!

Graça really lives by the motto "Good Food Ecosystems" and you will get to enjoy a day with her doing what she loves and what she does best, to forage, to harvest some of her produce, and to cook an amazing meal.
It is a fun experience for all ages and even for non-vegetarians.

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Check in to your new hotel and enjoy an included dinner with wines.

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Day 3: Sept 30 

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Wine Tasting with Lunch at Quevedo

Your wine experience today will begin at a family-owned winery, located in the picturesque town of S. João da Pesqueira in the Douro Superior wine region. Upon arrival, one of the family members will lead you on a walking tour of their undulating vineyards over the Douro River, followed by an intimate wine tasting. This winery is part of a new generation of small family wineries based in the Douro, with over a century of Port Wine experience.

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Stomp grapes at Quinta das Aranhas

Now is the time we put you to work. Make sure to have shorts or a suit that you don’t mind getting dirty. We’ll be climbing in a lagar, more info on that soon! 

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BBQ at Toca da Raposa

Today we will have an early dinner served on top of the valley at a very special location. Our dinner will be with a local restaurant that sources all of their foods locally while maintaining family traditions. We’ll be on top of one of their vineyards as we watch the sunset across the valley while dining on assorted grilled meats, eating cor de boi tomatoes, and other local delicacies. This is truly a highlight of the trip.

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Day 4: Oct 1 

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Visit, wine tasting, and lunch at Quinta Costa do Pinhão

This winery has been in the family for 6 generations. It is located by the Pinhão River in the heart of the Cima Corgo sub-region of the Douro Demarcated Region. The vineyards are located at altitudes ranging between 200 meters and 450 meters, with exposure to south-east, south, and south-west, with the best classification of the Demarcated Region, letter A. It has always been a reference winery in the Douro, producing Port wines for the large port wine houses, often integrating its Vintage.

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Private Rabelo Boat Cruise

Relax on a leisurely private cruise along the winding Douro River in a barco rabelo, a majestic wooden sailboat historically used to transport the Port wine barrels from the Douro Valley to the Port Lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia.

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Cooking demo dinner at a local's estate

Join a local family on their estate for a traditional cooking demo and a very delicious regional meal.
Once you arrive you’ll meet the owner, take a tour of the estate, and proceed to the old kitchen where the lit wood-burning oven will be ready for the delicious treats that will be cooked there.
You will experience a short cooking demo by the experienced hands of the estate's cook and you will learn how to make some traditional dishes and finish off your experience by feasting on the dishes and the best local wines from the Tavora Varosa wine region produced by the owners of the estate.

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Dinner can be enjoyed in the dining room by the fireplace, at the old worker's dining room near the kitchen or al fresco, all depending on the weather. 

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Day 5: Oct 2

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Hiking experience with lunch at the Alvão Natural Park or Geres National Park with lunch

This route begins in Ermelo village, close to the parish church. It continues on the main road and then down towards Catrinas, where it crosses the Fervença stream. Here, a long climb to Varzigueto begins. This climb is worth it due to the magnificent landscapes of the Alvão Natural Park and the amazing Fisgas do Ermelo waterfalls, There is access to Piocas de Cima -small ponds of clear water, great for a refreshing plunge. We continue crossing the Olo river towards the viewpoint of Fisgas. Here, Fisgas do Ermelo waterfalls are presented in a different, but also delightful perspective. The route then goes down towards Fojo. The Olo river is crossed by the Abelheira bridge before the route climbs to Ermelo again. On this route, one will go through villages with a rural atmosphere, marked by grazing marshes and schist constructions, typical of this mountain area. It is possible to find Marones cattle grazing often and in higher areas, herd of wild goats are a common presence. It is a route of great beauty but at the same time of greatness unevenness, which makes this a challenging one.

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Day 6: Oct 3 

Visit, wine tasting, and lunch at Aphros Wines

Architect, educator, sculptor, and advocate of the Waldorf educational movement, this winemaker founded his winery on the family estate in Vinho Verde after an unusual encounter with a Buddhist monk. With this event, which he describes as a personal meeting with Dionysus in 2003, he decided to start a wine project in a semi-abandoned estate that has been in his family since the 17th century. The estate is now recognized as a model ecological winery committed to the preservation of its ecosystems including not only vineyards but also entire forests of acacias, oaks, eucalyptus, and old trees, home to wild boars, foxes, and eagles.

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Additional Visit and Wine tasting at Sarava

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Day 7 Oct 4 

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Visit to the gardens of Villar D'Allen followed by lunch

Quinta de Villar dÁllen, officially classified as a Building of Public Interest, is located in the city of Porto, 150 meters from the Palace-hotel "Pousada do Porto. Its 5 gardens were the first to be built in Portugal in the Romantic style. The house , furnished by John Allen in 1839, is a testament to the lifestyle of the great English port wine exporters of the 19th century. 

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Private wine tasting at theLAB

theLAB is an artisanal tasting room located in the heart of historic Porto. Designed by Ryan Opaz, CEO of Catavino Tours and Co-Author of Foot-Trodden: Portugal and the Wines Time Forgot, is an open and dynamic space to explore flavor in all its forms. Our tastings are fully customized to meet the specific needs of every client. When you enter theLAB, you are warmly welcomed into a world of Portugal flavors. Ryan's tastings will infuse you with a profound passion and curiosity for all things Portuguese!

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Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant

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Day 8: Oct 5 Departure Day

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Private transport to the airport

All Gratuities are included. 

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Pricing and Terms and Conditions

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The price per person sharing (Double Occupancy) is €7770.  

Please note this is in EUROS.  Pricing in USD will flex based on the current market at the time of payment.

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A non-refundable planning fee of $100 per booking is due to DPP Travel along with a deposit of €2500 to Cavatino Tours is due at the time of booking.

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Final Payment is due on July 15, 2024

 

Please note the payments are non-refundable per Cavatino Tours Terms and Conditions.  

Travel Protection is HIGHLY recommended.