At Pipadouro we are constantly seeking to offer and show the best of Douro to those who come to us for their trips in this “wine-growing kingdom”. Therefore, we have prepared a new program for our customers: “A day in the Douro – Quinta do Ventozelo Experience”. At Quinta do Ventozelo we found a true “theater of the senses”, as they describe themselves. A farm rich in history, with the first references dating back to 1288 and an extension that makes it one of the largest in the entire Douro region.
On July 25, we boarded our “Pipadouro II” at our private pier in Pinhão, and headed towards Tua for a quiet ride, contemplating the unique and breathtaking landscape that only the Douro offers, designed by the hands of all the men who built all those schist walls, creating unique terraces, without imagining that, one day, all that work would be recognized as UNESCO World Heritage.
The first part of the trip lasted 1 hour and 30 minutes. During this time we enjoyed a Gin from Quinta do Ventozelo, a cocktail of unique elegance and authenticity and incredible flavor, prepared only with tonic water and juniper berries, following the producer’s suggestion, accompanied by toasted Douro almonds, regional meatballs and moist cavacas from Resende.
When we arrived at Quinta do Ventozelo’s wharf, we took advantage of the pleasant space that the Quinta offers next to the river, but quickly climbed into the jeep that took us to the hotel and, instantly, we were overwhelmed with such a beautiful amphitheater over the Douro. A landscape that deserves to be contemplated without haste, in a moment when feeling the nature that surrounds us is infinite. We had the opportunity to walk around the Quinta and get to know some of its incredible corners before arriving at the Cantina, where a delicious lunch with a pairing of Ventozelo’s wines was waiting for us.
The Cantina do Ventozelo stands out for its sustainable design, favoring products grown on the farm itself and local produce, making this gastronomic experience even more authentic. We started the meal with a delicious selection of starters, accompanied by a monocaste white wine – Quinta do Ventozelo Viosinho – a surprising wine where the fruit is enhanced by its freshness. The main course was roast kid with sausage rice and we can only say that this was one of the best roast kid we have ever eaten, accompanied by Quinta do Ventozelo Blend red wine, a wine rich in fruit, dense and with a long aftertaste, made this meal a moment that will stay for a long time in our memory.
And of course, we finished the meal with an amazing dessert, pudim de Alva, so delicious that we couldn’t stop eating it, if it wasn’t for Quinta do Ventozelo LBV, which once again we have to confess, one of the best we’ve ever tasted, with an incredible maturity and smoothness, a perfect strength of aroma and a soft but intense mouth. By now we were already feeling some nostalgia, as we knew our day was about to end. However, we were excited to know that the return trip would be made again aboard the “Pipadouro II“, a vintage boat full of charm and very cozy.
We returned to the pier, again by jeep, and climbed aboard. The return trip lasted 30 minutes, the perfect time to relax and amidst good laughs and conversations between friends we said goodbye to this “A day in the Douro – Quinta do Ventozelo Experience”.