THE DOURO river tells the historic tale of Porto’s wine trade, and the view of the meandering stretch of water is spectacular from my hotel suite. The taxi driver tells me on the drive to The Yeatman, “That’s the best hotel in Porto!” It belongs to the Fladgate Partnership, which owns iconic Port wine brands such as Taylor’s, Croft, Fonseca, and Krohn. In addition to being a five-star institution, the hotel lives to tell Porto’s wine story and is ideally situated by the newly developed World Of Wine (WOW) attraction.
In search of an education in Port wine, I started my journey at Taylor’s for a tour and tasting before heading to the WOW to visit their wine-related museums. The Wine Experience is the perfect activity to do before attending the Wine School, where they offer a guided wine tasting. WOW boasts 12 restaurants, bars, and cafes on-site, so I paid a visit to T&C after hearing they serve a traditional Portuguese francesinha sandwich.
Pool
Upper View
The restaurant’s decor was particularly interesting as tables were built into humongous wine barrels. Each of the restaurants on site offer different cuisines and quirks, making it the ideal spot for drop-in visits or day trips. Following lunch, I took a stroll on WOW’s large terrace, admiring the view of the Ponte Infante Dom Henrique bridge along with others, who sat outdoors sipping coffee.
On a sweeter note, my visit to The Chocolate Story at WOW was an eye-opener into the world of sustainable chocolate, and I toured the full-functioning Vinte Vinte chocolate factory before sitting down to enjoy a chocolate and port tasting. The complexities of port are often overlooked in today’s age, but here it is given the attention it deserves.
To close the trip, I enjoyed some port-based cocktails at WOW’s Angel’s Share bar. The name is a reference to the 1% of port that evaporates in the barrel, and I raised a glass to the angels whilst admiring the skyline of Porto at night.
by Katrina Mirpuri
WOW, A New Cultural District in Porto. Rua do Choupelo 39, 4400-088 Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto, Portugal. Tickets from £24; wow.pt
TAP Air Portugal has two daily departures to Porto from London Gatwick. Prices start at £76 return including all taxes. For further information visit tapagents.com