For The Love Of Port

Hi all

I am planning a return visit to Porto, mainly to visit all of the port lodges. I would be grateful if anyone could add/amend the following list of lodges:

Thanks in advance

Richard

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Vasconcellas
Ramos Pinto
Grahams
Taylors
Sandeman
Krohn
Ferreira
Offley
Croft
Calem
Burmester
Kopke (shop)
Noval (shop)
Real Companhia Velha

Cockburn - now closed?
Rozes - has a physical presence but no visit available?

Hi Richard,

I envy you and cannot wait to get back myself. The last time I was there was in 2005, and we had a lovely tour of Rozes. They took us into their cellars and let us try a few of their Ports. It would be unfortunate if they no longer do this, since I have very fond memories of that visit.

-- Gary

Can't forget Quevedo's new Lodge. Last time I was there the tasting room was upstairs. Don't know what has changed in the past few months, but I'm sure Oscar Quevedo will be along soon and let us know.

It's not a lodge, but don't pass up a chance to visit Goncalo at the C. da Silva / Dalva shop on the waterfront!

Hello Richard:
I think that is a great idea, and I will try to do the same later this year. The expert would be of course Roy, who is bragging that he has now finally visited all lodges in Gaia...
There are a few lodges that are not really open to the public - but sometimes it's possible to arrange a visit, when you out yourself in an email as port-afficionado (and in my eyes this applies to people that try to visit ALL port lodges...).
There is a nice web-page with all the available lodges: http://www.portoxxi.com/vp/index.php However, it's in Portuguese... but I'm sure you will get the meaning... it has the addresses and the opening hours... If you have any problems, just let me know and I will translate for you whatever you might need.
Looking at your last name, it might be interesting for you to see that OSBORNE is listed, too... But I must confess that I have never visited that lodge - so I can't comment on it...
Another great web-page (and this one is in English...): http://www.cavesvinhodoporto.com/eng_index.html
I haven't yet seen all lodges, but for me the following three are the most interesting places: Graham's, Ferreira and Sandeman. They somehow combine everything that you would expect from an old port wine lodge... The darkness, the smell, the old wood, the whole mood... Later this year the Graham's lodge will have an restaurant, too - I'm sure that this will be absolutely fantastic!!! I really love to go to the restaurant at Taylor's... In the future I will then have the problem that I have to chose if I want to have lunch at Taylor's or Graham's... life will get more difficult...
The new Quevedo lodge is somehow quite the opposite from the traditional lodges... It's in an old, remodeled building, but this is a bright place... I just love to hang out there, to drink a few great ports and chat with friends... This is in my eyes the perfect place to finish a day in Gaia - before you go over the bridge to Porto and to Vinologia...

Nobody's mentioned Niepoort yet.

There are also lodges on the Porto side, they're just hidden better.

Richard Osborne wrote:I am planning a return visit to Porto, mainly to visit all of the port lodges. I would be grateful if anyone could add/amend the following list of lodges:

There are three categories of lodges:

• Lodges that are open to visitors (e.g. Calem, Croft, Ferreira, Graham, etc);
• Lodges that allow visitors by appointment (Cockburn(?), plus a few others that I can't remember);
• Lodges that are not open to visitors, but are visited by guests by invitation/arrangement through a personal contact with the shipper (Dow, Fonseca, Niepoort, etc).

Presumably you are looking for the first, and possibly the second, of these categories?

Two good sources of advice for visiting lodges are Richard Mayson's Port and the Douro and http://www.infoportwine.com >> Round Trip >> Lodges.

I hope you have a good trip