However multifaceted Oporto has become, it hasn't forgotten its vinicultural roots. The Alto Douro wine region is itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and 2006 marked its 250th anniversary as a demarcated wine region, making it the oldest designated wine region in the world. A trip upriver — be it by boat, car or helicopter — reveals a landscape of steep hills terraced into vineyards and dotted with centuries-old quintas, as the wineries are called, most of which are open to the public.
At the historic Quinta da Pacheca all grapes are pressed by foot in old granite tanks, and visitors are invited to join in during the harvest in September and October.
The nearby Hotel Vintage House, with its sweeping views of the river and terraced hillsides, is worth checking out for lunch, or better yet checking in overnight. Bookings for harvest time should be made well in advance, though. The hotel director, Paulo Teixeira de Carvalho, said: "That is when everyone wants to come. The whole valley is one huge party."
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