Vineyards – Maldo Travels https://www.maldotravels.com Travel - Learn - Share Thu, 28 Apr 2022 00:34:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://www.maldotravels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Favicon-Black.png Vineyards – Maldo Travels https://www.maldotravels.com 32 32 Douro Valley – Famous Wine Country https://www.maldotravels.com/europe/douro-valley-famous-wine-country/ https://www.maldotravels.com/europe/douro-valley-famous-wine-country/#respond Wed, 02 Sep 2020 17:01:48 +0000 http://54.211.235.180/?p=22106

There are many tours available online and one of the most popular ones are the river cruises with wine tours. We mainly wanted to go for a wine tasting and having been before in Argentina, I remember a visit to a single winery being enough and that it was cheaper buying directly with the winery. After some online research, we decided to go to a winery in Peso da Régua which was a popular spot. We were staying at Canas de Senhorim and it was only a 1-hour 10-minute drive. From Porto, it’s a slightly longer 1-hour 20-minute drive. Although Porto has several agencies offering a range of Douro Valley tours which may be more convenient.

After looking up wineries in Peso da Régua, we decided to go with Quinta da Pacheca. They had reasonable prices for the wine tasting tours with an English speaking guide. Our wine tour was scheduled for 3 PM so we set out at around 12.30 PM. The drive itself is very scenic as it crosses mountains and valleys along winding roads. There are several parking options available in the town although the ones by the river tend to fill up quickly. We managed to find a spot by the river and then went for a walk along the riverside. The landscape views here are incredible as you get to see the terraced vineyards on the slopes of the banks on the other side of the river. The river cruises stop/depart from the banks of this river. The large cruises had already set out but there was a small boat that offered a 50-minute river tour for 10 EUR1. We walked around the hilly town for a bit before getting back in the car to cross the river to get to our wine tour.

Quinta de Pacheca has a large complex with vineyards, buildings for winemaking, and a hotel with unique barrel rooms. When we got there, we went sure where the tour began so we went to the hotel reception to ask and they directed us to a building further down the road. The wine tour started promptly and to start with, everyone had to walk through a disinfection barrel that sprays a mist as you walk through. The guide then first took us to the vineyards and gave us some information on how the grapes are grown and the different types of grapes used. Next, we headed into a building where they prepare the harvested grapes. There are large stone deposits where the grapes are kept in and stirred to get the juice from the grapes. The guide told us that during the harvest season, they offer an experience for visitors to collect grapes and then step on them barefoot which was the traditional method. We then continue down some steps to the storage room where the barrels are kept. The guide explains how the wine is stored and aged in this room. After this, we then head outside for the wine tasting. We got to try 5 wines in total; 2 Reds, 1 White, and 2 Ports. The guide explains how each wine was made as he pours them out. We’re also given a menu with a list of the wines and prices for anyone wanting to buy. I enjoyed the Ports and ended up getting 2 bottles to take home. After the tasting, we’re free to roam around the area to take pictures.

We were done at around 5 PM and we decided to cross the river back to Peso da Régua to see if we could get on the river tour we saw earlier. The last one was scheduled to leave at 6 PM so we went into a cafe to wait until then. We were pretty tired so ended up staying at the cafe for a bit longer rather than going on the river tour. At around 6.30 we then went back to the car to head back to Canas de Senhorim.

]]> https://www.maldotravels.com/europe/douro-valley-famous-wine-country/feed/ 0 Mendoza – Bodegazo (Wine) Tour https://www.maldotravels.com/south-america/mendoza-bodegazo-wine-tour/ https://www.maldotravels.com/south-america/mendoza-bodegazo-wine-tour/#respond Wed, 03 Oct 2018 21:20:14 +0000 http://54.211.235.180/?p=5317

We arrived at the Mendoza bus terminal at around 5 PM from Valparaiso, Chile. From there, it was a 30-minute walk to our hostel near Plaza San Martin. Being unable to get cash out at the terminal’s ATM for a taxi and without internet access to get an Uber, we ended up walking to our hotel. On the way, we passed a shop that was selling promotional SIM cards for a budget network operator called Tuenti. In this offer, the chip was free for a top-up of 50 ARS2 which included 1 GB of internet for 1 week. Since we were only planning to be in Argentina for a couple of days, this was a bargain. After we checked into our hostel and dropped off our bags, we headed into the city center to look for tours. It was around 7 PM and we found that several tour agencies had already closed. We managed to find 2 that were still open but were closing soon at 8 PM. We also found that some tours were only available on certain days, so our only options were a Bodegazo (wine) tour or a gaucho tour. We had 2 days in Mendoza, and on one of those days, we wanted to go to the Cacheuta Thermal Baths. Since they didn’t have a tour for our dates, the sales rep said we could head there on our own by public transport. With that in mind, we decided to do a wine tour the next day and go to the thermal baths by public transport on our last day. There was a half-day and full-day wine tour and we chose the full-day which cost 950 ARS each. There’s a 4 percent charge if you use a credit card so it’s better if you have cash.

Bodegazo Tour

It’s a late morning start with the tour minibus picking us up at our hostel at around 10.30 AM. After picking up other groups, we headed to our first bodega (winery) – Bodega Lopez – arriving there at around 11.15 AM. The bodega guide was finishing up with another tour, and whilst waiting, we were told we could walk around the small museum. They have several vehicles and equipment used in the fields on display. Once the bodega guide was done, we were taken on a tour starting in the storage room making our way through to the distillery and bottling rooms. Throughout the tour, the guide explains the ingredients, their processes, and the equipment they use. The tour then ends in the basement with a wine tasting. The guide shows everyone the proper way to taste the wine before getting everyone to repeat drinking rhymes before tasting. There’s a spit bucket available if you want but everyone just drinks it. Once the wine tasting is done, we go upstairs to the store for anyone who would like to purchase some wine bottles.

The next stop is a 15-minute drive away at Bodega Familia Cecchin. This is a smaller bodega where they grow their produce organically. We’re taken around quickly and then into a warehouse for the wine tasting. Again the bodega’s guide shows you how to drink the wine properly and then it’s onto the store for anyone wanting to buy. This one was a much quicker visit before heading to Bodega Vistandes for lunch. This bodega has an onsite restaurant where we have lunch. This is followed by a wine tasting in a separate building. This bodega is surrounded by vineyards with a view of the Andes in the distance. After the wine tasting and a browse through the store, we were taken to Pasrai Olive Oil Factory. The guide in this tour takes us through the factory and talks about the process of making olive oil. They also said that they make raisins and other dried fruits. The tour ends with an olive oil tasting and trying out some of their other products. We visit one more winery and end the tour in a lady’s home who makes alcoholic beverages. One of the interesting drinks there was absinthe and she prepares it the proper way by setting it on fire with some sugar. The tour bus then drops everyone off at their hotels or near the Plaza Independencia. Overall, it was an interesting experience but if you’re not too fond of wines, then the half-day tour is probably enough.

]]> https://www.maldotravels.com/south-america/mendoza-bodegazo-wine-tour/feed/ 0