Closely linked to Port wine, the «Douro » valley has been bringing life tothe entire northern Portugal region.

Auspicious to its discovery,grape-picking season in the fall is thepromise of a palatable journey in aregion listed in the World Heritage.

Portugal : cheers to Douro.Photos and text ©Marc Dozier/LightMediation

Contact - Thierry Tinacci - LightMediation Photo Agency +33 (0)6 61 80 57 21 thierry@lightmediation.com

1841-33: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, Joao da Silvar participates to Quinta da Eira Velha harvest, a domain looking onto the Douro valley

1841-01: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, the Quinta da EiraVelha, Joao da Silva, a harvester

1841-02: Portugal, Douro Valley, Vila Nova de Gaia, Calem esplanade, D. Tonho restaurant looking ontothe Douro river and Cais de Ribeira historical district, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO

1841-03: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Barca da Alva, seen fromCandedo, the rivers Agueda et Douro

1841-04: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, SéCathdral, the Gothic cloister, azulejos representing scenes from the Song of Songs and the

1841-36: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Cais de Ribeira historical district, Formosa street, A Perola do Bolhao grocer's shop, Art Deco facade (1910)

1841-05: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Caisde Ribeira historical district seen from Vila Nova de Gaia, Arrabida bridge in the background

1841-06: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, each Saturday afternoon atrain commutes between Peso da Régua and Tua

1841-07: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, SaoFrancisco church, the nave, Portuguese Baroque architecture

1841-08: Portugal, Douro Valley, Pinhao, the train station, azulejos illustrate harvesting traditions of theDouro Valley

1841-35: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Cais de Ribeira historical district seen from Vila Nova de Gaia, Arrabida bridge in the background

1841-09: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Caisde Ribeira historical district, rabelos on the Douro river

1841-10: Portugal, Douro Valley, Valença do Douro, Laura Alvos participates to the harvests organized byQuinta de Panascal

1841-11: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, terraced vineyardson the slope of the Douro Valley

1841-12: Portugal, Douro Valley, Peso da Régua, Casa do Douro, Porto institute headquarters, modernstained-glass window by Lino Antonio, illustrating the story and making of the local wines

1841-40: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, terraced vineyards on the slope of the Douro Valley

1841-13: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, Vintage House hotel,the rabelo proposes mini-cruises on the river Douro between Pinhao and Tua, piloted by captain Tomas

1841-14: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Caisde Ribeira historical district seen from Vila Nova de Gaia

1841-15: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Vila Nova de Gaia, facingPorto, rabelos belonging to the Vila Nova de Gaia cellars and Cais de Ribeira historical district in the

1841-16: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, SaoFrancisco church, the nave, Portuguese Baroque architecture

1841-10: Portugal, Douro Valley, Valença do Douro, Laura Alvos participates to the harvests organized byQuinta de Panascal

1841-29: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, Joao da Silva andAntero Cardoso participate to Quinta da Eira Velha harvest, a domain looking onto the Douro valley

1841-17: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Caisde Ribeira historical district seen from Vila Nova de Gaia, Arrabida bridge in the background

1841-18: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, amber-coloured bottle of 1953 Royal Oporto Porto

1841-19: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Vila Nova de Gaia, quinta deFerreira, Porto tasting

1841-20: Portugal, Douro Valley, Pinhao, Vintage House hotel, vintage Porto bottles

1841-03: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Barca da Alva, seen from Candedo, the rivers Agueda et Douro

1841-21: Portugal, Douro Valley, hôtel Vintage House, barman Joaquim Cruz opens an exceptionalvintage Porto bottle by thermic shock so as to not waken up the wine and bring new sediments

1841-22: Portugal, Douro Valley, Pinhao, the train station, azulejos illustrate harvesting traditions of theDouro Valley

1841-23: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Valença do Douro, LauraAlvos participates to the harvests organized by Quinta de Panascal

1841-24: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Caisde Ribeira historical district seen from Vila Nova de Gaia, Arrabida bridge in the background

1841-25: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Santa Clara church, built in 1416

1841-25: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, SantaClara church, built in 1416

1841-26: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, the Quinta da EiraVelha, Joao da Silva, a harvester

1841-27: Portugal, Douro Valley, Lamego, Nossa Sehora dos remedios chruch and his stair of 686 steps 1841-28: Portugal, Douro Valley, Vila Nova de Fos Côa, Georges Dominguez with his cheeps

1841-08: Portugal, Douro Valley, Pinhao, the train station, azulejos illustrate harvesting traditions of the Douro Valley

1841-29: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, Joao da Silva andAntero Cardoso participate to Quinta da Eira Velha harvest, a domain looking onto the Douro valley

1841-30: Portugal, vallée du Douro, Porto, centre historique classé Patrimoine Mondial de l' UNESCO,place General Humberto Delgado, la mairie

1841-31: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, SantaClara church, built in 1416

1841-32: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Mesao Frio, the PousadaSolar da Rede, a former 18th century palace transformed into a hotel

1841-13: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, Vintage House hotel, the rabelo proposes mini-cruises on the river Douro between Pinhao and Tua, piloted by captain Tomas Maia

1841-33: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, Joao da Silvarparticipates to Quinta da Eira Velha harvest, a domain looking onto the Douro valley

1841-34: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Caisde Ribeira historical district seen from Vila Nova de Gaia, Arrabida bridge in the background

1841-35: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Caisde Ribeira historical district seen from Vila Nova de Gaia, Arrabida bridge in the background

1841-36: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Caisde Ribeira historical district, Formosa street, A Perola do Bolhao grocer's shop, Art Deco facade (1910)

1841-37: Portugal, Douro Valley, Vila Réal, Solar de Mateus manor, Baroque Portuguese Baroquearchitecture of the 18th century, the library

1841-38: Portugal, Douro Valley, Vila Nova de Gaia, Ferreira cellar, cellarman Francisco Paulo PereiraPinto

1841-39: Portugal, Douro Valley, Pinhao, the train station, azulejos illustrate harvesting traditions of theDouro Valley

1841-40: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, terraced vineyards onthe slope of the Douro Valley

1841-38: Portugal, Douro Valley, Vila Nova de Gaia, Ferreira cellar, cellarman Francisco Paulo Pereira Pinto

1841-41: Portugal, Douro Valley, Vila Nova de Fos Côa, the archaeological park of the Côa Valley,classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Stone Age stone engravings

1841-42: Portugal, Douro Valley, Lamego, Santa Cruz monastery

1841-43: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Caisde Ribeira historical district, Santa Clara church, Portuguese Baroque architecture

1841-44: Portugal, Douro Valley, Pinhao, hôtel Vintage House, a lounge

1841-45: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, in frontof the Sé Cathedral, a sculpted pilar dated 1945

1841-46: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, Joao da Silva andAntero Cardoso participate to Quinta da Eira Velha harvest, a domain looking onto the Douro valley

1841-47: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, Cais de Ribeira historical district, rabelos on the Douro river 1841-48: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Mesao Frio, the PousadaSolar da Rede, a former 18th century palace transformed into a hotel

1841-15: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Vila Nova de Gaia, facing Porto, rabelos belonging to the Vila Nova de Gaia cellars and Cais de Ribeira historical district in the background

1841-49: Portugal, Douro Valley, Peso da Régua, Casa do Douro, Porto institute headquarters, modernstained-glass window by Lino Antonio, illustrating the story and making of the local wines

1841-50: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, SaoFrancisco church, the nave, Portuguese Baroque architecture

1841-51: Portugal, Douro area, Casa de Mateus on Vila Real

Portugal :cheers toDouro.

With its Northern Portugal vine paintedhills, the wine valley of Douro is ground tothe most famous wines of the Iberianpeninsula: Port wine. Everywhere, theearth boasting terraces bears the deepand regular marks of the work of man andits perseverance to draw this famous drinkexported by the namesake town. Today,these one of a kind modeled landscapesare part of the High Drouo wine country, asite listed since 2001 as World Heritageknown as being since the 17th century thefirst worldwide trademarked region.

Sheltered from the cold and humid windsof the Atlantic by the Marão andMontemuro mountains, the dissociatedarea has always enjoyed a microclimateguaranteeing sun and heat, The imminentgrape-picking season in the fall reveals allthe beauties of the undulating groundsand the perseverance of its men that givesbirth to this well known beverage. In thequintas, traditional wineries, the wine isgleefully foot pressed and visitors arewelcomed to be initiated to the secrets ofthis beverage's production: from the handpicking to the bottling and tasting. Onceupon a time, the Port wine filled vats wereconveyed in small flat-bottom boats, therabelos, down the impetuous « golden »river, the Drouo, which stretched along thevalley on eight hundred kilometers beforemerging into the Atlantic Ocean. To thisday, once in the seaside town of Porto,these vats end their fermentation in thefresh storehouses of Vila Nova de Gaia.

Open to the public, the cellars allow tocontinue discovering the process of winemaking and to savor the sweet tastes ofPorto upon completing the visit.

The shaded shores of the cellars face thesun drenched historical neighborhood ofCais de Ribeira and its remarkable coloredmedieval facades. From its steep heights,the old city listed as World Heritage since1996, proudly displays its baroquemonuments, Portuguese architecture at itsprime: the golden church of SaoFransisco, the unobstructed city view fromthe Clerigos tower or the magnificentgothic cloister of the Sé orné d'azulejosCathedral. The city of Porto owes it all toPort Wine and to the Drouo Valley where itbegins. It knows and respects it. Oporto,"the port" gives the river a last homagefrom its 6 bridges thrown towards VilaNova de Gaia, impressive guard of honorsuspended above the waters. Celebrating,as the great national poet Miguel Torgawrites it, that the Drouo is indeed this"prodigal landscape that ceases to existfor lack of balance. (...) A geologicalpoem. An absolute beauty."

Captions.

1841-04: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as WorldHeritage by UNESCO, Sé Cathdral, the Gothic cloister, azulejosrepresenting scenes from the Song of Songs and the Metamorphoses byOvid

1841-13: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO,Pinhao, Vintage House hotel, the rabelo proposes mini-cruises on the riverDouro between Pinhao and Tua, piloted by captain Tomas Maia

1841-15: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO,Vila Nova de Gaia, facing Porto, rabelos belonging to the Vila Nova de Gaiacellars and Cais de Ribeira historical district in the background

1841-21: Portugal, Douro Valley, hôtel Vintage House, barman JoaquimCruz opens an exceptional vintage Porto bottle by thermic shock so as tonot waken up the wine and bring new sediments

1841-29: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO,Pinhao, Joao da Silva and Antero Cardoso participate to Quinta da EiraVelha harvest, a domain looking onto the Douro valley

1841-46: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO,Pinhao, Joao da Silva and Antero Cardoso participate to Quinta da EiraVelha harvest, a domain looking onto the Douro valley