Douro region gains complex that exalts local wine and history

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Portuguese city of 304 thousand inhabitants separated from Porto by the famous Douro river, Vila Nova de Gaia has hosted important parts of the local history. Through successive wars —from the French invasion, in 1807, to the civil war that opposed the brothers D. Miguel and D Pedro 4º (1st in Brazil), in 1832—, the municipality was a rearguard for the soldiers, largely due to the monastery of Pilar Mountain.

Part of the memory of another important factor in Portuguese history is also written there: Port wine. It is to Gaia, as the locals say, that the drink produced in the Douro is transported to be aged, bottled and exported. The function is due to the milder and more humid climate, a consequence of the proximity to the Atlantic.

The two factors — national history and wine — give meaning to the newborn WoW (World of Wine), a project that is gaining traction as the Covid pandemic cools down in Portugal, one of the most vaccinated countries in the world. world, and allows the return of tourists.

Located a few minutes’ walk from the banks of the Douro and the D. Luís 1º bridge, which facilitates mobility for those who are staying or who want to enjoy the historic center of Porto, the cultural quarter brings together seven museums, 12 restaurants, a wine school and a main square.

The themes of the museums go through what is most important to be valued in the district of Porto, where at least 25,000 Brazilians live. They talk about the history of wine, the textile and cork industries, chocolate and the region itself. With technological and didactic resources, they become attractive to different age groups.

There is also space for two museums with a curious proposal: one that tells the history of humanity through the evolution of glasses and another – this one clearly focused on the instagrammable era – dedicated to rosé wine.

As if the presence of Port wine on the table and in museums were not enough, the drink is, in a way, on the walls: the complex was built in what were once wine warehouses in Gaia. Before the block, the historic center had around 30 warehouses, which were later moved to nearby areas. Tourism played a role in driving the industry away, but there was also a public incentive for trucks transporting wine to stop circulating in the narrow streets.

Tickets to visit the museums range from €20 to €25 (R$115 to R$145) for adults and €8.50 for children aged four to 12 years. Children under three years old do not pay the entrance fee. It is possible to buy family packages or visits to two or three museums, which makes the price cheaper. Purchased online, tickets are valid for six months after purchase.

With the proposal to expand knowledge about wine, there is also a school about the drink. There is no issuance of professional certificates, of course — after all, the workshops last, on average, an hour. But there, you can learn about the characteristics of the drink, how to pair it with chocolate, or the history of Portuguese wine regions, for prices ranging from €25 to €50.

In the restaurants, the local fishing culture is present, with dishes such as the traditional cod or cataplana —a recipe with the fish of the day, mussels, potatoes and coriander that takes the name of the container in which it is served—, and local dishes from Porto. like the francesinha — a sandwich filled with meat, cheese, egg and whose secret is in the sauce.

The weight in the pocket changes if the visitor wants to stay a 5-minute walk from WoW, at The Yeatman, a luxury leisure hotel in Porto. With 109 rooms and suites, the venue, which opened in 2010, wants to act as a kind of embassy for Portuguese wine: there are more than 100 partner producers, each naming a suite, and a cellar with around 30,000 bottles. The daily rate varies from €235 to €2,400 per adult.

The two ventures are under the umbrella of the same holding company, the British The Fladgate Partnership (TFP), founded by one of the pioneer families in the production of wine in the Porto region. Those involved​ detail that, in addition to the obvious desire to expand the business, at the heart of WoW was the objective of diversifying the average tourist stay by offering more interconnected wine tourism attractions.

Other factors that came into the balance were the temperate climate and the proximity to the sea, which provide rain throughout the year, which made the need for a project that offered activities not dependent on weather conditions urgent. In summer or winter —when the report was on site—, the visitor is not faced with the decision to give up something due to the temperatures.

It worked, according to some of the 100 or so workers at The Yeatman: since WoW opened, even with the health crisis, the average length of stay of guests has grown. Considered of national interest, the project also received investment from the European Union (EU) during the construction phase.

Also there, a few steps away, in WoW, is the visitor center of Taylor’s, one of the main producers of Port wine and the oldest company of the TFP holding. With dozens of barrels, or barrels, some with 18th century wood —part of which came from Brazil, the Brazilian tourist deduces—, where tens of thousands of liters of wine are stored, the stages of production of the drink are understood.

Questioned, the local team says there is a commitment to climate change mitigation —Portugal saw a third of its territory in extreme drought at the end of January due to lack of rain; in 2017, the source of the Douro river dried up. One of the techniques used is the construction of sloping terraces to alleviate soil erosion in the wineries, in addition to not irrigating the plantation.

Reducing the carbon footprint of bottle recycling and wine transport is still a challenge for the sector, which is already witnessing the impacts caused by increasingly unstable climate seasons. “We want businesses to be profitable, but also sustainable, so that suppliers can continue their family productions”, he tells sheet one of those involved.

The journalist traveled at the invitation of WoW – World of Wine

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