On the slopes of the Douro you can see the first signs of what will eventually become Port Wine.
After the harvest, grapes are carried on boats — the famous Rabelos, — to the other bank of the Douro: Vila Nova de Gaia, where the aging and maturation process begins. Here, you will find the cellars, the temples and stories of Porto’s most famous wine.
Did you know that the wine is can only be known as “Port Wine” if grown and harvested in the region defined in 1756 by the Marquis of Pombal and aged in Gaia’s cellars?
![The cellars and the wine]( "The cellars and the wine")
The cellars and the wine
The 15 cellars found in Gaia are open to the public all year round, allowing visits, tasting and purchase of the region’s most famous wine.
When in town, you may visit the cellars, explore over seven million litres of wine stored in a single space or discover the differences between a tawny and a ruby or between a vintage and an LBV wine.
The oldest house — Casa Croft, dating from the 16th Century — is a mandatory stop in your visit. But you should also check out other iconic cellars such as Caves Taylor’s (founded in 1693), Caves Ferreira (where your visit is accompanied by classical music), Caves Ramos Pinto (covered in thematic decorative tiles) and Caves Real Companhia Velha (this particular cellar was largely responsible for the definition of the local wine region).