Travel to Portugal

Porto

Much is made of the contrast and rivalry between Porto and Lisbon - 'Lisbon shows off, while Porto works' - and the two port cities are the centre of the urban and commercial life of the country. Giving its name to the nation, Porto dates from Roman times, prospering during the age of Portugal's overseas expansion as explorers and adventurers sailed to South America, Africa and Asia and its city merchants developed the lucrative wine trade with England in the seventeenth century. With a typical 'work hard, play hard' port atmosphere, Porto makes an excellent base to explore the beautiful Duoro valley. In the city itself attractions include the Praça da Liberdade, the fortress-like Sé cathedral and port tasting at the wine lodges south of the river in Vila Nova de Gaia. Porto enjoys some lively eating and drinking - the local delicacy is tripe - and you can sample 100s of varieties of port wine at the upmarket Solar do Vinho do Porto. There's a thriving club scene too, though many are situated outside the centre. Take a night bus. Within easy reach of the city is the pleasant coastal resort of Viana do Castelo and the beautiful Minho valley.

Oporto - Cheers!

Port wine, also known as Oporto or Vinho do Porto, is a sweet fortified wine, original from Douro Valley in the northern part of Portugal. It is produced with grapes from the Douro region, fortified with distilled grape spirits, and stored in caves in Vila Nova de Gaia. The drink was named Vinho do Porto in the second half of the 17th century when it was first sold in the city of Porto. It is richer, heavier and with higher alcohol content than other wines, due to it´s fermentation process.
Commonly served as a dessert wine, along with cheese, some classes of Port wine, such as White and Tawny, are served as "apéritif".
This exquisite wine is sored in wooden casks that breathe, permitting the fine aging of the port wine.