The Vice-Mayor of the Porto City Council and Councillor for Tourism, Innovation and Leisure, Vladimiro Feliz presided over the 'Best Of Wine Tourism' 2012 awards ceremony that took place in the Dona Maria Room at the Porto City Hall on April 18.
Mr. Feliz highlighted the fact that the “awarded institutions are a guarantee of the quality and excellence of tourism products and services of the tourism destinations and brands Porto, Douro and North of Portugal, adding value to our tourism offer and therefore contributing to the international reinforcement and notoriety of our destination”.
The 2012 winners are:
Architecture and Landscapes: Quinta do Portal
In addition to the local award, Quinta do Portal was named the winner of the 2012 International ‘Best Of’ award in this category in October 2011 in Mainz, Germany.
The cellars of Quinta do Portal were designed by Álvaro Siza, winner of the Pritzker Prize. Its stunning contemporary profile is integrated into the stark beauty of the Douro valley, as most of the winery is built underground. It is also an eco-friendly building, contributing to maximise its energy efficiency. It is a not-to-miss attraction when visiting the Douro valley.
Accommodation: Casa Semarkinhas
Casa Semarquihas is a beautiful 3-bedroom villa in an outstanding setting overlooking the Douro river, 10km from Péso da Regua and 15km from Pinhão. Its architecture and decoration feature local stone from the Douro valley and its lavish furnishings and conveniences guarantee a restful stay.
Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences: Caves Offley
Offley offers wine tourists a range of options; the Classic Tour, the Baron of Forrester Visit, Porto with Tapas, Porto Wine Workshops, the Classic Tour and Quinta do Seixo and the Three Cellar Visit (Offley, Ferreira and Sandeman). Offley welcomes tourists in Portuguese, English, French, German, Spanish and Italian.
Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices: Solar de Merufe
Solar de Merufe is an estate located near Viana do Castelo. It’s a producer of red, white and rosé ‘Vinho Verde’ wines from certified biological vineyards planted to the traditional ‘patamares’ (terrace) system.
About the Great Wine Capitals Global Network
Founded in 1999, the Great Wine Capitals Global Network is an alliance of nine internationally renowned wine regions – Bordeaux, France; Cape Town, South Africa; Christchurch-South Island, New Zealand; Florence, Italy; Mainz-Rheinhessen, Germany; Mendoza, Argentina; Porto, Portugal; Bilbao-Rioja, Spain and San Francisco-Napa Valley, USA. The Best Of Wine Tourism awards serve as an industry benchmark for excellence and recognise leading wineries and wine-tourism related businesses within each Great Wine Capital that have distinguished themselves in areas such as innovation, service and sustainable practices.
For more information visit: greatwinecapitals.com.
Written by Decanter
