16-10-2020
The magnificent Douro Valley with Six Senses Douro Valley. The resort is a perfect starting point to discover one of the most beautiful wine regions in the world. October is the perfect season to do so. Here are our recommendations...
It's a fantastic season, the best of the year, to enjoy a few days in the Douro Valley, one of the most beautiful wine regions in the world, a Unesco world heritage, a pride for Portugal, an Eden for lovers of wine, nature, fine food and tranquillity. Very cheap flights, Covid-19 under control (it has never hit the north of the country too hard, there are no restrictions for tourists coming or going), nice weather, vineyards – some 45'000 hectares – at the end of the harvest: you can participate in many activities connected with the harvest of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Cao, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Rabigato, Codega, Malvasia Fina, Malvasia Rei, Carrega Branco, just to mention the most precious grape varieties… In other words, this is an ideal setting, even if only for a short break or a long weekend of absolute pleasure. For the palate, of course.
A view of Douro
Confeitaria da Ponte and its exceptional pastries, in Amarante
Confeitaria da Ponte overlooks – with a nice dehors – the Tâmega, the longest tributary of the Douro river, that is to say the backbone of this magical wine valley; it is born under the name of Duero in Spain, in the province of Soria, in the autonomous community of Castiglia y León; then with its 897 km (it's the third longest river of the peninsula) it covers 572 km in Spain, marks the border with Portugal for as many as 112 km, while its 213 km Portuguese stretch is the subject of our interest.
Amarante is only 45 minutes from Porto and as many from Six Senses Douro Valley, our destination and marvellous base to visit the region. It's an estate from the 19th century, beautifully renovated and converted into a hotel in 2007. It's on a hill overlooking the vineyards of the valley and the river below. It's a high standard hospitality place – we're not in high season now, the prices are very reasonable– and it's part of the Six Senses group, based in Thailand, which includes 16 5-star hotels and resorts in Asia and Europe, with a location also in the Seychelles, so also in Africa.
The Six Senses Douro Valley surrounded by nature
This place is a dream, with splendid woods and wide landscapes. The area has some 3,500 protected botanical species, hence the Six Senses Douro Valley protects and makes available to its guests a wood of 4 hectares, with the commitment of safeguarding the environment, with organic gardens and naturalistic paths.
The 60 rooms, all finely designed, are the perfect starting point to visit the surrounding area, perhaps on board one of the many boats that run down the river. However, we have also discovered many other things. Like the cuisine of executive chef Marc Lorés Panadés, born in Lleida, Catalonia, 36, who trained in iconic Spanish restaurants (elBulli, Mugaritz) and then left for a trip around the world to Austria, England, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, Bali… His cuisine is based on products, with few ingredients, and is very contemporary; a celebration of the region, with many products coming from the surroundings and especially from the three vegetable gardens within the estate, which guarantee a supply of delicious vegetable and aromatic herbs throughout the year.
The executive chef Marc Lorés Panadés
The dishes are therefore an ode to nature and seasonality; we liked the light touch of the chef very much, his culinary intelligence that blends the local products with his Spanish training. For instance, his Calamari and rice, that is to say “almost a paella”, crunchy and very tasty, was exceptional, enhanced by the aroma of the juice of carabineiro and coriander: a great dish. The same goes for the Smoked papaya with ginger oil, coconut and chilli pepper, a clear memory of his past in Thailand where he also met his wife, who drew him to a vegetarian choice, hence his special liking for vegetables.
As for the meat, his Rubia gallega (matured 40 days) with quenelle of roasted carrots and courgettes, is a masterpiece of taste and products; it's the last savoury dish in a menu that then includes an original tiramisu. Marc won the Negrini Creative Cuisine award at Madrid Fusión, in 2012, with a Paisaje terroso de tiramisù, that is to say Landscape of tiramisu in which he gave his take on the famous Italian dessert in different ways, with burrata gelato; an original inspiration that led to Woods of mushrooms, which he presented in the same contest four years later, and we tasted at Six Senses: a sort of tiramisu, with zabaglione with Porto, pumpkin, cream of shiitake, hazelnut caramel.
Calamari and rice
Smoked papaya with ginger oil, coconut and chilli pepper
Rubia gallega with quenelle of roasted carrots and courgettes
Wood of mushrooms
Fantastic breakfast at the Six Senses
The indoor swimming pool
Wine tasting
Casa de Mateus
Quinta do Bomfim
The cellar
This quinta (which means “estate”, in English) of some 100 hectares belongs, since 1912 to the Symingtons, market leaders, who also own other famous brands like Graham, Dow's, Warre's, Cockburn's or Vesuvio. Today 30% of its production is dedicated to red wines, a growing sector which started only around 30 years ago; the larger market instead is always destined to the wines of Porto, in its typical varieties. During harvest time, visitors of Quinta do Bomfim can view the lively activity in the lagares, large pressing tanks in granite, from a special panoramic platform. The experience ends with a guided tasting that can culminate, as in our case, with a Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Porto 1995, extraordinary notes, huge body, delicious aromas of cassis balanced by strong tannins, a fantastic show of power and finesse.
A sort of super-concentrate of the emotions that the Douro Valley bestows.
THE LOCATIONS
Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso
An outdoor trip or a journey to the other side of the planet? One thing is for sure: the destination is delicious, by Carlo Passera
by
journalist born in 1974, for many years he has covered politics, mostly, and food in his free time. Today he does exactly the opposite and this makes him very happy. As soon as he can, he dives into travels and good food. Identità Golose's editor in chief
José Avillez is the most important representative of the Portuguese culinary scene, with many restaurants scattered around Lisbon (and beyond) among which the great, great, great Belcanto stands out