"For the Famous Port Wine of course" Vila Nova de Gaia by Martin_S.

The history of Vila Nova de Gaia begins and ends with the famous Portugese Port Wine. Originally produced in Oporto (also called Porto), this fortified wine got its name from the town it was produced in. Then at a later period because of high taxes on the port produced IN PORTO, a new town was built to house the production on the oppoisite bank of the river, thus was born Vila Nova de Gaia.
Today it IS the center of production and you can wander for hours through the streets, dropping in at various producers for a taste of their wares.
We visited Croft's and Taylor's, both of which do not charge for tasting. Many of the others do charge a small sum for a tasting and tour.

Vila Nova de Gaia, Port wharehouses, Portugal

This is what some of the wharehouses look like, and there was even a small green spot, but I think the ONLY ONE.

THE PORT at Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal

Well, THIS, is what you are looking for, these barrels of Port wine of different vintages were in the showroom at the Croft facility.

You can find the Vila Nova de Gaia tourist office at:
Avenida Diogo Leite 242
Tel: 22-3773080
www.cm-gaia.pt
email: turismo/vngaia@cm-gaia.pt

• Pros:Excellent place to sample some Port Wine
• Cons:The steep stony streets can be blistering hot
• In a nutshell:History and taste all in the same bottle of Port