Porto and Douro Valley Festival

IWFS Europe Africa are delighted to invite members from around the world to join an exceptional festival organised by IWFS in conjunction with Grape Escapes and celebrating the wines, food and culture of Porto and the Douro Valley in Portugal.

The tour features two nights in Porto – the city that gave Portugal (and the celebrated wine) its name - followed by two nights in the heart of the Douro Valley, home to some of the World’s oldest vineyards, before returning to Porto for a final night with a gala dinner at a Port Lodge.

In Porto we will be based at the 5* Cenica Porto Hotel, part of the Hilton Curio Collection, while in the Douro we will stay at the 5* Quinta São Jose do Barrilario – a wine hotel and spa - where we have secured a very advantageous rate not available to the general public and have built the cost of this hotel stay into the price of the festival.  

In Porto we will visit two well-known Port Lodges including Calem and take a “Progressive 4-Course Lunch” private tour through the historic city.  On the way to the Douro, we will taste Vinho Verde (“green” or fresh wine) at the award-winning Quinta de Santa Cristina and Quinta de Raza.  We will then focus on the Cima Corgo sub-region of the Douro, enjoying a tasting at Quinta de la Rosa and at the spectacular Quinta das Carvalhas, and a tremendous 11-course dinner at the Michelin-recommended DOC restaurant near Lamego.  As we head back towards Porto, via the Baixa Corgo sub-region, we will enjoy a tasting while we cruise on the Douro River.  We will also visit the historic Quinta Casa Amarela, situated in an area classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the 300-year-old Quinta da Pacheca.

There is an initial limit of 40 participants for this festival. Registration has now been launched on the website and includes a waitlist facility for those who cannot register.  Log into the website using the registration link in the box below for details of costs and registration.

The festival cost is £3,065 (single members £3,350, non-member guests £3,140) and includes all the events, as well as coach travel during the festival.  Payment in GBP by direct bank transfer to the IWFS Europe Africa GBP bank in the UK with all bank transfer costs paid by the payee will be reduced by £70 to £2,995 (single members £3,280, non-member guests £3,070).

Travel costs to and from the festival and hotel costs in Porto are not included in the above festival cost (note as above that the 2-night stay in the Douro Valley is included in the cost). All bookings for the Cenica Porto hotel (along with any upgrade requests for the Quinta São Jose do Barrilario) must be made through Grape Escapes (contact: rachel@grapeescapes.net / kyra@grapeescapes.net or +44 1920 468 666). Costs and room types are shown on the registration page. The type of room should be discussed with Grape Escapes and will be on a “first come, first served” basis. Please make your hotel arrangements as soon as possible after registering for the festival. 

We are able to leave luggage with Cenica Porto for a small fee. Please also discuss this with Rachel Garrod at Grape Escapes if you wish to add this on.

Throughout the festival, the coach will start from and return to our hotel, and we will have the benefit of an English-speaking guide.