Solar do Vinho do Porto — Attraction in Lisbon

I researched this location as s good location to taste many different types and brands of Port wine (Porto). I wanted to find a few bottles to bring home and wanted something local and unique. We walked all the way from our cruise ship and when we walked in, it was empty even though two big cruise ships were in town. The gentlemen behind the counter was clearly not busy, yet, did everything he could to not help us. When I asked about ways to taste, he dropped a menu book in front of me and walked away. Everything was by the glass (no flights or tasting), which would have been fine for us, but I didn't see any vintages by glass (I learned later from a very nice and helpful person at a little store that vintages should be drank within 24 hours or they oxidize).

When I asked about vintages by glass the gentlemen acted like I had just used a profane word. He could have explained about the 24 hours. Since he was clearly not going to help us, I asked to buy one glass of a VLB, Tawny 20 yr, 30 yr, 40 yr and a Ruby. He just got ruder and ruder, basically saying we had to pick a glass, not many. Not sure why it matter since I would be paying for them all.

After 20 minutes wasted with him, we walked out. A whole morning in Lisbon wasted. For a business run by the government meant to promote Port, a critical product to the economy, this one makes we never want to return to Lisbon.

I would never go to this business again and wish there was a way to bill them for the half day I lost to their incompetence and arrogance. I should have listened to the reviews here that shared the same...

Very nice room, but disappointing service and not nearly the selection of ports expected, given this place is run by the IVDP. There is an OK selection of LBV by the glass, and a pretty good selection of tawnys by the glass (10y, 20y, 30y, 40y, and colheitas nothing older than 1995), but not a single vintage port by the glass! Surely they could open a few each day, even if only pretty ordinary ones. Under better management this could be a great place, and I would have happily spent much more. I had a MUCH better port tasting, 7 glasses including 3 vintage ports, and lots of discussion with the owner, at a wine bar just beside the entrance to...

I read about this place in my travel guide and decided to go there to try some port wine. Unfortunately it was totally disappointing. There is basically no professional guidance/service, but rather a self service in a vending machine to get a very small and too expensive shot of port wine. In other wine bars a couple of metres away you get triple the amount for the price..

I definitely do not...