Graham's Port Lodge — Attraction in Vila Nova de Gaia

Nuno Silva

Hello , I am Nuno. Welcome to the Douro Valley Tour.

You might wonder why such an introduction, but that is how my wife and I and many others met Nuno for the first time.

On an early September morning, we began what would become more than just a day tour of the Douro Valley. From the moment we met with Nuno, we knew we were on a journey throughout history, local culture and tradition of the heartbeat of northern Portugal, the making of wine. In his sharing about the region, it was as if you were there working alongside the winemaker, day after day walking among the vines caring and pruning them. Then celebrating the harvest, seeing the fruit of the labor.

With numerous years of touring the valley, Nuno's passion for revealing the marvel and treasure of the Douro Valley got him wanting to expand his knowledge. He then started his own journey of becoming a Sommelier.

Only a limited number of people ever consider starting the commitment for this path. But with his passion for sharing the many facets and tastes of wine, his work and studies has brought him to currently holding WSET Level 3 Certificate.

Fast forwarding to March 2023, we caught up with Nunu again. Though some time had passed since we saw each other last, his personality was unforgettable. His warm greeting and hosting us at Graham's Port Lodge was as genuine as the first time we met back in Porto, Portugal.

One can only imagine that with the prestige and celebrated status of Graham's Porto wine, just a few people match the level of expertise that is required to represent this time tested port wine tradition. Walking among the impressive port wine barrels, Nuno's voice took us through a journey of the making of port wine. We began to wish to be part of picking, stamping of the grapes and tasting the young wine. The idea of wine making sounds somewhat romantic, but Nuno highlighted that 80 % of wine making is hard work. As tradition has it, we finished our tour at Grahams with tastings, learning the differences between Ruby, LBV, the aging of tawny, and vintage port wine. For the less experienced this could have been overwhelming, but Nuno’s gift of simplifying the processes, he made it both fun and informative.

If one person is passionate about sharing the rich tradition of Portuguese port wine makings, it is Nuno Silva. Owners of various Quintas know him from participating in harvesting. Other tour guides relate to him as the best, teaching them about the legacy of Douro Valley. People like ourselves from other parts of the world know Nuno as a friend, a kindhearted and hardworking ambassador of one of the oldest trades in the world, the making of wine.

Gratefully,

Birger Christensen United Airlines Captain Cheryl Hartwell-Christensen Former Honeywell...

My recent visit to Graham's Port Lodge was far from the exceptional culinary experience that one would expect from such a well-renowned establishment. In fact, it was the view that ended up being the sole savior of an otherwise deeply flawed dining experience.

The food, to put it mildly, was a disappointment. The main course, “Vaca velha” rib steak (80€), was brought to the table raw, without the staff having asked my preference for doneness. This was surprising and rather unprofessional, particularly in a restaurant of this stature. When I requested it to be cooked to medium rare, the steak returned from the kitchen still lacking tenderness, thereby missing the mark of a quality steak experience.

Further adding to the perplexity of the meal, the staff suggested that the steak was intended to be eaten raw, a strange suggestion for such an expensive cut of meat, especially without any prior indication or discussion with the diner.

The sides were no redemption either. The portion size of the fries was disappointingly scant, barely sufficient to supplement the steak. The desserts that followed were just as unsatisfying. The ice dessert was underwhelmingly small, and the crème brûlée was, regretfully, the worst I've ever had.

An unexpected and surprising disappointment was the pricing of their wines. Their shop charged more for their own branded wines than what they are sold for in local supermarkets. This struck me as counter-intuitive and left a sour taste.

However, it wasn't all gloom and doom. The standout element of the entire visit was the view. The panorama offered by Graham's Port Lodge was nothing short of breathtaking, and for a moment, it made me forget about the underwhelming meal.

In conclusion, the dining experience at Graham's Port Lodge was, unfortunately, a letdown. The only redeeming factor was the stunning view, which, although delightful, doesn't entirely compensate for the lackluster food and questionable pricing practices. There's potential here for a truly fantastic dining experience, but it seems that you're primarily paying for the view rather than the...

American traveler - please 'thumbs up' if helpful

Grahams Lodge does not disappoint! Unlike other things in Portugal they are timely on their start times however, if you are running a little late do not fret as the first 15 min or so are a recorded video. While I would have wished to have seen the video I was more happy to have been able to Pedro, our guide, catch the actual tour. was incredibly knowledgeable and his tour was able to keep both the “wine people” and those who were the corporate not engaged . He was a great representation of the company and was able to script with personal anecdotes; it was really engaging. At the end of the tour you mix end up in the tasting room.

During your checkin you pick whether you want to be in the main room, vintage room, and two other more exclusive rooms. We opted for the vintage room and enjoyed a tasting of the premium port and the premium tawny. I will recommend that you visit Grahams towards the end of your trip. Otherwise, you will spend the rest of your time comparing everything to Grahams which isn’t really fair.

After the wine tasting, you walk through a gift shop where you can purchase a bottle to take home and finally a restaurant of sorts. When we took our tour the restaurant was closed but because the bar was open we were able to have a cheese platter while we enjoyed a glass of wine as we The view is unforgettable. watched the sunset.

The only small bit of criticism is that there were some table settings which were not cleared prior to our arrival at the vintage room. Although i our guide at all as this room is shared t did cheapen by al the aesthetics just a bit it was not a reflection of the guides it seems. table but Additionally, there was a menu on the we never had an opportunity to order anything during our tasting. Aside from those two minor things it was the perfect experience. I cannot recommend this enough.

I hope you are lucky enough to have Pedro as your...