Douro Valley
in Portugal

The terraced vineyards that climb the Douro gorge in tight schist-walled steps are one of the great man-made landscapes of Europe, and the river that winds beneath them makes the whole thing considerably more beautiful. This is where port comes from, and where the dry table wines that have quietly been getting very good indeed are made on the same ancient quintas. The best way to see it is slowly: a boat upriver from Porto, stopping at estates where the tasting room doubles as the family dining room, or a car winding the ridge roads with no particular schedule. Autumn, when the vines turn and the harvest is in, is the finest time of year. Though in truth there is no bad one.