12 editor-picked estates growing Sousao in Douro Valley.
Where to taste Sousao in Douro Valley: the estates that grow it, how the region expresses the grape, and how to book a visit.
A Symington house known for drier, structured Vintage Port, Dow's welcomes visitors at Quinta do Bomfim on the river at Pinhao, the heart of its Cima Corgo holdings.
Tasting: Dow's visitor centre at Quinta do Bomfim in Pinhao with tiered Port and Douro tastings.
Signature wines: dows-vintage-port
A family-owned house founded in 1842 and led by Dirk Niepoort, equally renowned for classic Vintage Port and a benchmark range of DOC Douro reds and whites such as Redoma and Charme.
Tasting: Family Port house; cellar visits by reservation, with Douro DOC and Port flights.
Signature wines: niepoort-vintage-port, niepoort-redoma-tinto
Founded by royal charter in 1756, Real Companhia Velha (Royal Oporto) is Portugal's oldest wine company, with vast Gaia cellars and an expanding range of DOC Douro wines.
Tasting: Multilingual guided tour of the historic Gaia cellars ending in a Port tasting.
A single-quinta house above Pinhao owned by AXA Millesimes, Quinta do Noval is famed for its tiny ungrafted Nacional vineyard, source of one of the world's rarest and most expensive Vintage Ports.
Tasting: Estate visits and tastings at the Pinhao quinta, including the celebrated Nacional vineyard.
Signature wines: quinta-do-noval-nacional, quinta-do-noval-vintage-port
One of the oldest quintas in the Douro, dating to 1716 and owned by descendants of Dona Antonia Ferreira, Vallado pairs a design wine hotel at Regua with old-vine reds and the Adelaide top cuvee.
Tasting: Wine hotel with tours, tastings and a winery visit beside the Corgo river at Regua.
Signature wines: quinta-do-vallado-adelaide, quinta-do-vallado-reserva
A Bergqvist-family estate on the river just below Pinhao, Quinta de la Rosa is a single-quinta producer of both Port and DOC Douro wines, with a wine hotel and restaurant on site.
Tasting: Riverside wine hotel near Pinhao with tours, tastings and the Cozinha da Clara restaurant.
Signature wines: quinta-de-la-rosa-tinto, quinta-de-la-rosa-vintage-port
A small, acclaimed Vale de Mendiz project from winemaking couple Sandra Tavares da Silva and Jorge Serodio Borges, Wine & Soul makes the old-vine Pintas red, Guru white and a 5G tawny Port.
Tasting: Boutique producer at Vale de Mendiz; tastings by appointment.
Signature wines: wine-and-soul-pintas, wine-and-soul-guru
The Symington family's home quinta on the riverbank at Pinhao, source of Dow's finest Vintage Ports and an award-winning visitor centre at the heart of the Cima Corgo.
Tasting: Symington visitor centre on the river at Pinhao with Port and Douro DOC tasting tiers.
A five-generation Baixo Corgo family producer led from Quinta da Gaivosa at Santa Marta de Penaguiao, Alves de Sousa is a DOC Douro specialist known for the Gaivosa and old-vine Abandonado reds.
Tasting: Family estate at Santa Marta de Penaguiao with tours and tastings, booking advised.
Signature wines: quinta-da-gaivosa-tinto, alves-de-sousa-abandonado
A large historic estate between Pinhao and Alijo at Cotas, Quinta da Romaneira pairs a five-star hotel with DOC Douro reds and Port across one of the region's most scenic stretches of river.
Tasting: 400-hectare estate with a luxury hotel, restaurant, tastings and river activities at Cotas.
Signature wines: quinta-da-romaneira-tinto
A historic Rio Torto estate run by the van Zeller family, making old-vine field-blend reds that are a quiet cult name among Douro insiders.
Tip: The estate is small and visits are by arrangement; the old-vine field-blend cuvees are the ones to seek out.
Vallado's flagship estate red, deep ruby with ripe black cherry and plum over gentle spice. A polished, modern Douro blend from one of the founding Douro Boys, dependable year after year.
Tip: A strong choice for first-timers wanting the modern Douro style; the Vallado Reserva and single-varietal bottlings climb from here.