graham's port lodge

We had a wonderful private tour of Graham´s along with a tasting, that was complementary (thank you Intercontinental!) We learned so much and the facility itself and the history behind it was really interesting. If you like port, definitely try the Graham´s tour.

The guide was wonderful, the facility was fascinating (learned about and then saw port wine from hundreds of years ago) and the view outside was really spectacular. And, of course, the tasting -- I never realized just how much I like port wine!

My lovely wife surprised me with a 4 night stay in Porto to celebrate my 60th birthday. It was indeed a dream come true for me ... We have both been admirers of Graham's Port for many years and as my own name was Graham it was the perfect present for me. We were lucky enough to receive a tour alongside several students of Viticulture and Enology at Bordeaux University which gave excellent 'added value' to the experience. Our tour (including a video presentation) lasted for 90 minutes and the accompanying staff were excellent in every manner.The tour enabled us to view the various storage areas of the lodge including the vintage store and gave us a wonderful insight into the history and methodology surrounding Port Wine production. This was followed by an excellent tasting in the lodge's historic tasting room which increased our knowledge further by being able to taste various port 'styles' and vintages which we would not normally be able 'to afford' under 'normal' circumstances. I must say also, that the measures were very generous indeed.We followed the tasting with lunch at Graham's restaurant 'The Vinum' where we had a superb lunch consisting of locally produced meets, cheeses and wines. Lunch was indeed quite 'sublime' which did indeed make it a very special day for me. In total, we spent nearly 5 hours at Graham's Lodge and we would recommend a similar 'timeframe' to do justice to the place, to the heritage and to the product. The atmosphere is not at all pretentious nor threatening, just total pleasure. It is a visit which everyone should do whilst staying in Porto. Also a visit to the Lodge shop is recommended but not essential.

The Graham's 1890 Lodge is a wonderful place to visit Vila Nova de Gaia.We took a leisurely walk from the Historic Centre of Porto to the 1890 Lodge where we were greeted by some friendly employees. We were advised the next tour in English would be starting in 90 minutes, so we decided to go the restaurant where we had some lovely Tapas and a cold beer.When ready, we were advised about the different tastings / pricing then proceeded on the tour which was a great insight into the different types of Ports. all together we had 6 sets of tastings (4 Classic, 1 Premium & 1 Tawny) which equated to 18 tasting glasses, which are very generous.Beautiful views over the Douro with great photo opportunities, lovely restaurant & wine bar, great tasting, fascinating museum & working cellars and most of all, lovely people.

Really enjoyed the tour and premium tasting. The service and food in the restaurant was also excellent. Great views from the restaurant.

Recommended by the concierge at Intercontinental. He must have some pull as we were treated as Royalty. After the tour we were, just my wife and I, seated at a table with a view over the Douro river on two arm chairs and had our own private tasting. All of this at no cost other than the fact I felt a guilty and spent more than I had intended on buying wine.

My friend and I were visiting Porto and our Portugese AirBnB host highly recommended Graham's as the best of the port wine houses in terms of their cellar tours and tastings and she was right. :) We went on the last tasting tour of 2014 (right before the place closed down to get ready for their New Year's Eve festivities), and it was great. The tour was informative and just long enough that you felt like you were getting your money's worth. There are a range of tastings that you can choose from ranging from 5-8 Euro on up. We chose the range of Tawny Port tastings and it was delicious. They make some great port. After the tastings, which you can enjoy at your own pace, there is a store where you can purchase a range of products. We were really trying to make it to the restaurant for lunch because we heard the food was great, but unfortunately, it was closed by the time we got there. Instead, after the tasting, we grabbed some tapas in the wine bar which was ok but nothing out of the ordinary. The view of the Douro River and Porto (since Graham's is actually on the Gaia side) is beautiful especially at dusk. All in all, a great experience and worth the trek to the Gaia side. Side note: If you are coming from the Porto side, there are a few buses you can catch near the Casa de Infante (# 901 and 906) that will drop you off in front of Graham's (get off at the stop near Rue de Agro and then walk down). If you're walking back to the Porto side, you can walk down toward the river and then along the river walk back (20-30 minute walk depending on how fast you walk and how much port you've had to drink. :)).

Informative tour of the history of Port wine in this region of Portugal and the family background / experience. The port wine tasting provided 3 very fine wines. And the views of Porto from the outside terrace was outstanding.

Of all the cellar tasting rooms in Vila Nova de Gaia, Graham's 1890 Lodge must have THE best location. My husband and I walked to it from our hotel in Porto (Hotel Pestana Porto, on the riverfront). The entire walk seemed to take less than a half hour. It was a sunny warm day, so it was a pleasant walk with interesting things to look at and photogenic views along the way. But if you prefer not to walk, a taxi to Graham's wouldn't be expensive and would spare you the climb up streets that sometimes lack a sidewalk. We arrived at a quiet time so we ended up with a private tour. We learned which grapes are used for port; why the port is stored in Gaia and not at quintas in the Douro River Valley (around Pinhão, where the grapes are grown); how different port styles are aged; why some ports are stored in oak barrels (or casks) and others in larger vats and how this contributes to their flavor; what "angel's share" is; and many other such details. You could probably glean this info from the Internet, but it makes more of an impact when you're listening to this in a cavernous port cellar, with heady aromas wafting through the air. We were shown some rare vintages, including some set aside for the UK's Royal Family, and viewed some of the private cellars of the Symingtons. We enjoyed this tour far more than the one we took at Sandeman's two days prior. Our guide, Beata (not sure of the spelling), was more affable and knowledgeable. Our tour was followed by a tasting. I tasted tawnies: regular fine, 10- and 20-year-old. My husband tried vintage ports: 1983, 2000 and 2011. The regular fine tawny was surprisingly good (as older ports are added to this blend), but my favorite was the 20-year-old tawny. I also tasted my husband's vintage port selection. We'd had the wonderful 2000 vintage before. The 2011 was a stand-out, with layers of flavors. I'd love to taste it again in about 5 years.After our tasting we had a snack at Vinum. I ordered the roast rabbit with aioli, and it was the best rabbit dish I'd ever eaten. It was simply cooked but so tasty. I wanted to order a glass of Chryseia, Graham's award-winning red wine, to go with my rabbit, but I was feeling the effects of the port tasting (even though I only consumed half of my servings). So I had to pass. To this day I regret my decision, as I might not have another chance to taste it. My husband ordered the bacalhau, which he enjoyed.Graham's 1890 Lodge and its Vinum Restaurant are gorgeous. The setting was serene and relaxed. The views were outstanding. I'll dream of returning.

We arrived just as it was opening and had a little wait for our English speaking guide who was excellent. We decided to purchase two different tastings. We were first taken to view a short film about the history of Grahams port and then taken to the cellar and our guide explained in perfect English the different types of port and how they are made. We finished our tour in the tasting room with six different ports including 10 and 20 year old. We ordered some to be sent home and it arrived in perfect condition. The views over Porto are spectacular. This is one of the best Port tours we have been on.

We were taken here by Paolo, our driver for half a day, and the whole experience was fun and worth the money. You start in a small museum that tells the history of the family owned cellar and something about how port is made. Our young (male) guide to the cellar, whose name we've lost, spoke excellent English and was highly informative. You finish in the very pleasant, modern tasting room, where the only danger is drinking too much port. That's another reason to use a driver!

We visited Graham's recommended by a friend and we were very well pleased with the tour. We were put in contact with Filipe who assigned us Bruno for the visit. Bruno is very knowledgeable and gave us a great description of the history and intricacies of the company and its Port wine. This is a great way to spend a late morning and then you get to taste several of the Port. I would recommend that you schedule your visit near noon and then stay for lunch at their Vinum restaurant on site. It is an excellent restaurant with super service. Even if somewhat pricey, it is well worth it. And the view from the place is great, overlooking both sides of the river.

We had the best tour guide for our tour. Her name was Svetlana and she was so knowledgable. We love every minute of the tour. The tasting was in a beautiful room. Then we finished in sitting by the most beautiful view of the city. Graham's was the best tour in the city!!

I love visiting Grahams and it is a must do whenever friends are visiting Porto. The tour is great, really informative and well delivered. The setting is amazing, not only going through the cellars, the tasting room is beautiful and the terrace has some of the best views in town. Go for a late tour and watch the sun set as you look towards the bridge and over the city.The tawny tasting is worth the few extra Euros, if there are a few of you, so for different tasting options so you can try each others.It's not easy to get to and taxis consistently get lost (I always have to direct them), however there is a free bus service which runs from the cais. The walk down is pleasant, but I wouldn't recommend walking up unless you are fit!

If you are in Porto, a visit to one of the port wine cellars is a must. We visited Graham’s and were not disappointed at all. After a 10’ minute video session on the cellar’s history, we were guided in a 30’ tour and then were given to taste two of their wines to complete the visit. We then had lunch at Vinum, which we also enjoyed.