Sample 20 Year Old Port in Portugal's Douro Valley

With its medieval heart, contemporary buzz, magnificent architecture and celebrated Port wine, Portugal's somewhat undiscovered city definitely deserves a closer look.

With a culinary scene that mirrors its cultural diversity, architectural styles ranging from the Neoclassical to Art Nouveau, defining bridges by famed designers, a growing number of upscale hotels and charming clubs serving up the distinctive Fado music, there is plenty to draw you in – and keep you there.

Porto Portugal

And when you are ready to experience a brilliant piece of history while sampling the product for which Porto is most famous, allow world-renowned Port producers, the Symington Family to be your guide. In the heart of the city in Gaia you will find the Graham's and Cockburn's Port lodges, two extraordinary houses serving up unmatched hospitality as only the Symingtons can.

Originally built in 1890 the Graham's lodge was extensively renovated in 2012 to further improve the guest experience which includes a cinema with a film on the Douro vineyards and winemaking, as well as a museum with rare artifacts on the history of Port. Included is a tour of the impressive cellars containing 3,200 seasoned oak barrels as well as a Vintage Port cellar including rare 19th century bottles. A private tasting room is available for visitors who want to sample a wider range of fine Ports, and the innovative VINUM Restaurant is now open so you can end the tour with eclectic fare and spectacular views of the river and the city of Porto.

Porto Portugal

At the Cockburn's lodge you are able to experience the atmosphere of an authentic, working lodge, home to vast amounts of maturing wines in thousands of oak casks, tonnels and vats. Inside, expert guides explain the workings of the lodge, the origins of the wines and how they are made. The tour will take you through the longest storage gallery of any lodge, lined with thousands of maturing casks, paved with traditional Portuguese stonework, adorned with the “cockerel and coronet” symbol of the winery. Since acquiring Cockburn's in 2010, the family has been committed to reviving Cockburn's best traditions, including world-class hospitality.

For those traveling to Porto these historic lodges are not to be missed, and neither are the stunning wines that were carefully aged there.

Porto Portugal