Caves Porto Calém (Calém Porto Wine Lodge)
Posted by: god_herodes
N 41° 08.288 W 008° 36.681
29T E 532617 N 4554164
Porto (sometimes spelled Oporto) is both the second-largest city in Portugal and the capital of the port wine industry.
Waymark Code: WM83TT
Location: Porto, Portugal
Date Posted: 01/22/2010
Views: 22
If you've ever been tricked into drinking so-called "port" from California or New York, banish those knock-offs from your taste memory: True port or Porto wine is produced only in the world's oldest demarcated wine region--the Douro Valley--under supervision by the Port Wine Institute.
photoThe grapes used for port wine are grown, harvested, crushed, and fermented on quintas or wine estates upriver. The best-known brands of port wine are then brought to Vila Nova de Gaia--across the River Douro from Porto's old town--for blending, aging, bottling, and distribution by wine lodges such as Cálem, which began shipping port wine to Brazil (in exchange for exotic woods) in 1859.
photoLike other Porto wine lodges, Cálem is open to tourists. For a nominal fee (two euros during my visit), you can tour the renovated cellars that earned an international "Best of Wine Tourism" award for architecture in 2006.
You'll receive a multilingual guided tour amid the huge vats and casks of the 19th Century cellars, a chance to linger in the Wine Museum, and samples of two port wines in Cálem's attractive tasting room. If you want to purchase Cálem wines and related gifts that might be hard to obtain at home, you're welcome to do so, but there's no pressure to buy.
Cálem faces Vila Nova de Gaia's waterfront promenade on the south bank of the River Douro, across from the old town of Porto. It's the first wine lodge you'll encounter as you turn right and walk south from the Ponte de D. Luis I bridge. Look for the white building with "Cálem" on the roof (see photo above). The lodge is open daily from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. (November-April) or 7 p.m. (May-October).
Winery Size: Tasting Room Only (No Wine Processed at this location)
Attached vineyard?: no
Tasting Room Available?: yes
Days and hours of operation: 10 am to 6 pm everyday
Charge for tasting?: 3.00 (listed in local currency)
Tours Available: yes
Cost of Tour: 5.00 (listed in local currency)
Phone #: + 351 22 374 6660
Address: Avenida Diogo Leite 344
Vila Nova de Gaia
4400-111
Portugal
Winery, Wine Cooperative, or Tasting Center's Website: [Web Link]
Types of wines: Porto Wine
Best Wine Tasted: Porto Vintage
Rate the Best Wine Tasted:
Price per Bottle: 100.00 (listed in local currency)
2nd Best Wine Tasted: Porto Old Friends Ruby ten years
Rate the 2nd Best Wine Tasted:
Price per Bottle #2: 50.00 (listed in local currency)
Overall Comments:: Here you can learn about Porto Wine story, how is made and how to drink it
Winery Club: Not listed
Wine Club Description:: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
All logs must be the result of an actual visit to the winery, wine cooperative, or wine tasting center. Any logs posted otherwise will be deleted. After your tasting list the top 2 wines you liked and rate them on a scale of 1-5 (5 is great) and the price per bottle (see winery listing for an example). Original winery lister is exempt as they listed this information on the original winery listing.