Douro for dummies

I had the great pleasure of spending time in the magical Douro Valley recently, concentrating on improving my acquaintance with three significant (and nearby – travel in the Douro is not easy) producers.

Firstly I visited Ramos Pinto, a company in which women have played an unusually important part. They kindly opened, for me and for Portuguese specialist wine writer Richard Mayson, significant vintages of their well-known Duas Quintas Douro table wine. The pictures show the gardens of their Quinta do Bom Retiro and some of the bottles on the dining-room table of this French-owned property before we attacked them. ...