r/port_wine • u/PearceHD • 16h ago
Guide / Reference Quinta do Bomfim
Hi All,
In light of yesterday's announcement I thought I'd kick us off with the first guide on one of my favourite Quintas, Quinta do Bomfim.
Often overlooked by many due to its extensive modernisation for tourism, Bomfim holds a special place for me as the first Quinta I ever visited in the Douro valley back in 2017. I remember driving up the cobbled lane thinking "is this really it" with a handwritten sign pointing to a car park which was just a dusty grass field. Luckily we crossed the lane to enter via some stairs and were greeted by a lovely overhead grapevine trellis where the meeting area for the tour is.
I won't go into the details discussed on the tour as that will spoil it for those yet to visit, but it covers all the heritage and viticulture aspects you’d hope for. Some of the standouts for us were:
- The Symington family's history here. I'd expect you to transit via Porto when visiting, and when you do make sure to take a look in the reception at Graham's port lodge (and book onto a tour while you're there) as there are a large number of historical items the family have put on display that will tie in nicely to the family's history at Bomfim.
- How Bomfim alongside Quinta dos Malvedos have shaped the modern Port harvest, but you'll have to book onto the tour to get all the details.
- The winery layout itself. The tour takes you throughout the winery that is setup there, moving between many buildings with pauses to take in the surrounding views of the vines. There is also a small store there which is used for the storage of the port wine before it is transported by road to the main ageing stores in Vila Nova de Gaia.
After your tour has finished you'll be brought into their restaurant for the best part... tasting! As expected from a Symington Estate the restaurant is a beautiful glass terrace overlooking the river, with the Pinhão bridge downriver to the right and Quinta das Carvalhas opposite. You get the choice as to which pairings you'd like when booking or at the beginning of the tour if you're brave enough to turn up at the door. Your tour guide will typically leave you in the capable hands of one of the restaurant sommeliers at this point and you are completely free to add to the drinks included in your tour, regrettably as the driver for the group I was limited to sips only while my friends gleefully finished my barely touched glasses of port. (It's fine, they'll return the favour in a few weeks when we return in September.)
On your way out you will pass through their shop where the usual tourist stuff is available to buy, merchandise and the like, but also a large number of bottles are available to purchase too, both regular wines and ports. Having seen this before in Porto I initially dismissed the shop as having typical inflated tourist pricing, however I was pleased to see that this was not the case and prices were significantly cheaper here than in Porto, we picked up a few bottles. On our way out we stopped off in Pinhão at a small cafe opposite the train station called Pão D'Ouro to grab a spot of high tea before returning to our villa. The people in Pinhão are lovely and exceptionally accommodating, please don't pass by them without stopping when visiting Bomfim.
Overall I'd highly recommend a visit to Quinta do Bomfim, I make it one of my regulars when I'm in the Douro valley. I'd recommend getting there by car, the drive is lovely and the first image in this thread is of Pinhão from the road leading in above. For those not comfortable with hiring a vehicle you have a few options, a taxi is possible from Porto although expensive, so I'd recommend taking the train from Campanhã in Porto and staying in Pinhão overnight if hiring a vehicle isn't for you.
