A GLASS of chilled Alvarinho on the terrace of the landmark Yeatman hotel was the reward of an adventure that spanned some of the wildest, most alluring scenery of inland Portugal.
After half a day's sightseeing over the cobbled streets of historic Porto, we were certainly ready for an aperitif before lunch.
We could have been sipping the city's famed sweet wine, but somehow the 2016 Milagres Alvarinho - from the nearby Vinho Verde region - seemed more appropriate at this time of day; its flinty, yet honeyed consistency matching the scenery that unfolded out in front of us.
A magical perch high above the south bank of the city, from Dick's Bar you watch the world drift down the famous Douro river that begins as the Duero some 900 kms east in Soria, in Spain's upland Castilla y Leon.
This is pole position, in particular to appreciate the amazing feat of engineering that Eiffel sprinkled on the city in the 19th century with his impressive Maria Pia bridge.
We are actually sitting in Vila Nova de Gaia, which is the traditional business end of Porto, an industrial zone across the river steeped in the history of winemaking and not dissimilar to Jerez or Bordeaux.
It is an intriguing barrio to explore, in particular to see how many of its ancient bodegas, known locally as 'lodges', have been converted into apartments and shops, as well as what is, certainly, one of the world's best wine museums.
The WOW, World of Wine is a fascinating look at Portugal's drinks industry with films, exhibits and plenty of practical information. It is fun and eye-opening in equal measures with plenty of interactive content for kids.
Opening five years ago it has completely transformed this part of the city thanks to a giant 105 million euro investment from the Fladgate partnership, the company behind the aforementioned five star hotel the Yeatman.
There are four separate museums here, including a fascinating cork one, a tribute to the important industry to Portugal, as well as a chocolate one and plenty of space for temporary exhibitions, a wine school, shop and restaurants.
But while the city's wines may define this ancient city, they go nowhere near doing it justice.
Porto, known locally as Oporto, is indeed, a lot more than its sometimes rather cloying, over-sweet vino.
A grand, yet easily manageable metropolis that spans one of Europe's most famous rivers, it is hilly and historic, and civilised and rough-round-the-edges in equal proportions.
Its geography beside the swift moving Douro river, as it approaches the sea conjures up a mesmerising possibility of walks and scenery that combine both urban chic and seaside vistas.
Portugal's second largest metropolitan area with 1.8 million people, it dates back to before the Romans when Celts and Phoenicians traded here and its historic core was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
Above all, its people are urbane and hard-working (said to be the true grafters of Portugal), and take great pride and pleasure in offering up the best their city has to offer.
But the city would not be what it is without the inland region that helped make its name.
The Douro region is a must visit for anyone who's interested in scenery, food and wine.
It was in 1756 that the leading wine connoisseurs of the time decided to demarcate the borders of the Porto wine region.
The first regulated such region in the world, they carefully drew up the boundaries of the inland Douro Valley ensuring the best vineyards got property recognised.
A guarantee of quality, what they wouldn't have known was they were protecting one of the most stunning regions in Europe for generations to come.
Nowadays also a World Heritage Site, this steep-sided valley is a tableau of vertiginous terraces interspliced with the odd stand of pine or olives.
The famous vineyards are best appreciated on a slow boat or gentle drive upriver, with a two or three night stay in Porto at one end.
If money is no object then you must plan at least one night at Portugal's most luxurious hotel, the Six Senses Douro, that has just celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Thankfully, there are a large number of historic bodegas and farmhouses - known as quintas - you can stay at that are rather cheaper than the €1,500 base rate for a room at Six Senses.
Many are well known names and also offer wine tastings to boot.
Top value is Quinta da Salada, where the owner, Rui, a member of the Douro tourist board, not only knows every nook & cranny of the region, but also makes his own wine.
A little more Grand Cru is Vintage House Hotel in Pinhao, a sister of Porto's Yeatman, with both owned by the celebrated Taylor's brand, founded in 1692, and steeped in history.
You get a real sense of this sitting for lunch at its restaurant Rabelo, particularly with the 19th century Gustave Eiffel-designed bridge in the foreground and acres of vines as a backdrop.
Curiously, the Parisian engineer lived in the 1870s in nearby Barcenas from where he also designed the more famous railway bridge in central Porto. Perhaps he preferred the sweet wines here over the Sauternes back home.
Under a shady pergola, we whiled away lunchtime watching the distinctive Chinese junk-shaped 'rabelo' boats bob up and down the rolling river ferrying as many tourists today as they once transported wine barrels.
Named after the boats, Rabelo is definitely one to watch, thanks to its up-and-coming chef Milton Ferreira, a local lad who conjures up genuine Harry Potter magic over the stove (see review below).
There is not much to do in Pinhao, mind, but do take a stroll up the river bank and sit and watch the world go by.
The drive between here and Peso da Regua was literally extraordinary. It's a stunning stretch of river, which the National Geographic recommends driving through and CNN recently described as perhaps the 'world's most beautiful wine region'.
We loved picking out the names of the famous Port houses that lined the road. The likes of Sandeman and Croft among them.
The Douro region broadly runs along the river, which comprises 215 kilometres in Portugal, all of them navigable, with three key wine regions (Baixo Corgo, Cima Corgo and Douro Superior) running alongside it.
What makes the region, and wine, so unique is the schist rock soils, which, aside from being sparkly due to their minerals, retain heat during the day in summer, which it only later releases in winter.
This is perfect for wine growing, particular in the Superior Corgo region that rises up to 900m in altitude.
What's particularly interesting is the amount of grape varieties grown here with over 100 and almost every bottle being a blend of a few and some with as many as 20 varieties.
Aside from the WOW museum we were given a fascinating lecture on the region from Rui at Quinta da Salada, which is a 10 hectare vineyard with rows and rows of vines charging off in all directions.
In his wife's family since 1842 when it was bought off the church, it is a simple place with just six rooms and a superb terrace to enjoy breakfast and the wines at night with a wonderful sunset.
For something more exclusive and an hour you won't forget, you must arrange a wine tasting with Elisabeth Fernandes, the Wine Director of the Yeatman hotel downriver in Porto.
She is in charge of the largest collection of Portuguese wine in the world, with 1,400 references and over 30,000 bottles.
Set up as a 'wine hotel' this is fitting and insist she gives you a tour, where you will likely see around 10% of the wines that are drunk on a weekly basis.
"Our intention is to conserve and promote our local wines and 99% of all our references are from Portugal," she tells me.
They have a total of 30 wine partners and many of them host a string of events, most with food throughout the year, including sunset parties and an exciting Christmas wine experience on December 6 & 7.
Having spent a year in Liverpool where she joined the Court of Master Sommeliers, Elisabeth has a razor sharp understanding of vintages and blends.
"We open around 90,000 bottles a year here, which is incredibly high, and we always have dozens of wines by the glass," she continues.
Alongside British visionary Adrian Bridge, who joined the company in 1994 and married the daughter of the owner, they realised they needed to move beyond tradition.
"What we have tried to do with the hotel and the nearby WOW museum is to demystify port wine and make new lighter drinks for young people and teenagers to enjoy."
Few thought the hotel, which opened in 2010, would be successful and equal numbers scoffed at WOW.
But the hotel has been doing really well (helped by the arrival of Ryanair and Easyjet from around 2014) and now it has its own two Michelin star restaurant, whose chef Ricardo Costa is one of the country's most famous, since arriving 10 years ago from nearby Aveiro.
Each of its 109 rooms is sponsored, designed and curated by a local wine producer, meaning each is individual, making guests feel special.
What was more special for me though, was to try a wine from the nearby Bairrada DO region recently becoming notable thanks to its extraordinary process of ageing and marketing.
That is the three-variety Principal, first blended in 2012 by celebrated French oenologist Pascal Chattonet (best known for his work in Bordeaux, including Latour).
Mixing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Touriga it has only just been released on the market after an extraordinary 13-year wait.
"It has been a huge success and has amazing ageing potential," explains Elisabeth. "And when we recently did a blind tasting of the 2013 alongside Chateau Latour, the Principal won. It is going to be legendary."
Opened by Elisabeth for her boss to try earlier that day there was still three quarters left by my estimation... more than enough to take for dinner at the Yeatman's second restaurant The Orangerie that night. "Yes of course," Elisabeth trilled. "But let me cork it now and keep it somewhere cool."
And suffice to stay it made an appearance under the stars, with Eiffel's famous bridge lit up in front of us. And OK, maybe this wine may not be from the Douro and it may not be sweet, but, hey ho, who cares!
And anyway, the night ended with one of the best creme brulee's I've ever tasted, washed down appropriately with the most amazing 2007 Tawny port. Sweet dreams.
Rabelo restaurant, Pinhao
HE picked up his skills working in New York, Brazil and Thailand and at, among other famous spots, three Michelin star joint, Arzak, in San Sebastian.
Now Milton Ferreira has 34 chefs under him, he explains, and intriguingly, his father is also a chef from India, who worked many years in Switzerland.
"For that reason I've got spice pouring out of my veins and love adding new touches to all the traditional Portuguese recipes from the area," he tells me.
A true rising star his menu is unusually heavy on vegetables, with dishes like 'different interpretations of beetroot' which sent a shiver up my spine, hating the rich red root.
I was however prepared to give his 'Cauliflower in textures' a whirl and it turned out to be a great mix of dishes, one in chick peas, olive oil and herbs that bowled me over.
Next up, his bacalao cod starter was so darn pretty and as good as you'll get anywhere in the Iberian Peninsula.
A real textures man, his presentation is second to none and our mains came out in stunning colours: A Seabass in a bright green seaweed foam with caviar on top, asparagus and chard, and the most unusual stuffed cannelloni with saffron rice and Parmesan-style cheese from the Azores. Joyous.
And then the 'Bisaro' pork cheek served in port wine with craftily created potato gratin, served on fava bean base was a major standout dish. I even enjoyed the beetroot and asparagus puree that came with.
Of course the wine helped, with the splendid Pinot Noir Bella Elegance worth writing home about.
Castas y Pratos, Peso da Regua
This charming spot sits in a railway siding by the main train station - seductive lighting, great planting and right by the line. A true wine joint there are 700 references, most from the area...plus a good simple, but delicious menu.
It was on September 10, 1756, that one of Portugal 's key historical figures, the Marques de Pombal, set up the so-called Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhos do Alto Douro.
Later renamed as the Real Companhia Velha - or Royal Oporto - it was blessed by the Portuguese royal family, but was run with an iron fist by the marques himself.
Its main goal was to 'uphold the reputation' of the Porto wines, and it crucially set a fixed price for the growers and shippers who worked in the trade.
It wanted to standardize quality and create a high, but not extortionate price, and effectively created a monopoly in the wine world and very much putting the Porto wines on a global stage.
The Yeatman, Porto,
Built as a wine hotel this amazing spot has the best collection of wines in Portugal and the best views of Porto. www.the-yeatman-hotel.com
A great budget option in the heart of the Unesco-protected Douro valley, this vineyard counts on six decent double rooms and a fabulous breakfast. Each guest gets a bottle of wine. Visit www.quintadasalada.com
Six Senses, Peso da Regua
If money's no option, a stay in Portugal's most expensive hotel will be the luxury experience of a lifetime www.sixsenses.com