The Vineyards

From the end of August, the metallic sound of scissors cutting the grapes begin to echo through the Douro valley. It's the beginning of the magical moment of harvest. For weeks, the entire region breads the revelry and wine.

In vineyards and wineries, men and women are taken for a thrill incantation that will last until the last bunch. As always, the hardness of toil will be entertained with folk songs and jokes and in the end tired but happy, they will say goodbye to everyone with joy. And when the wine comes to a boil in barrels, vines already exhibit combinations of emerald, gold and blood, which are, after all, the colors of the design Douro.

But while the harvest does not arrive, it is worth enjoying the “duriense” scenery, with the slopes covered with vineyards and lush green. It is an image always breathtaking, showing the true nature of the Douro.

Many vineyards follow the contours, based on admirable shale ledges or terraces, others contradict geography, defying the laws of nature. Altogether, word of writers, form "the most beautiful and painful monument to the work of the Portuguese people" (Jaime Cortesão), "a marvel of man" (Aquilino Ribeiro), "the only evidence that can haunt incommensurable the world" (Miguel Torga).

In 2001, recognizing the genius of this evolving and the living of the cultural landscape, UNESCO classified Douro as World Cultural Heritage.