A perfect stay for wine and sun lovers at Tivoli Kopke, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal …
Just across the river from the city centre of Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia, the district where port wine was originally produced, has been transformed into an atmospheric wining and dining destination, its original warehouses and cellars sensitively redesigned as restaurants and bars. While wine production has been gradually relocated to modern facilities outside the city centre, it’s not diffi cult to imagine Gaia in the 17th and 18th centuries, its steep narrow streets lined with famous port houses – Sandeman, Dow’s, Taylor’s among them – and a busy riverscape of ships loading heavy oak barrels, stopping at the Custom House to pay their duties before setting sail to Britain and the rest of Europe. The Porto region has a fascinating history.
In prime position overlooking the Duoro, in a beautifully restored former port wine cellar complex belonging to the Kopke house (the oldest port wine house in the world, founded in 1638), the five-star Tivoli Kopke mixes Porto heritage and elegant contemporary design – polished concrete floors, vast windows framing spectacular views of the river, contemporary art and sculpture. The redesign flexed the buildings’ industrial heritage (cellars and warehouses) to create 150 luxurious rooms and suites, many with terraces and views over the Douro and the iconic Luiz I bridge, which was designed by Gustave Eiffel. The cable car from Vila Nova de Gaia’s river promenade goes directly to the bridge, an exciting elevated journey of a few minutes. A short walk across the bridge takes you to Porto’s historic UNESCO Ribeira district. A river cruise is a pleasant way to get your bearings on your first morning before planning forays into Porto’s very pleasant streets and squares. Do fit in the Livrario Lello bookshop and the Cathedral.
But if you have visited Porto before, it’s tempting and perfectly possible to spend the whole weekend in Vila Nova de Gaia, enjoying excellent wine and very good food. In World of Wine, formerly Taylor’s port cellar complex, for instance, you can watch the sun set over the red roofs of Porto from a stone terrace while sipping a white port and tonic before dinner.
At the Tivoli Kopke, (which has its own rooftop bar) Michelin-starred chef Nacho Manzano oversees the menus at 1638 Restaurant (served with Douro DOC still wines from Quinta de São Luiz and Quinta da Boavista among others) and the Boa Vista Terrace restaurant with its endless breakfast island and all-day dining. Guests can also taste port, including Kopke’s own Vintage and Tawny, and take part in tastings in the vast cool cellar with its woody aroma of wine-soaked oak. A garden-level spa with grape-based treatments inspired by the region is beautifully designed, with calm relaxation room, gym, and outdoor heated pool with that incredible view of Porto. If you can tear yourself away, the hotel’s friendly, helpful team will arrange wine tours to the Duoro Valley by car or river excursions on a private yacht. If you appreciate wine culture, good food and understated but very elegant design, this is the spot for you. www.tivolihotels.com
