Second Verse Same as the First

Well, as I mentioned in the previous post, while the natural beauty of the Douro valley cannot be disputed, I am not "feeling the love" for the villages and towns.  The villages, such as they are, are spread out with no real village centre - at least that I can see.  I am more than prepared to stand corrected on that.  So, today we set out to explore the region a bit more of the area from the river up into the mountains which tower over the valley. 

Our day started on the south side of the river driving in the direction of Resende, which is a small town.  Saturday (today) was market day so we stopped to wander around to see what the offerings are in a Portuguese one.  There weren't many food stalls - although there was a very tempting "Churraria" - and most of the goods were shoes and clothing.  Boring!  That being said, Nawal did buy a couple of tops - but she is the consummate shopper and can find things everywhere!

From there we headed toward toward Maseo Frio which took us up almost above the vegetation line.  The road was steep and winding but offered amazing views.  

We had driven for close to 2 hours before we saw anything remotely resembling a restaurant other than a few tacky cafes.  We stopped at Restaurant de Tormes which seemed to be part of another Quinta (estate).  It was a very pretty restaurant and, as we had passed the road to Quinta de Covela on the way, we had an idea how much time we had.  Although the owner spoke no English, we managed to order a very tasty, not to mention inexpensive, lunch.  I had a vegetable tempura followed by a baked apple.  Both dishes were delicious and the total cost of lunch which included water was €10. 

From there, we drove about 15 minutes to Quinta de Covela.  The road getting there was a bit tricky and the signage for the winery almost non-existent.  However, we managed to find it but not without me ending up in a vineyard where turning around was very tricky!  No grapes were damaged or squashed in that maneuver!  The tour was just the two of us and it was really more of a wine tasting and discussion of the wines around here than a tour.  We had the option of walking up the hill to the vineyards but, with the heat, we declined to do that.  So, for €12 we got to spend an hour hearing about the wine region and then tasting 3 wines.  All three, including a rose, were quite acidic.  From the winery website, here is the information:

On the sinuous terraces of a natural amphitheatre perched high above the right bank of the Douro rRver, Quinta de Covela has - for at least five centuries - straddled the rugged terrain where two of Portugal's best-known wine-producing regions meet.  Downstream, rugged granite marks the landscape of the Vinho Verde region.  Upriver, the hot, slate-layered earth is what gives Port wine its heart and soul.

With panoramic views over the river, the Covela estate covers 49 hectares, of which 18 are planted with vineyards that also mark the frontier between two typical villages of the lower Douro - São Tomé de Covelas and Santa Cruz do Douro, both recognized for their natural beauty and rich cultural heritage.  The Covela Winery is noted for its first-ever Vinho Verde, Edição Nacional (National Edition), made from the Avesso grape which is 100% Portuguese and native to Covela’s sub-region.

We finished the wine tasting just after 4 and it took us about ¾ hour to get back to the hotel as we kept stopping for photos.  So, undeniably the scenery here is spectacular.  However, my first impression of this region hasn't changed.  The villages, such as they are, just don't have the same personality as the Alsatian, Rhine and Burgundy wine villages.  Sorry and no disrespect intended!