DRINK DEEP

Cruising Portugal's Douro River is an immersive lesson in wine and history

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I'm trying to read my book, but it's impossible.

Each time I attempt a paragraph, my eyes drift upward, drawn to my ever-changing view. One line in, I pass a sprawling 17th-century estate; another sentence, terraced vineyards cascading down the hillside. I give up. My book is set aside and I let the medieval tale, brought to life by wine, stone and sun, wash over me. I am stretched out on the sun deck of Viking Torgil, Portugal's warm breeze cocooning me as we meander past sandy riverbanks. Fishermen stand calf deep in the river, eagles circle overhead and homes are scattered across the hillside. Some are crumbling stone cottages, once overnight shelters for hunters, others renovated mansions atop medieval foundations. I take it all in from my shaded lounger, savouring these peaceful moments along the Douro.

Sip and seek

The Douro isn’t a destination you simply pass through. It's alive with history, each bend of the river a page out of a history book. My journey here with Viking takes me deep into its cultural heart. Recognised as one of the world’s oldest wine regions, the Douro has been producing wines for more than 2000 years and I am keen to drink in this story.

We disembark for Mateus Palace, the grand estate pictured on the Mateus wine bottle - a popular rosé in the '60s and '70s that accounted for 40 per cent of Portugal's wine exports.