Quinta de la Rosa

Quinta de la Rosa was given to Claire Feuerheerd as a christening present in 1906, and her family has made wine here ever since. That continuity is the character of the place. It opened to guests in the 1980s, long before the Douro became a destination, and it still runs as a working winery that happens to take people in rather than the other way round.

The estate runs along a terrace on the right bank, on the steep slope that drops to the river a couple of kilometres outside Pinhão. The 23 rooms are scattered across it at different levels, which means the walk to breakfast is a small hike and almost every room has a river view. Some are in the old family house and furnished with Claire's English and Portuguese antiques, including one named for her and another for her granddaughter. Others are more contemporary. Bathrooms in the older rooms keep their original tiles, and Molton Brown handles the toiletries.

Cozinha da Clara, the restaurant, is named for the same grandmother and cooks from her repertoire: regional dishes, home cooking rather than fine dining, served on a shaded terrace over the vineyards. There is a pool, and vine-covered terraces to sit under.

Tastings run daily on the estate and can be arranged at neighbouring quintas. During the September harvest guests can join the picking and, if so inclined, the treading. There are walks straight out into the vineyards, which is the best argument for staying on a working estate rather than in a hotel.

Practically: Pinhão is two kilometres away with its tiled station and the trains to Porto, which is about 75 miles and an hour and a half by road. Taxis in Pinhão are limited, so if you want to get up to the Casal de Loivos viewpoint for sunset, arrange it through reception rather than hoping.