Among a sea of green vines tucked into the hilly Douro riverside lives matching rows of people-sized wine barrels. Like something out of a hobbit movie, the barrels sit perfectly placed within the landscape and look quite at home. Overlooking the rest of the grounds at Quinta de Pacheco, these twelve barrels stand at attention as the stoic wooden guardians of this quaint family vineyard.

As one enters the gates of the estate, large eucalyptus trees sway and wave hello in the wind. These Mammoth beings line both sides of the sloping driveway leading to the tasting room and hotel on the property — a wholesome, welcoming omen for our stay.

Earlier in the day, we were here for a wine harvesting experience, where we had the pleasure of harvesting, stomping, tasting, and learning all about the grape process here at Quinta de Pacheco. You can read more about our wine harvesting experience here.

After check-in, with a glass of port wine included, you make the small trek up a hill to see these wonders in person. Then, once inside, you’re greeted into a surprisingly roomy space of rich wood and under lighting. A massive round bed takes up most of the layout, welcoming guests, like a siren call, to take a nap. A small skylight above adds natural light to the intimate space, allowing guest to see the sky as clouds roll in for late storms in the afternoons.

The bathroom, behind the headboard, was well thought out to compliment the shape of the space. Complete with a sink and surprising amount of counter and overall storage space was not lacking in this room. We had multiple cubby options available for bags to tuck away items.

The real show stopper for this room is the massive round door that take up an entire back wall, inviting the outside world in. Gavin and I spent a lovely afternoon on our private patio watching the vines sway as a storm moved over the riverside and happily nibbled on some snacks.

Once the sun went down, we made our way down the hill and to dinner at The Wine House. One noteworthy dish of the night was a baked brie appetizer topped with jam and nuts.

Then we said goodnight to the vines, made our way up our little hill, shut the blinds, and fell asleep to the soft sound of pitter-patter of rain on a roof.

A dewey dawn greeted us as we snuggled deeper under the covers, happy to open our door and let the crisp morning air stir us awake. We had breakfast delivered to the room and decided to merrily munch on the back patio. Guests of all kinds came and said their hello’s, hoping for a bite of their own. First were the property peacocks; we had three that seemed to meander around the barrels and not stray far from the area. Next was the cutest black cat, who waited very patiently for a fresh slice of ham. Finally, the bees, who must of been coaxed over by the promise of marmalade.

We finished our meal, packed our bags, and said goodbye to our barrel. Staying at Quinta de Pacheco was my personal highlight of Douro Valley, and I hope to one day return to this beautiful property again.