1880 Facts about Port and Madeira by Henry Vizetelly

58

In the Port Wins Country.

ing the same name mingle •with those of the s'wift-rushing and m'uddy Douro, stands the Quinta Amarella—the Tello'sv Quinta —occupied by the representative of the fii-m of Martinez,G-assiot, and Co.at the epoch of the "vintage. Almost at the summit of the same high hill, known as Casal de Loivos (the Wolves' Lair)—so named at a time when its forests were the refuge of that animal—and looking do'wn over the "wide narro"w ravines along which tlie Douro and the Pinhao take their course,are the snow-white cottages of the village of Casal de Loivos, in the midst of chestnut-trees and "vines. On crossing the Douro by the ferry at Pinhao we rode at once to the Quinta Amarella and found house, lagares, and tonels undergoing a complete restoration, and the "wine being made in some lagares forming part of the same property,hut situated higher up the hill. Although the quinta has given in good years as many as eighty or ninety pipes of first-class "wine, the produce was hut small on the occasion of our visit, partly from the unfavourable weather, but chiefly from a considerable portion of the quinta ha"ving been recently replanted and the vines not yet being in full bearing. We spent several days, at different times, at the Quinta Amarella during our sojourn in the Upper Douro, where, owing to the absence of any kind of accommodation, the traveller is entirely dependent upon the courtesy ofthe owners or occupiers of the quintas along his line of route. When an invitation is given to you to take up your quarters in one ofthese quintas,it is invariably accompanied by the intimation that you must be prepared to"rough it." But it usually happens that the only roughing of it you have to undergo is over the villainous roads which lead to your destina tion. Thereis no lack of hospitality,and you are feasted on fowls, turkeys, and hams,and on beef and mutton—which,by the way, have to be sent for a distance of ten miles—on the daintiest of pastry made by the nuns,and the many preserves for which the Alto Douro is famous. These, moreover,will be fi'equently sup plemented by delicacies bearing Crosse and Blackwell's well- kno"wn brand, while the finest of grapes are of course in abun-