Our destination was Quinta da Roeda, Croft's estate in Pinhao. On a normal day the drive is shorter, but road reinforcement works along the route meant it took us around two hours. Not that anyone was complaining: the Douro is a valley best seen slowly, and every bend brought another sweep of terraced vineyards falling away to the river.

Pinhao itself is a small riverside town at the heart of the Douro, where the Pinhao River meets the Douro, and it's surrounded on all sides by the terraces of some of Portugal's most revered wine producers. As we arrived, we crossed the town's iron bridge, widely attributed to Gustave Eiffel and completed in 1906, with a metal deck around 240 metres long.

Croft is one of the most historic of all Port houses, founded in 1588, and Quinta da Roeda is its famous estate in the heart of the Douro. A 19th-century poet, Vega Cabral, summed it up beautifully: if the Douro is Portugal's gold ring, Quinta da Roeda is its diamond. Standing among the vines, it's easy to see why. The estate is a great sweep of terraced vineyard along the north bank of the river, just above Pinhao.

As we walked the vineyards, a series of information boards told the story of the estate, and one chapter stood out: phylloxera.

In the 1870s, Roeda's vines, like many of Europe's finest vineyards, were devastated by phylloxera, a microscopic insect from America that attacks the roots of the vine and slowly kills it. The destruction at Roeda was so complete that the owners decided to plant mulberry trees instead, whose leaves are the favourite food of silkworms. Had a solution not been found, Roeda might today be famous for fine silk rather than fine wine.

The solution, when it came, was to graft European vines onto American rootstocks, which are naturally resistant to the insect. Between 1889 and the end of the century, Croft undertook a massive renovation of the estate, planting nearly 50,000 vines to replace those that had been lost. Most were planted in three plots, known as Benedita, Ferradura and Galeria, which together still make up over 15% of the estate's vineyards today. These old vines are some of the most beautiful terraced vineyards in the Douro, and they pioneered a new model of grape growing after phylloxera. They're now a treasure trove of valuable genetic material.

The silk story has a lovely ending, too. Those old vines now produce Quinta da Roeda Serikos, a rare and exceptional Vintage Port made only from the Benedita, Ferradura and Galeria vineyards. Its name comes from the Ancient Greek word for "silken", a nod both to the estate's brief history with silk and to the silky texture of its wines. The first Serikos to be released was the 2017.

The estate's care for the environment was obvious as we walked around, and it's clearly built into everything Croft does, from the vineyard to the bottle.

It starts in the vineyards, where the focus is on protecting the soil, composting and encouraging biodiversity. We saw the composting first-hand: near the winery, the leftovers from the harvest, the grape skins, pips and stalks left behind after pressing, were piled up to be turned into natural fertiliser and returned to the vines. Nothing is wasted: what comes from the vines goes back to the vines.

Each part of the vineyard is managed individually, with the grape varieties best suited to each type of soil carefully chosen and placed to get the best possible wine. Croft also uses its own style of terrace, designed so that weeds can be cleared mechanically rather than with chemicals, while keeping the soil healthy.

Just like at Vargellas, the vines are dry-farmed, relying entirely on rainfall rather than irrigation. Croft uses data from its own weather stations to time vineyard treatments, so the vines are only treated when conditions actually call for it. When it comes to pests, the preference is for certified, eco-friendly products, and natural solutions such as encouraging the insects and other predators that keep pests in check.

In the winery, a clean-in-place system cuts down on the detergents needed for cleaning, and solar panels help power the operation. Energy use is monitored constantly, with real progress made on cutting waste, increasing recycling and reducing carbon emissions. Even the packaging plays its part, with lighter glass bottles, FSC-certified materials and natural cork, which plays an important role in capturing carbon.

All this has earned Croft certification under Portugal's national sustainability standard for the wine sector, an independent way of proving that its practices really are sustainable. Croft is also a mentor of the Porto Protocol, a global wine community launched in 2018 to share solutions to climate change, which now brings together more than 300 member companies from over 25 countries.

For someone who spends their working life looking at bottles on a screen, it was eye-opening to see how much thought goes into protecting the land those bottles come from. Fladgate's view is a long one: look after the vineyards and the communities around them, and they'll look after you for generations to come.

We finished our visit with a tasting of three Croft Ports.

Croft Pink Port. Croft created the first ever rose Port, and it's a fun, modern style: bright pink, fresh and fruity, with raspberries, cherries and a touch of floral.

Croft Quinta da Roeda Vintage Port 2015. A single-estate Vintage Port from the very vineyards we'd just walked through. Fragrant and juicy, with ripe dark berries, floral notes and smooth, velvety tannins.

Croft Vintage Port 2017. A Classic Vintage, and a real step up in power. Deep and concentrated, with blackberries, plums and spice, firm tannins and a long, fresh finish. One to lay down for years to come.

As we tasted, Joao shared two stories that brought the history of Port vividly to life.

A River Of Port

The first was a reminder of just how powerful the weather can be in this part of the world. On the evening of Wednesday 3rd January 2001, a great roar was heard inside Fonseca's lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia, followed by a river of wine. That winter was already one of the wettest on record, and torrential rain, falling since the end of October, had caused a landslide and the collapse of part of the building.

The force of a thousand pipes of Port, the equivalent of almost three quarters of a million bottles, pouring along the corridors made it difficult to stay on your feet. Among the losses were many of Fonseca's best wines from the 1999 vintage, as Port flowed out of the building and down the street. As Joao told it, locals rushed out with buckets to catch what they could. It's hard to imagine a more heart-breaking sight for a winemaker, or a more memorable one for the neighbours.

Dona Antonia, the "Ferreirinha"

The second story was about a woman who shaped the Douro as much as anyone: Dona Antonia Adelaide Ferreira, who lived from 1811 to 1896 and was affectionately known as "Ferreirinha". At a time when the wine trade was dominated by men, she became one of the most powerful and respected figures in the Douro. She took charge of her family's Port business after being widowed at just 33, with two young children, and turned it into what is today Casa Ferreira.

Her story tied in perfectly with what we'd just seen in Roeda's vineyards. When phylloxera struck, she travelled to learn how to fight it and came back with a plan to use American vine roots, which were immune to the insect, and to buy land from struggling Douro farmers to help the region through the economic crisis the plague had caused. Rather than retreat, she bought vineyards from struggling landowners, introduced new growing techniques, invested in modern winemaking and rebuilt vineyards destroyed by the crisis. Among her great projects was Quinta do Vale Meao, still one of the most famous estates in the Douro today.

She was just as remarkable off the vineyard. She supported the communities where her vines grew, funding hospitals, charities and workers' welfare, and earned enormous respect right across the region. More than a century later, she's still remembered as a woman ahead of her time, and as one of the most iconic figures in the history of Portuguese wine.

From Roeda, it was a short trip back into Pinhao for lunch at The Vintage House, right on the riverbank. We ate outside in the gardens, looking out over the Douro, and we were joined by a very special guest: Adrian Bridge, CEO of The Fladgate Partnership and the visionary behind WOW.

The Vintage House has a fascinating history of its own. It began life in the 18th century as a Taylor's Port warehouse and has since been converted into one of the Douro's most prestigious hotels, all while keeping its character. Over lunch, Adrian told us some of its story. He was a fascinating man to listen to, and it was a real privilege to hear the history of the house, and of the company, from the person leading it today.

The food came from The Vintage House's kitchen, led by Chef Milton Ferreira, the same chef whose cooking we'd enjoyed at Casa das Pipas the day before. His menus celebrate traditional, regional flavours, using produce from the Douro Valley and local producers.

A taste of the estates: Taylor’s The Chef’s Edition olive oil

One thing appeared on the table at almost every meal of the trip, and by Day 3 it had become a firm favourite with the whole group: Taylor’s The Chef’s Edition Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

It turns out the olive trees we’d seen dotted among the vineyards aren’t just there for the view. The Chef’s Edition comes from Quinta de Vargellas, Quinta de Terra Feita and Quinta do Junco, the very same estates that produce Taylor’s Vintage Ports. Woven between the vines are 17 hectares of olive trees, made up mainly of traditional Douro varieties: Madural, Cordovil, Verdeal Trasmontana, Molar and Cobrancosa. Having slept at Vargellas, it was a lovely thought that the oil on our bread had come from the same hillsides.

The olives are picked by hand in November, and they’re milled on the very same day they’re harvested, to lock in as much flavour and freshness as possible. They’re cold pressed, which keeps all the natural flavours, gives a very low acidity and preserves the oil’s nutritional value. Like the vines, the olive groves are dry-farmed and rely entirely on natural rainfall, so the weather each year shapes the oil just as it shapes the wine.

In the glass bowl, it’s a light golden yellow with flecks of green. The aroma is intensely green and fruity, with notes of tomato leaves, green apple, artichoke and green almond. On the palate it’s fresh, with a gentle peppery kick at the back of the throat and a herby finish, the sign of a really good, fresh extra virgin olive oil.

It’s the kind of oil that brings a dish together. Drizzle it over a fresh salad or grilled fish, or simply enjoy it with good bread, as we did, a little too often. Our hosts even shared a local tip: a shot of good olive oil a day keeps you looking young. We can’t promise results, but with antioxidants this good, we were happy to give it a try.

And with that, our time in the Douro came to an end. After lunch, we said our goodbyes and made our way home, with plenty to think about on the journey.

Over three days we'd followed Port from the ground to the bottle, just as promised. We'd stood in schist vineyards that survive on winter rain alone, watched grapes arrive at harvest, seen the robotic lagares that recreate the human foot, walked through lodges full of ageing wine, and heard how a single insect almost turned one of the Douro's finest estates into a silk farm. We'd tasted everything from a crisp Chip Dry to a 50 Year Old Tawny, a white Port made from wines dating back to 1896, and Fladgate's still wines from right across Portugal. And we'd heard it all from the people who make it happen: from David Guimaraens in the winery at Vargellas to Adrian Bridge over lunch by the river.

For me, one of the biggest surprises of the trip was the still wines. Portugal is best known for Port, but its still wines are growing in popularity around the world, and it's easy to see why. With a huge range of native grape varieties you won't find anywhere else, and regions as different as the cool, green Vinho Verde, the mountainous Dao and the limestone hills of Bairrada, Portugal offers something genuinely different, and often remarkable value. Tasting Fladgate's range, from a zesty Alvarinho to a Pinot Noir from the Dao and the Principal Grande Reserva, made it clear that a Port house with more than three centuries of history is now bringing that same care and expertise to Portugal's still wines. It's an exciting time to be discovering them.

What stays with me most, though, is the people. This is a family business in the truest sense, where history is painted on the walls, knowledge is passed from one generation to the next, and every decision is made with the next hundred years in mind. That care runs through everything, from the vineyards to the bottle.

A huge thank you to The Fladgate Partnership and Mentzendorff for the invitation, to David Guimaraens and Adrian Bridge for giving us their time, and above all to Joao Vasconcelos and Andre Luis Martins, who looked after us so brilliantly from start to finish. Thank you, too, to my fellow travellers from across the UK trade for the great company and conversation. Obrigado!

I came to Portugal as the person who puts these wines on our website. I came home understanding the land, the craft and the people behind every bottle. Next time you open a bottle of Taylor's, Croft, Fonseca, or one of Fladgate's still wines, I hope you'll think of those steep terraces above the Douro, and raise a glass to everyone who brought it to your table.