Vinologia

Vinologia is a specialist port wine bar on Rua de São João, a street leading up from the Ribeira. Where the big lodges across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia focus on their own brands, Vinologia's appeal is choice: it offers more than two hundred port wines to taste.

The bar is built for learning as much as drinking. Themed tastings let you compare different styles side by side, which is the quickest way to understand the difference between ruby, tawny, late bottled vintage, colheita and vintage ports, or between white and rosé styles. Ask for help choosing if you are new to port, and note the names of any wines you enjoy so you can look for them again at home.

The space is small and simple, with the bottles on display providing most of the decoration. This keeps the attention on the wine and makes the atmosphere relaxed and conversational rather than loud. Opening hours are not listed on the website, so it is worth calling ahead before making a special trip, particularly outside the main season. Allow an hour or so for a tasting. If you have already visited a lodge in Gaia, a tasting here is a useful way to compare the house style you tried there with wines from other producers, and to work out which styles of port you prefer before buying a bottle to take home.

Vinologia suits couples, wine lovers and curious first-time visitors who want a more personal introduction to port than a large cellar tour can provide. It is a good choice in the early evening, before dinner in the Ribeira, or after a day of sightseeing. Prices are moderate for tastings, while rare and older wines naturally cost more. Remember that port is fortified and stronger than table wine, so pace yourself and eat something alongside.

The bar is a short walk uphill from the Cais da Ribeira and around the corner from the Palácio da Bolsa and the Church of São Francisco. Combining a tasting here with a visit to one of the Gaia lodges across the bridge, such as Taylor's, gives a rounded view of port wine in a single day.