Quinta da Lameirinha

Quinta da Lameirinha is the smaller kind of Douro house — four bedrooms, eight guests — which makes it the one to take when the group is a family or two couples rather than a wedding party. What it does not scale down is the view: the valley opens out below the terrace and keeps going.

The pool is heated, which matters here more than people expect. The Douro is a spring and autumn destination as much as a summer one, and a heated pool with a jacuzzi beside it turns a cool October afternoon into the best part of the day. A gas fireplace handles the evenings indoors, and there is air conditioning for the valley's genuinely hot Julys.

Outside there is a lawn garden, a BBQ grill and a terrace positioned for the long light. The house sits close enough to the wine quintas for tastings to be an afternoon rather than an expedition, and far enough from anything to be quiet.