Fodor's Expert Review Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo

Perched on the north bank of the Douro, this Relais and Châteaux property is owned by the family that dominates Portugal's cork industry, but its wine-themed hotel is on an intimate scale; the elegant accommodations, lounge, and restaurant—where non-guests may also enjoy a home-cooked meal—are in the 18th-century manor house. Guided winery tours and tastings take place three or four times daily (from €24, for three reds and one port). You are also free to hike a 8-km (5-mile) marked trail that takes in a walled orchard and stones that from 1756 served to demarcate the Douro region (but drop into reception first).