S. João da Pesqueira: Genuine Douro
São João da Pesqueira (which literally means Saint John of the Fishing Town) is located two hours away from Porto and 4 hours away from Madrid, in the heart of the Douro Valley (see map).
I discovered this small town 4 years ago after meeting Oscar (Jr). I am from Barcelona (Spain) so this was quite a different environment for me, but when I met this place I just felt in love. The buildings, the kindness of the people, the food, the views, the passion for wines… Everything made this place unique.
One of the most surprising things for me was to see the coexistence -in a relatively small place- of modernity and tradition. On one side I saw a lot of nice restaurants, a cute hotel and beautiful streets and buildings, and on the other side, mixed up with well-dressed tourists, you would find farmers buying fertilizers for their vineyards, these little streets packed with tiny houses that belonged to another time or the bread maker ringing the door-bells of the town to sell his bread.
Can you see yourself answering to the doorbell in the middle of Barcelona and saying “ Yes João, two bread loafs and four rolls, please”?? I couldn’t, but know I feel so well when I do!
Another thing that captivated me was the food. It nearly seems ridiculous to say this but here tomatoes taste like tomatoes (100 times better than the ones we buy back at home at the grocery store), the meat -which belongs to the farmer two towns away- is so tasty and everything is natural!. I am going to confess that here I discovered the real flavour of strawberries. Can you imagine? I had to wait 25 years to taste a REAL strawberry with its concentrate and strong sweetness, maybe not as perfect-shaped as the ones I’ve seen but incredibly delicious.
Things here happen without an announcement and it was like this that once, while we were in the Quevedo Winery, appeared Mr. Valentim (the boss of the workers of the family), dressed up in a white suit carrying a bee hive. He showed us how to collect the honey from the hives and we could even taste a piece of wax full of this amazing honey… I wish I could send a piece to each reader of this post (you would love it).
This is an Oasis in the crazy world we live in. When we come here for the weekend, after a long working week in Madrid (4 hours away), this feels like another world: no stress, no pollution, people passionated for everything they do… It is a REAL world.
I strongly recommend you to come and visit S. João da Pesqueira and feel yourselves all the sensations I tried to transmit you. It is worth it.
I send you my best regards and be happy!
Nadia Adria
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Comments
My first visit here, found the blog accidentally really, and I just wanted to say I’ve enjoyed my visit and had some good reads while here 
Juan
Fico maravilhada por pessoas passados tantos anos acharem ainda a pérola do Douro. Esta vila traz-me muito boas recordações.
No mês de Dezembro de 1974 encontro-me a caminho do Pinhão de comboio com a minha avó materna para ir viver na barragem da Valeira onde o meu pai trabalhou na altura por conta da Mague montando as turbinas de água.
Estudei em S. João das Pesqueira e recordo com saudade a Srª que vendia doces na Rua dos Gatos.
O jardim do tribunal onde ia buscar camélias acima das árvores.
As cerejeiras à beira da estrada que ia para a barragem a qual fazíamos a pé.
O carneiro que uma vez veio atrás de mim e da minha a um Sábado quando fomos ao mercado ao ar livre.
Os meus colegas, professores e todas as pessoas maravilhosas com quem convivi durante 2 anos que lá morei.
Regressei aí à 14 anos para mostrar ao meu filho esse sítio maravilhoso e vi que existia ainda os pavilhões de casas na barragem.
S. Salvador do Mundo outro local obrigatório para quem vai aí.
Fico grata pelas recordações que me trouxe com as fotos.
Meus compatriotas, escrevo, para dizer que sou apaixonado pelas fotos e comentários de São Joao da Pesqueira.
Moro no Brasil, Estado de São Paulo, na grande Capital, no
bairro do Tatuapé.
O motivo que me leva a interessar-me por esssa querida localidade, e seus moradores é porque minha avó materna, nasceu em Trevões, casou-se por volta de 1915, possuo ate hoje a sua certidão de casamento original, o nome dela era
Ephigenia dos Santos Caldeira, e seu esposo Antonio Maria Caldeira, a muito que tento localizar alguem que vieram a conhece-los, ou ate algum parente distante, gostaria de conhecer alguem que me ajudasse a conhecer mais sobre as minhas origens.
Se alguem sentir de me contactar, escreva em meu endereço eletronico: obralme@gmail.com
desde ja fico no aguardo
Odair Braz
Olá Odair! Acho que conheço alguém que o pode ajudar: ligue para o Restaurante Casarão em Trevões, e peça para falar com o Sr. Adérito +351254477247. Ele deve conhecer alguém da sua família.
Fico contente por ter utilizado o nosso blog para esta sua pesquisa. Quando vier a Portugal avise! Estamos cá para o conhecer.
Oscar
Quevedo was founded in 1991 as a family owned business in the heart of the Douro valley, responding to the needs of the generations that preceded the associate founders. These ancestors were passionately dedicated to their vineyards and to the culture that surrounded the production of wine. Consequently, the company was created as a seamless marriage between the initial phase of production and the promotion and selling of their wines. Currently, the estate is comprised of 100 hectares located in the regions of Cima-Corgo and Douro Superior, producing both red and port wines from only the five traditional port grapes Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão and Tinta Barroca. 
Caro amigo, na verdade S. João da Pesqueira, é apérola do “DOURO”, coração do Alto Douro Vinhateiro a raínha da Região Demarcada do Vinho Fino.
S. João da Pesqueira, é diferente, o amante desta vila encantadora, tem que saber gostar dela, porque a Pesqueira é uma terra sem igual.
Grato pelo seu artigo sobre esta nobre e singela terra.
Cumprimentos