This Is Where You Can Sip Wine and Sleep In a Giant Wine Barrel

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By: Jill Mills Posted: Aug 30, 2019 Updated: Aug 10, 2022

How about this for a romantic getaway? Sleep in a well-appointed, huge, wine barrel while sipping on wine to your heart’s content.
If you get excited to crack open a new bottle of Pinot or drool when the scent of a good Cab wafts from the glass to your nose, please tell me you’ve heard about wine ice cream. Read this post where we tell you all about it and where to buy it. 

Sip Wine and Sleep In a Giant Wine Barrel

Love wine? Looking for a getaway that’s delightfully unusual, wonderfully romantic and truly relaxing?

Wine lovers everywhere are invited to Douro, Portugal and the Quinta da Pacheca. It’s a 280-year-old wine estate with a 140-acre vineyard. It’s a dream, isn’t it? To relax with a view like this one, in a place like this, with nothing to do but take naps and drink good wine. It’s pretty close to perfect.

Yes. You really do sleep in a giant wine barrel. Designed to look like the actual wine barrels they use in the vineyards, they are made from pine and were designed by the property’s owners Paulo Pereira and Maria do Céu Gonçalves.

Each suite is 30 meters, which for Americans translates to about 98 feet. Breathtaking views and a skylight window make for a room that feels much bigger than it is.

Your “wine room” has a walk-in shower, bathroom, and a front deck to do nothing but slow down and take in the beauty that surrounds you. Round bed anyone? I don’t think I’ve ever slept on a round bed. Have you? In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen one, other than in photos.

What kind of wine does Quinta da Pacheca have?

There is an 18th-century house on the estate that is home to their beautiful reds, whites, rosé, and port. Their beautiful grapes grow along the river on steep hillsides.

What kind of food does Quinta da Pacheca serve?

While you’re tasting those delightful wines, you can sample plenty of local treats as well. It seems the locally made jams and olive oils are a must-try. You’ll also find a restaurant on the estate. You have no need to leave!

The Douro Wine Region

It’s the home of port and fortified wines like Sherry. The breathtaking mountainous terrain is in and of itself enough of a reason to put this slice of the world on your bucket list.

How much does it cost to stay at Quinta da Pacheca?

The price, as of this writing, is roughly $250 a night. This is a big trip for most of us. We’d need to get tickets to Portugal, make sure our passport is up to date, and spend heaven knows how much to fly there.

But once you’re there, I don’t think the overnight stay is a bad deal at all. I’ve never slept in a wine barrel overlooking a vineyard, so the price per night would be reasonable, in my opinion. You’ll never have another opportunity like this one, so if this trip is within the realm of possibility for you, I say go for it!

Here’s where you can start the process of getting your passport. 

Look for best-value flight deals here.

Get to know the Douro Valley here.