On this luxury wine and food tour, designed by Portugal by Wine, we invite you to discover the Alentejo Wine Region.
The program of 3 days and 2 nights, includes the visit to 6 of the most respected Alentejo Wine Estates, where you will taste the best wines, Alentejo gastronomy and enjoy unforgettable wine tourism experiences.
The tour starts with the pick-up at Humberto Delgado Airport, in hotels, or in the city centre of Lisbon. You will be accompanied by a chauffeur specialized in wine tourism, and the entire trip will be in a premium vehicle.
After the pick-up, the trip towards Alentejo will be full of stunning landscapes, where you will appreciate the peculiar natural beauty of this route.
The activities will start at Monte da Ravasqueira. Located in the municipality of Arraiolos, produces the best wines of Alentejo and occupies a vast area of landscape, with excellent geological and climatic conditions for the production of wine! The visit will begin at the Private Museum, which pays homage to the creation of Lusitanian horses and brings together private harnesses and hitching cars from Europe. After visiting, you will know the vineyards and the imposing wine cellar, where the wines rest.
For lunch, there are many regional restaurants options in Arraiolos. The program suggests the 'República do Petisco' restaurant, in the centre of the village, where you can enjoy a menu full of typical Alentejo dishes.
In the afternoon, you will visit Casa Alexandre Relvas, a family business located in the village of S. Miguel de Machede, between Évora and Redondo. The wines are recognized for the excellent price quality ratio, receiving year after year excellent scores by the international specialized critic. On the guided tour of the property you will know the winery, a building entirely covered with cork, and all the processes related to production, the varieties with which they work and learn a little more about the Alentejo region. After the visit, you will enjoy a tasting of Portuguese grape varieties, which consists of the tasting of 4 single grape varieties and a "blend", accompanied by regional snacks.
In the late afternoon, our chauffeur will take you to the city of Évora, where you will have free time to stroll and get to know the city classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, and heir to a rich and varied cultural heritage. Whether in the interplay of medieval streets, in the exuberance of palaces, monasteries and churches, Évora hides a charm of its own.
For dinner, you will have a table reserved at Enoteca Cartuxa restaurant, cultural and wine heritage of the Eugénio de Almeida Foundation, joins the legacy of Alentejo gastronomy, in the historic centre of Évora. Be amazed to discover the perfect harmony between the Cartuxa wines and the regional cuisine interpreted and reinvented in a current way in a dinner full of traditional Alentejo flavours, chef's suggestion.
With regard to accommodation, the program offers two emblematic hotels, one of 5 and the other of 4 stars.
The Hotel Convento do Espinheiro Historic Hotel & Spa*****, located in Évora, where you can enjoy an authentic experience of Romance in Alentejo. Built in the reign of D. Afonso V, with an incomparable history, it is blessed with 8 hectares of divine outdoor spaces, an SPA, considered the best Spa in Portugal in 2009, by the World Travel Awards, an indoor pool overlooking the garden, gym, sauna and jacuzzi. In warmer weather, the outdoor pool and Aqua Lounge Pool Bar are at your disposal.
Alternatively, the Hotel M ´AR De AR Muralhas****, located in the historic city centre of Évora, near the well-known Giraldo Square, the nerve centre of this magnificent city and capital of the kingdom during the early years of the 16th century. Here you can enjoy the wide garden area framed by the historic wall that provides an environment of incomparable beauty. Benefiting from this unique setting is the pool area, the terrace with a living area of high comfort, taking full advantage of the famous Alentejo nights and the planetarium that forms on our heads.
Day 2
After a buffet breakfast at the hotel with the best regional Alentejo products, our guide will pick you up and drive you on the 2nd day of this tour.
The activities will begin in one of the most respected brands in Portugal, Cartuxa - Quinta de Valbom. Located in Quinta de Valbom, 2 km from the historic centre of Évora and 200 metres from the Carthusian Monastery that inspired its name. The Cartuxa Wine Tourism is housed in the former Jesuit rest home (Companhia de Jesus), who taught at the University of Évora in the 16th and 17th centuries. You will discover the history and unique surroundings of Quinta de Valbom through a guided tour of the building where the Cartuxa Winery was founded. The activity will culminate with the tasting of 3 wines, selected by the Eugénio de Almeida Foundation, accompanied by typical Alentejo snacks, such as sausages, cheeses and jams from the region.
For lunch, we have selected one of the most renowned restaurants in the city of Évora, the Restaurant 5 Amêndoas, installed in the Hotel Vitória Stone, where you will enjoy a typical Alentejo lunch, and you can try the best traditional cuisine, with a touch of sophistication, on a menu suggested by the Chef.
After lunch, you will visit Herdade do Freixo, an agricultural company located in northeastern Alentejo, whose main activity is wine production with varieties of high adaptive potential to soil and climate. You will know the winery, owner of a unique architecture, built in depth in a total of 3 floors below the vineyard, and at the end of the visit you will taste 2 premium wines, in a tasting accompanied by a board of cheeses and sausages.
After the visit to Herdade do Freixo it will be time to return to the hotel.
Day 3
After a buffet breakfast at the hotel with the best regional Alentejo products, our guide will pick you up and drive you on the 3rd day of this tour.
The activities will begin at Herdade do Esporão. You will unlock the secrets of wine production on a visit to the Cellars, and test your senses in a tasting with an exercise in aromas. The tasting begins with a visit to know the winemaking process of Esporão wines. Then you will explore your senses through a commented tasting, where you will identify different wine profiles.
For lunch, the Chef of Herdade do Esporão presents you a cuisine focused on the products and flavours of Alentejo and Portugal, combined with a modern cooking and interpretation. The Menu leaves your meal entirely in the hands of the Chef, who will define a Tasting Menu of 5 Moments, prepared with seasonal products, from local and national producers, closely following the cycle of each.
After lunch, it will be time to visit the Adega da Ervideira. You will visit the winery and follow the entire production process, from the arrival of the grape to the bottling of the wine and its expedition. You will know Ervideira in its essence. After the visit, a wine tasting will take place. There will be several references, among whites, rosés and reds, including "Blind Bottles". These, completely "uncharacterized", will have a wine in common and the challenge is to identify it and match the bottles in taste. You can also sample regional products.
At the end of the day it will be time to return to Lisbon, our guide will leave you in the city centre, hotels or at Humberto Delgado Airport.
Discover Portugal by Wine!
Highlights:
- Wine and food experiences in renowned Alentejo producers;
- 2 Nights of accommodation, in a double room, at Convento do Espinheiro 5* Hotel, or at M'ar de Ar Muralhas 4* Hotel;
- Visits with wine tastings at 6 of the most renowned Alentejo wine estates;
- 2 Meals, Chef’s suggestion, 1 paired with wines at a wine estate and 1 at a gourmet restaurant;
- Free time to stroll in Évora;
- Transfer with specialized chauffeur on a premium vehicle;
- Pick-up and drop-off at Lisbon city centre.