Discover the Portuguese wine routes
Portugal isa country of strong wine tradition, and the excellent quality of its wines is
recognised across the world, with numerous awards and distinctions won in
international competitions. To fully get to know the vineyards, the wineries
and taste the wines, why not stay overnight and explore the surrounding area
too?
Starting in
the north, the Vinho Verde Wine Route runs from the Minho to the Douro. This is
a region of rural tourism, with palaces and manor houses whose vineyards are
worth a visit to discover vines growing on trellises, and where you can have
wine tastings and other experiences. This also the birthplace of the reputed
Alvarinho, the most prized variety of vinho verde.

It is in
the Alto Douro Wine Region, created in 1756, that Port wine that has always been
intended for export is produced. No wonder that there is a centuries old
tradition here of welcoming visitors and sharing with them the best that the
region has to offer. To start with, there is the superb scenery of the Douro
valley, where man built terraces to plant vines on the region’s rugged slopes.
A landscape was produced that was classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage
Site, populated by farms traditionally linked to wine. It is possible to get
here from Porto, where the Port Wine Lodges are, and a good way to discover the
region is on board a cruise ship, visiting some of the most iconic sites linked
to the production of fine wines from the Douro and Porto.
In the
central region you will find the Bairrada route, with is famous sparkling wine
and excellent wine tourism units, some of which owned by old Portuguese
wineries. These establishments are well equipped, and take advantage of their
ancient historical legacy, sometimes even including small museums.
The
Alentejo is a fertile region in wine tourism units, and it is here that one can
find several leading national producers and its quality is appreciated
worldwide and was considered the best wine region in the world to visit in 2014
by readers of the prestigious American newspaper USA Today. The wine producing
quintas (farms) and herdades (estates) lay within this landscape of vast
horizons, and they are renowned for their hospitality and cuisine. You can also
participate in the grape harvest and observe the different stages in the making
of a wine.
On the other side of the Atlantic highlight goes to the Madeira wine
that has gained fame and prestige in all four corners of the world, a real
"treasure" that already in the eighteenth century was appreciated by
kings, princes, generals and explorers. Amongst the more than 30 different
varieties, emphasize is placed on the finest - Sercial, Boal, Verdelho and
Malvasia, the latter representing sweet wine, full-bodied with an intense
perfume and red colour. The vines arranged in terraces supported by stonewalls,
resemble stairs, which in some parts of the island connect the sea to the
mountain boasting breathtaking landscapes.
What about
tasting a wine that grows on basaltic rock? It seems strange that such
conditions produce such a delicious nectar, but that is what you will find in
the Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture in the Azores, that combining
their volcanic nature and ancestral cultivation practices, classified by UNESCO
in 2004 as World Heritage.
In short,
Portugal offers excellent opportunities for wine tourism, often associated with
rural tourism and boutique hotels in prime locations, some designed by
internationally renowned architects.