The Best Wine & Food Tasting Tours in Portugal.

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Why Visit Portugal?

Portugal is one of the oldest countries in Europe and is visited by millions of tourists every year. However, this welcoming southern European country is popular for more than just its golden beaches, vibrant cities, and medieval castles. Wine tasting tours of the Douro Valley, Alentejo, Lisbon and the island of Madeira are not to be missed. Portugal is also home of the world-famous Port wine and no wine tasting holiday is complete without visiting the Port houses that line the river in Porto.

WINE TASTING HOLIDAYS IN PORTUGAL
If you are enthusiastic about wine, a wine tasting holiday in Portugal is for you. The country’s winemakers produce an impressive diversity of wines, embracing indigenous grape varieties and skilfully blending traditional with modern techniques. Expand your knowledge of Portugal’s best-known export, Port wine, on a guided tour of Porto’s Port houses. For a unique experience book a wine tasting tour of the Douro Valley during harvest season and you will have the opportunity to witness the traditional foot-treading of the grapes and even lend a hand (or foot in this case!)

FOOD TASTING EXPERIENCES IN PORTUGAL
Portugal’s culinary scene is diverse and delicious whether you’re looking for extraordinary Michelin-starred dining or a more casual tapas bar experience. The country is a foodie’s paradise, offering an abundance of regional produce such as the smoothest olive oil produced from the vast olive groves in Alentejo. Seafood is particularly plentiful and features on menus throughout the country. The Winerist team can recommend a food tasting tour to tantalise your tastebuds.

OTHER REASONS TO VISIT PORTUGAL
If you’re seeking a winter escape from the colder temperatures of northern Europe look no further than the Portuguese islands of Madeira and the Azores. These picturesque, peaceful islands are ideal for R&R and offer some excellent wine and food tasting experiences.

Plan Your Visit

Best Known Grapes

For such a small country, Portugal boasts an incredible variety of indigenous grapes. In fact, the country is home to over 250 native grapes, which are often used in blends of various kinds. Touriga Nacional is probably the best-known Portuguese grape. Other notable varieties include Touriga Franca, which is highly regarded by Port wine makers, Tinta Roriz, which is known as Tempranillo in Spain, Alvarinho which is used for high quality Vinho Verde, and the aromatic white grape of Malvasia Fina.

Best time to visit

The best times of year to visit Portugal on a wine tasting holiday are the spring months of April, May and early June, and the autumn months of September and October. During these periods, you will experience milder temperatures, fewer crowds, and lower prices. You'll also get to experience the Portuguese landscape in full-bloom - a wonderful and colourful sight. For a memorable wine experience, book a wine tasting tour during grape harvest season (typically September and October). There is a palpable excitement in the air and the opportunity to get involved in the picking and crushing of grapes if you so wish.

How long to stay

Portugal is a small country, but there is still so much to see, and plenty to keep you occupied no matter how short or long your stay! A long weekend city break to Porto or Lisbon will give you a teasing taster of the local cuisine and time to sample the regional wines. If you can spare a week, you can delve deeper into the wine regions, comparing the unique characteristics of the fresh Vinho Verde wines with those of the Douro Valley; or the wines of Setubal and the Lisbon region with the wines produced in Alentejo. Add a couple more days to your itinerary to discover the island of Madeira and explore the vineyards which can be found on sloping picturesque hills and cliff sides or intersperse wine drinking with some R&R on the beaches of the Algarve.

How to get there

Portugal has three international airports on the mainland. The best airport to fly into will depend on your proposed itinerary. Lisbon Airport is the busiest airport in Portugal and located just 6 km from the city centre which can be reached by using shuttle bus or the metro. Once you’re in Lisbon, the wine regions of Lisbon and Setubal are easily reachable by car in less than one hour from the city. The Alentejo wine region is around 1.5 hours drive from Lisbon airport. Porto Airport serves regions in northern Portugal and is connected to the metro despite being around 30 minutes away from the city centre. It is a little more than one hour by car from Porto to the heart of the Douro Valley. Faro Airport is the best airport to arrive into if you are heading to southern Portugal, and the golden seaside region of the Algarve. You won't find public transportation from this airport, so it's best to pre-book onward travel. If you’re travelling to the island of Madeira book your flight to Funchal Airport which is located 13 km east of the capital. The Azores are accessible by plane. The main international airport is located on the largest island – San Miguel - and during high season flights operate between the islands. If you are planning to travel around Portugal you may wish to consider train travel. The country has an efficient rail network and a journey between Porto and Lisbon takes just 3 hours.