Discover Top 3 Wine Routes in Portugal

Portugal is renowned for its landscapes, its gastronomy, but also and above all for its wines. Visiting Portugal means traveling through the different wine regions from North to South. Portuguese wines form the common thread of a journey to discover the fascinating landscapes, cultures and heritage of Portugal.

Wine Routes in Portugal

1. Wine Route from Lisbon to Alentejo

Let’s start with Lisbon. Let’s go a little further north of the capital of Portugal, because Torres Vedras and Alenquer are located there. Both municipalities have been chosen as European City of Wine 2018. In this wine region characterized by a great diversity of production, the largest areas of vineyards are found in Arruda dos Vinhos, Alenquer, Torres Vedras and Óbidos. Make an intermediate stop in Bucelas, where there is a unique white wine in the world, very recognized at the English court of George III.

But it is not to the north, but to the south of Lisbon, crossing the Tagus, that the greatest oenological surprise awaits you: the Setúbal peninsula. A region of fruity white wines and young rosés, as well as the famous Moscatel de Setúbal. To discover it, the best is to go to Palmela.

Continuing this Portuguese wine route, the Alentejo is one of the most famous territories. Alentejo is the largest region with the highest production of wines in Portugal. And it is in this vastness of flat land, where the vines are seen in perfect rows that reach to the horizon. At least until the Sierra de São Mamede, where the vines are cultivated on the steep slopes of the sierra. Alentejo wines are aromatic and age with pride. Knowing this wine region will allow us to marvel at the great aqueduct of Elvas and its fortress and discover the Roman footprints in Évora, whose historic centers have been declared World Heritage by UNESCO.

2. Douro Wine Route in Vinho Verde

The jewel of Portuguese wine tourism is the Port and Douro Wine Route. The terraces of its valley are listed as World Heritage. A well-deserved title, since Port wine is the best known of Portuguese wines. Between the months of September and October, you can take part in the harvest if you visit one of the areas dedicated to wine tourism. Meet next door to Porto, at Vila Nova da Gaia, where Portugal’s most legendary wines age.

Other different landscapes are those that offer us the Green Wine Route, in the extreme northwest of the country. Green wine is unique in the world. And if travel is the sum of exceptional experiences, it will be worth taking a walk to discover the Minho region. If there is no contrast in the different green tones of this type of wine, always fresh and aromatic, there is in the territory, which includes both beaches and mountains, valleys and rivers . This region preserves a precious architectural heritage in old cellars dotted among the vines. Must-sees are the historic center of Guimarães, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and the historic centers of Braga, Ponte de Lima and Melgaço.

3. Beira Wine Route in the Algarve

Follow the border with Spain to discover La Beira. The ancient castles are perfectly combined with the vineyards, both on the route of Dão, where the granite soils give the wines a very personal character, and on the route of the interior of Beira, where following the route of historic villages of Portugal, you can savor the amazing red wines of the region.

In the Algarve, in the south of Portugal, it is said that there are few pleasures comparable to tasting some of the delicate white wines of this wine region sitting on a terrace overlooking the sea. And if we speak of the sea , or rather to cross it, we must not forget that there are two Portuguese wine regions outside the continent: they are the wines of the Azores and Madeira. But the two regions are undoubtedly another wine tourism adventure.

Enjoy your trip on the Wine Routes in Portugal!

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