Portugal is a country that from North to South proudly displays its vineyards and steep terrains where they grow. Every year, the most precious "Gods’ nectars" that make regions such as Douro or Alentejo so famous, are produced, but behind this tasty liquid is an ancient history, common to almost all the civilizations of the West.
Wine - "Fruit of the vine and the work of Man" has since ancient Greece an important role in the trade and in the day-to-day of the populations. Nowadays, besides being important for the Portuguese economy, it is also part of the tradition, culture and identity of Portugal.
Despite the fame associated with Port wine, Portugal has been increasingly affirmed as a producer of table wines. The demarcated regions have taken advantage of this wine production to make themselves known through wine routes, wineries and wine hotels with a strong connection to wine production and wine experiences.
Wine tourism is the result of the junction between wine culture and the curiosity for the region where it is produced, providing a unique and authentic experience by being part of one of the oldest traditions in the world, harvesting, but also by participating in wine tastings or wine themed meals (food and wine pairing). Wanted by wine lovers and deep connoisseurs, wine tourism has created a new category of hotels, Wine Hotels.
These wine hotels offer unique experiences around the wine with well-tended wine cellars, good gastronomy and vineyards to lose sight where you can be part of the harvesting and know the true meaning of the old Portuguese famous saying: "Until the wash of the baskets, it is harvesting time".
In Portugal, see the collection of We Love Small Hotels and best Wine Hotels, where you can be part of the harvesting season:
In the North of Portugal
Quinta da Pacheca is a centennial house in Douro, it was the first house to bottle wine with a brand and today has opened its doors to welcome guests that are looking for a wine-themed experience. Expect a familiar treatment, rural details and vineyards to lose sight. Enter in the authentic Douro heritage by tasting the flavours of their wine and traditional gastronomy prepared by Chef Carlos Pires.
At Quinta da Pacheca you can be part of the harvest, learning with the workers, lunch with them and taste the wines produced here. You can also visit the winery, do a wine tasting and picnic in the vineyards.
In Peso da Régua you will find the charming Quinta do Vallado, famous for its Douro and Port wines. This is a house dating from the 18th century. Not also the house is centennial, but its vineyards too. Stroll around them and be inspired by this idyllic setting, visit the winery and cellars, become familiar with the production process, and most importantly, taste the various nectars of the farm.
Quinta do Vallado offers you the perfect retreat to enjoy the Douro and the chance to be part of the tradition by participating on their harvest program where you receive a kit, taste the wine and have lunch on the restaurant.
In the centre of Portugal
Madre de Água Farm Hotel is the ideal place to discover this unique region of Serra da Estrela. This is the ideal place for a getaway in the higher lands of continental Portugal.
Serra da Estrela offers close contact with nature with its green and hilly fields. The beauty of the surroundings invites you to get out, but there are also plenty of reasons to stay at Madre de Água. They are producers of wines from the Dão Demarcated Region, of olive oil and of cheese made from local sheeps' milk and you can get involved in these products and their production. Such as any other hotel that is proud of their wines, this one also celebrates the harvest season where you can be part of the tradition and discover the wines from Dão.
In the south of Portugal
Torre de Palma is located in the heart of the wine area of Alentejo, once the residence of the distinct Basilii family from the Roman period, this old “quinta” is today a luxury hotel, member of Design Hotels, connected to unique experiences and dedicated to Alentejo wine.
The traditional white and fresh walls from Alentejo typical houses were merged with bold modernity so that Torre de Palma could be your house in rural Alentejo. Its identity is the wine production. Proud of their vineyards and wine cellar, they produce their own wine and you can be part of it by participating in their harvest program and have lunch with the Chef Filipe Ramalho and the Wine maker Duarte de Deus.
São Lourenço do Barrocal is located in a typical Alentejo “monte” and offers the luxury allied to the rural traditions. It provides unique experiences always with nature, heritage and gastronomy as a backdrop.
Participate in their harvest program where you can get to know more about the grapes, how you cut them, the processes and watch the wine cellar producing the wine as the winemaker Susana Esteban explains it all. In the end, taste the wines and have a typical lunch next to an old bread fire oven and lose sight of the 220 square kilometres of vineyards.
Please contact us to tailormade your Harvest Experience in Portugal together with the best wine hotels: info@welovesmallhotels.com
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