Janine and I recently returned from a two-week European trip, during which we experienced extraordinary beauty, wine, and hospitality in Portugal.
It was a whirlwind of adventure spanning four locations: the City of Porto, at the outflow of the Douro river where upstream grapes for making port are grown; Lisbon, Portugal’s capital city; the Alentejo region, in the south-central portion of the country; and Lagos, along the southern Atlantic Coast in the Algarve region.
Most wine drinkers associate Portugal with Port—a wine fortified with brandy. If you thought a more significant percentage of wine produced in Portugal went to making Port, you’d be correct—43%.
The remaining production comprises red and white blends and various varietals. It was surprising to learn that over 250 native grape varietals are used in making port and wine throughout Portugal, which ranks fifth in Europe for wine production.
We began our journey in Porto, where we visited Caves Cálem. We had the opportunity to learn about and taste several port types. We were pleasantly surprised to taste White Port, something we’d not encountered. It was fresh, light, and not as heavy or sweet as other Port types.
At Cálem, we also were entertained by a Fado concert. Heartfelt and soulful, the folk music transported us to another time and place.
Porto also has a new cultural district, World of Wine (WOW), which contains a group of wine museums, a wine school, restaurants, and shops. Built in old port caves, it overlooks the Douro River and the city.
WOW was well worth the visit; I wish we had allocated an entire day!
Lisbon was next on the list. We spent most of one day participating in a cultural and culinary tour of Lisbon’s post-colonial period. Due to Portugal’s colonial period with Lisbon as a jumping-off point, the city adds to its Portuguese roots with a compelling mix of African, Indianian, and Brazilian cultural and culinary influences.
Much to learn, much to enjoy!
Next up was the Alentejo region, where we had the opportunity to visit and stay at an organically certified winery—Herdade da Malhadinha Nova (loosely translated as the new Malhadinha estate or preserve). The Alentejo region is Portugal’s largest district and has one of the lowest population densities in Europe.
The Malhadinha property, which covers over 1,500 acres, is part of the “Rede Natura 2000,” a special protection zone created by UNESCO in 1998. Malhadinha grows olive trees and grape vines (197 acres) and raises merino sheep, Alentejo cows, black pigs, and purebred Lusitania horses.
During our visit, I had the opportunity to tour the vineyards, the sheep pens, the winery, and, of course, the tasting room.
The region’s climate provides hot days and cool nights—excellent conditions for growing grapes. The resulting wines are fruit-forward, lean, and balanced. The hot days also support making bigger, more robust wines for certain grape varietals.
Dry farming is not possible; irrigation is a must. Malhadinha practices sustainable agriculture, turning over the soil between vine rows annually, spreading mulch, and letting sheep spread their fertilizer.
One of our last stops was at “the end of the world” near Sagres Point in far southwest Portugal in the Algarve region. Romans considered the location the end of the world, with the Atlantic a primarily unknown territory.
Lodging in the ancient city of Lagos, we explored the town and traveled for several days along the southern Atlantic coast, visiting villages and beaches.
The beautiful ocean vistas and rock formations provided an excellent bookend to the start of the trip in Porto.
I hope you can discern from the photos that the scenery was exceptional and varied. People everywhere we went were friendly, helpful, and easy to converse with. Not speaking Portuguese tended not to be an issue.
And the wine. It’s excellently made and inexpensive, and the variety is stunning. Our first study of a wine menu shocked us as we tried to determine whether the prices were by the glass or bottle.
By the bottle, of course, at Colorado’s by-the-glass prices!
As an aside, let me speak to the time of year for our visit—the second and third weeks of November.
We purposely chose not to travel in summer to avoid tourist crowds and potential heat. Spring and early fall are too busy with vineyard tasks. While our time frame seemed perfect (the weather cooperated), we found that during our second travel week, many businesses began to take their holidays—from the third week of the month until close to Christmas.
And adoringly, many Christmas decorations already lined streets and shop windows!
On a return trip, we’ll focus more on one or two areas instead of four, enabling deeper dives as warranted. Lisbon and the surrounding area would be high on the list, as would touring the Douro wine region upriver from Porto. And yes, the Algarve, with its wonderful beaches and large rock formations, is also on the list.
I guess we’ll need to add more time to the visit…
Saúde!
Makes me want to go back.
YOS