3 unique wine experiences in the Lisbon area and their curated wine experiences

With so many wine experiences in Portugal, I want to make it easy for you and give you our recommendations if you are staying in the Lisbon area.  I do not want to overwhelm you with all of the wineries I recommend near Lisbon in this post. Instead I am going to highlight 3 incredible wineries with truly unique wine experiences for you to enjoy.

Cas’Amaro

Less than an hour north of Lisbon you’ll find a stunning little winery set in the rolling hills of Aldeia Galega da Merceana. The vineyard may only be 4.5 hectares, but it is mighty.  It is planted with 8 native varietals, 4 red grapes and 4 white. A lot of care was taken to make this organic vineyard shine. Everything the owners did was purposeful and with every step they took the land into consideration. They thought hard about their impact on the future of this land, which is something that makes Portuguese wineries stand out in my opinion.  They always think about future generations and their impact on the land. 

Not only can you choose from 5 curated wine experiences that include tours and tastings, but there are three unique ones I wanted to share with you.  The first experience I wanted to share about is a picnic in the vines. Imagine cuddling into a blanket in the vineyard with the sun kissing your face, the smell of earth and hints of floral surround you all while you taste the wines made from the grapes that surround you.  Is there anything that could be more romantic?  This is a truly special, relaxing experience that is not to be missed.

If you aren’t after this level of relaxing, don't worry, they offer a vineyard hiking trail.  The trail for the hike is 16km and has various challenging elevation changes throughout.  You will get to enjoy nature and the vineyard for 3 hours.  Then you will imbibe on three of their organic wines accompanied by regional snacks.  Working up a sweat has never been so fun. 

The final experience I want to share with you is a harvest experience, now this only happens during August and September.  This is truly a perfect wine and gastronomy experience in Portugal. You get an entire day at the vineyard. You will start your day with a delicious breakfast and then head onto a guided tour of the vineyards.  After the tour you will be taught how to pick grapes properly and afterwards you will put those new skills to the test and become a grape picker for 45 minutes.  At this point you will have worked up an appetite, so you will then head into the winery for a tasting of 3 organic wines paired with regional snacks. 

I cannot recommend these wine experiences enough.  Click this link here to book one of these unforgettable tastings. 

Quinta da Almiara

Just 45 minutes north of Lisbon you'll find a beautiful winery with quite the unique architectural building on the property.  Aside from the stunning building, showing various aspects of wine making such using parts of a barrel or the vines in the design of the building, set amongst 180 hectares of vines you will find their historic winery as well.  They offer a few unique wine experiences, but I want to focus on two that stand out the most. 

The Almiara brunch experience is one that is not to be missed.  You start off with a tour of their historic winery as well as their very modern new winery.  You will get to see stunning views of their vineyard from their event space to grasp just how big their property really is.  The best is coming, you get to indulge in wines and gastronomy Portugal style.  The brunch consists of tasting of 4 of their estate wines that pair beautifully with local delicacies.  Are you hungry yet?

If you have an adventurous spirit then I recommend the Almiara Jeep adventure.  You'll get a rough and rugged tour in an open air Jeep through their extensive vineyards.  Following this thrilling ride you will experience 4 of their best wines.  This makes a very memorable wine experience to tell all your friends about. 

To book any of these wine experiences, just click this link.

Quinta da Folgorosa

This breathtaking wine estate dates back to the 18th century and even has hosted the Duke of Wellington during the French invasion in 1810.  The property is full of history and stunning views of the area.  But what makes it even better is that they offer some of the most unique wine experiences for you to enjoy.  I am only highlighting two right now, but they have many more that you really should check out. 

The first unique experience is Palate of Quinta do Folgarosa.  You will get to explore the grounds by walking through their vineyard up to the famous windmill.  You then will get to visit their winery.  During your winery visit you will take a mini class where you will be taught about viticulture and wine making techniques that are practiced at Quinta da Folgorosa.  Don't worry, this isn't just a day of exploring and learning, you will also get to taste three of their incredible wines influenced by the Atlantic Ocean all accompanied by regional food prepared with produce from their gardens.  Their chef really takes his time to present their nibbles in a beautiful way!

The next experience is one of those pinch me kinds.  Winemaker for the day, I mean this is probably on every dream wine itineraries and it can now be achieved by you.  So what does this look like, well, you start in the winery where you will be guided on how to make your own wine blend.  You will then get to learn about and do everything from bottling, corking and labeling your new special wine blend.  Oh, and you get to take this home with you.  Then you follow up this amazing experience with a walk up to the famous windmill through their vineyard, and then back to the winery where you will then taste three of their beautiful wines paired with regional snacks.  

To book their wine experiences, just click this link.  

This post is originally published on the WINEXP blog. These tours are all available to book via the website and links above. Should you need help or want to learn more, please message me.