End of the year at Torre de Palma with wine and stargazing
21/12/2022The Torre de Palma Wine Hotel invites you to celebrate the entry into the year 2023, among family and friends, in the heart of the Alentejo wine region in an exclusive and creative environment. To this end, they have prepared a different program that includes the best of Torre de Palma: getting to know the Roman heritage of this property, tasting the wines from the cellar and the signature cuisine of the award-winning Chef Miguel Laffan. They also promise a New Year’s Eve with unforgettable and creative moments.
The New Year’s Eve program with entry on December 30th and departure on January 1st includes: 2 nights accommodation with breakfast; Welcome drink at the top of the Tower at sunset with Torre de Palma wine; Wine tasting around the campfire with Alentejo regional products; Special dinner Menu “Wines at the Table”; Stargazing; Cookie workshop for children; New Year’s Eve special tasting menu designed by Chef Miguel Laffan at Restaurante Palma, with wine pairing; Fireworks at the top of the Tower to enter the new year with joy. New Year’s Supper and open bar with music and dance floor at Bar Cortejo de Baco. Also, Visit to the Torre de Palma Winery; Private and exclusive access to the indoor pool by appointment; Bicycle Service to discover the property; Late Check-out (Upon availability).
Other activities can be added to the program for a fee: massages and spa treatments, equestrian activities, carriage rides, gastronomic and agriculture workshops, hot air balloon rides, treasure hunts for children, picnics, among other activities for the whole family. family.
For more information and reservations, contact reservas@torredepalma.com, phone +351 245 038 890 or WhatsApp +351 936 004 264.
Christmas arrives at Quinta do Sanguinhal with an intimate Christmas lunch and concert
13/12/2022To celebrate Christmas, Companhia Agrícola do Sanguinhal reserved the date of December 17th for lunch with an intimate Christmas concert, which starts at 1:30 pm, at the emblematic Casa Museu Abel Pereira da Fonseca. Chefs Nuno Nobre and Francisco Silva invite you to taste a well-stocked menu, including appetisers, starters, a main course and desserts with an exclusive wine pairing, followed by the Christmas concert, at 6 pm, in the historic Madre Deus Chapel, in the Quinta since the 16th century. A musical moment starring Alda Fontes (voice), Hugo Trindade (guitar), Edgar Alexandre (piano), Afonso Castanheira (double bass) and Dirk van Eck (drums).
As for the menu, it consists of:
Delicacies
- Sea urchin from Ericeira, seaweed and king crab from the Azores;
- Oyster from Ria Formosa, with foie gras and pineapple from the Azores;
- Two-year-old anchovies and roasted pepper salad;
- Berlin ball, black truffle, Serra cheese and farinheira from the red meat;
- Octopus from Sagres and orange from the Algarve.
Appetizer
- Azorean lily tartar and Madeira tangerine sauce;
- Onion bluefin tuna.
Main course
- Peniche fish rice with Ericeira lobster.
Dessert
- Algarve dry fig and carob brownie;
- Petit fours;
Water, tea or coffee.
A lunch consisting of exotic dishes to which an exclusive wine pairing is added, with Quinta das Cerejeiras Grande Reserva White, Rosé and Red, APF Abel Pereira da Fonseca Red and Wine Spirits. The price of this Christmas get-together at a Quinta in the Demarcated Region of Óbidos, where you can learn about a history of over 100 years in the Portuguese wine-growing area, is €150 per person.
More information: https://shop.sanguinhal.pt/Almo%C3%A7o-&-Concerto-de-Natal-p514656365
Turismo de Lisboa releases video about the Wine Route
13/12/2022The Lisbon Tourism Association (ATL) makes known the Wine Route with a video that suggests the places not to be missed and the experiences to have to toast to life between flavours, stories and traditions. This video will be released in foreign markets and is available on the website www.visitlisboa.com, in Portuguese, English, French, Italian, Spanish and German.
Suggestions include the Parque Vinícola de Lisboa, next to the airport, and the experimental vineyard Meia Encosta, in Tapada da Ajuda, built in the midst of the frenetic pace of the city and easily visible to passers-by. This route also features Villa Oeiras, a wine that honors the memory of Carcavelos wine, and uses modern production techniques.
The Museu do Vinho e da Vinha, in Bucelas, is also one of the suggested places for a journey through the cultural heritage of the second oldest wine region in Portugal, discovering the evolution of ways of working in the vineyard and wine production, and tasting some of the best wines in the country. Further north, the suggestion goes through the countryside where we find Quinta de Sant’Ana, with a strong commitment to the quality of its award-winning wines.
To the south of the Tagus, there is the Mother House of the Setúbal Peninsula Wine Route, one of the best known nationally. Here, visitors can find several footpaths that take in the wine cellars, vineyards and wines of the region. Recommendations also include Quinta da Bacalhôa and Casa Museu José Maria da Fonseca, great options for tasting the variety of wines produced there. Casa da Baía in Setúbal is also one of the recommended places to discover (and taste) the history and wine culture of the region and the wine produced by the different wineries on the peninsula.
The entire region is marked by a unique production resulting from the fertile soil, the winds and seas, the plains and mountains and the climate, which intersect here. Unique features and settings, with centuries of culture and winemaking techniques, and a landscape that allows for multiple looks and approaches, and that invites everyone to discover and taste the best that Lisbon has to offer.
Wines from Trás os Montes are shown in the city of Porto on the 1st and 11th of December
10/12/2022On the next 10th and 11th of December, the best of Trás-os-Montes can be tasted in Porto, between 3pm and 8pm, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The event brings together more than 20 wine producers from that region, which has been asserting itself as one of the most interesting wine regions of the moment, with a lot of tradition and history in wine production.
Designed to provide the best conditions for discovering the wines and the history they carry, the dates are divided according to the recipients: the 10th is dedicated to consumers, while the 11th is reserved for professionals.
Everyone is destined for «a rich and varied sample of hundreds of wines, which express a terroir that is potentially less known to the general public, but whose richness deserves to be discovered», says Francisco Ataíde Pavão, President of the Regional Wine Commission of Trás-os-Montes , the entity responsible for the event.
Tickets cost €10 (with a free Schott-Zwiesel glass) and can be purchased at Ticketline or at the usual places (Worten, Fnac, among others).
Registration of professionals and guests must be done through a dedicated form: https://forms.gle/rhCbTayb3WJS68eb9
Regions of Lisbon and Setúbal Peninsula promote ‘Vinhos no Pátio’, from 9 to 11 December
09/12/2022Underlining the differences but assuming the advantages of a joint promotion, the Regional Tourism Entity of the Lisbon Region and the Regional Wine Commissions of Lisbon and the Setúbal Peninsula resume the event Vinhos no Pátio, at Pátio da Galé. Over three days you can taste more than 200 wines, get in touch with different wine tourism proposals, participate in workshops and masterclasses and take a break for a snack.
Big names from both regions come together and share the stage of this 6th edition, taking the opportunity to show a wide range of audiences the most recent releases, among iconic references and absolute premieres. The tasters of Revista de Vinhos, Célia Lourenço and Manuel Moreira, conduct daily masterclasses and workshops, and the Can the Can and Chef Miguel Castro e Silva restaurants are also permanently in operation.
The event kicks off on Friday, December 9th, at 5:00 pm. Shortly after (17:30), the first masterclass, reserved for hospitality and tourism professionals, will focus on “Raridades de Lisboa e de Setúbal”, wines from grape varieties such as Moscatel Roxo, Tinta Miúda, Ramisco, Tamarez, Vital, among others, which reinforce the meaning of words like authenticity or diversity. In a second masterclass (20:00), now available to the general public, the theme will be “Lisbon, the Atlantic nerve”, where the soils, the undulating relief of a multitude of slopes and consequent sun exposure, the proximity to the ocean and salty breezes, the influence of the mountains, all this set of factors that contribute to the freshness, good natural acidity, minerality and longevity potential of wines from the region. Also on the first day, the workshop “Lisbon and Setúbal, wines from the sands and limestone wines” will take place (19:00).
Saturday, the event will be available from 15:00 to 22:00. The first masterclass will be the “Great Tasting of Moscatels from Setúbal” (16:00), which seduce with their enchanting aromas, which surprise with their balance between sweetness and freshness, highlighting the craft of oenology for the perenniality that is transmitted to it by the art of blending and blending. Internship.
“When two regions married the world” (19:00) will be the second masterclass on that second day and will focus on wines obtained from so-called international grape varieties, which result in frankly surprising examples.
Two workshops will propose as many challenges: “Castelão de Lisboa, Castelão de Setúbal: discover the differences” (17:30) and “Wines for Christmas: Lisbon and Setúbal in the shoe!”, (19:30).
Saturday ends with vintage jazz sounds and a live performance by the collective 24 Robbers Swing Trio.
Sunday, December 11th, Vinhos no Pátio will be open from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The masterclass “Setúbal: the Castelão that is Parakeet” (15:00) will present examples that prove the plasticity of one of the great Portuguese grape varieties and which, in Setúbal, is a major protagonist. “Treasure Hunt: the pearls of Lisbon” (17:30) will certainly awaken the consciences of the participants in this masterclass to the originality of wines such as the Malvasia de Colares, the Carcavelos, the Medieval de Ourém and even the Lourinhã brandy.
Vinhos no Pátio is an organization of the Wine Commission of the Lisbon Region and the Regional Wine Commission of the Setúbal Peninsula, with the support of the Regional Tourism Entity of the Lisbon Region and production of Essência – Comunicação e Eventos. Entry costs €5.00 and includes a tasting glass, registration for masterclasses and workshops is free, subject to the number of places available.
A monovariety full of personality
09/12/2022From Quinta S. João Batista comes this 100% Syrah wine. Designed to exemplify the best of this Terroir and to make wines that show the behavior of the Syrah variety in the soil, climate and human intervention conditions of the region in which it operates, the Biosphere Reserve of Paúl do Boquilobo, over time.
Intense garnet color with violet nuances, intense aroma of wild berries such as blueberries and currants. In the mouth you can feel a good acidity and smooth tannins that give it good structure. Vinification without wood, favoring all the exuberance of the fruit.
Syrah is the main grape variety in the vineyard area at Quinta de S. João Batista (31 ha) and has adapted very well to the warm climate of the region.
On the farm there are several plots of different ages, planted between 2000 and 2019, with different orientations and sun exposure, different types of soil, some with more organic matter than others and with different altitudes. Due to the location of the QSJB the phenolic maturations are balanced. For this wine, the best plot was selected, which consistently over the years offered us the best.
The new member of the Cabeça de Toiro family is paired with game dishes and other less structured meats. A wine with a distinct personality that will be exclusively distributed on the Horeca channel.
Churchill’s presents a new image for the Quinta da Gricha range
05/12/2022Taking advantage of the celebration of the 50 consecutive harvests of its founder, Johnny Graham, in the Douro valley, Churchill’s launches a new image for its range of wines from Quinta da Gricha. There are wines produced only with Gricha grapes that express the unparalleled richness of an extreme and unique terroir in the world, the Douro.
The brand took advantage of this very important date to present the new image of the wines that faithfully reflect the unique characteristics of the Quinta and which, according to Johnny Graham, have always been intrinsically associated with the personality of the wines produced from these grapes.
“Gricha means spring of water. The Quinta is located in a place of old tin mines, which, together with the water source that runs through the Quinta, gives a distinct quality to the soil and the vineyards. And, therefore, purity, minerality and electricity are words that our winemakers often use to describe these wines. For my dad, the color that best conveys these characteristics is blue, so we worked with a local studio to make that the color of the capsule and labels,” explains Zoe Graham, Co-CEO of Churchill’s.
This image change follows the rebranding of the brand, presented at the beginning of the year, and the launch of the new vintages: Quinta da Gricha 2019, Quinta da Gricha Talhão 8 2018 and Quinta da Gricha Vinhas Velhas 2014.
Quinta da Gricha wines are wines with a fresh profile and striking natural acidity, which benefit from cask fermentation, to soften the well-known notes of power that classic Douro wines commonly have. The wines are produced without losing structure, letting the Quinta da Gricha terroir breathe, which gives them a unique profile, which can be described as more irreverent and wilder.
“Quinta da Gricha is a truly special place, perched on a north-facing slope in Cima Corgo, overlooking the Douro River. With vines that are over 80 years old and granite presses from 1852, the vineyards at Quinta da Gricha produce wines where power and structure merge with the wildest character and beauty of the terroir”, says Ricardo Pinto Nunes, oenologist and director of Churchill’s production.
2019 is the new vintage of Quinta da Gricha, a wine produced exclusively with grapes from the property, which expresses the unique characteristics of the soils: minerality, purity and delicacy. The wine, which will also be launched this year for the first time in export markets, has since 2016 been an emblematic wine for the company, with the personality of the house – more relaxed but always elegant.
Quinta da Gricha Talhão 8 2018, a single varietal from the oldest plot of Touriga Nacional from Quinta da Gricha, is a wine with a lot of intensity on the nose, exuberant on the palate and with an excellent natural acidity at the end. Due to the limited production volume and the unique characteristics of this remarkable portion, the brand decided to start numbering the bottles and make them available by allocation in the national market.
The previous Quinta da Gricha will be renamed Quinta da Gricha Vinhas Velhas, as it is 100% produced with old vines, which are over 80 years old. This wine will remain a micro-production, available only on the national market. Its next harvest is from 2014, and it will be released in January 2023.
A HISTORICAL DAY FOR WINE TOURISM
30/11/2022Yesterday was a historic day for Enotourism. APENO, in collaboration with ABREU Advogados, promoted the first public debate on the lack of a legal and fiscal framework in the wine tourism sector, with the right holders. On the panel, moderated by Margarida Vaqueiro Lopes , from Exame magazine, were Luís Souto (Vice-President of APENO), António Mendonça Mendes (who at the time of this event was leaving the portfolio of Fiscal Affairs to assume the position of Deputy Minister of prime minister), and António Abrantes (Secretary General of the Confederation of Tourism of Portugal) and Alexandre Mestre (Co-Head of the Agro-Food sector at Abreu Advogados).
The problems, identified since the founding of the association, involve not only the fiscal and legal framework for Enotourism, but also the very definition of Enotourism, since there are several and none of them are up to date. Thus, APENO has already launched its own definition, which it considers to be the most accurate and objective: «Enotourism is an aggregation of tourist activities that focus on the experience motivated by the appreciation of wines, associated with local traditions and culture, whether in a rural or urban”.
Then, working to quantify the sector is urgent, to know what it’s really worth. All participants in the debate welcomed this same quantification, with the General Secretary stating that it is «… of Economic Activity)…».
Thus, APENO has already prepared a dossier proposal to present to the INE, in order to be able to frame Enotourism which, as the Secretary of State rightly said «is of great strategic importance for the country».
APENO will continue here, and always forward, in a serious commitment to organize the sector
The Adega Cooperativa de Vidigueira, Cuba and Alvito brings together producers of Talha Wine from Alentejo
30/11/2022With more than 2 thousand years of history in the production of talha wine, this region of Alentejo knows how to produce the traditional wine that has been enchanting many in recent years and is now recognized by wine consumers. The objective of Adega Cooperativa de Vidigueira, Cuba and Alvito is to preserve this age-old technique as much as possible and that is why on the 26th of November, from 2:30 pm to 8:00 pm, it will hold a conference on “Grapes and Talha Wine”, followed by a wine tasting. Wines from Talha DOC Alentejo.
This initiative had its first edition in 2019 with good support from the general public and was attended by several Alentejo Talha DOC Alentejo wine producers. For Adega Cooperativa de Vidigueira, Cuba and Alvito, Talha Wine has a historical and cultural representation, in its production grapes from centenary vineyards are used and the vinification is carried out in the most artisanal and manual way possible.
After two years off, TALHA DOC returns with a current conference and more producers of this ancient technique. It is an event that intends to preserve and show the public the essence of Talha Wine through the tasting of wines from several invited producers.
This year there will be something new, a blind tasting of Talha Wines, in a panel of tasters coordinated by Paixão Pelo Vinho Magazine, with the presence of our winemaker Vasco Moura Fernandes. In this tasting, all Talha DOC Alentejo wines sent by the producers will be evaluated. The selected wines, at the end of the tasting, will be presented to the readers of the renowned magazine with an evaluation, so that everyone can have the opportunity to know a little about each one, as well as the entire event.
The event, aimed at the general public, will start at 2:30 pm at the Winery, with a conference on “Vine Varieties and Talha Wine”, with free admission, just make an appointment in advance. Present will be Prof. Virgílio Loureiro, author of the book “O Vinho Sentido”, Agricultural Regent, from the School of Coimbra, Agricultural Engineer, from the Technical University of Lisbon, and Biological Engineer, from the New University of Lisbon, who will address the theme of grape varieties in the tallow wine. Prof. Elsa Gonçalves, assistant professor at the Instituto Superior de Agronomia da Universidade de Lisboa (ISA/UL), where she teaches several areas, namely Quantitative Genetics and Plant Improvement, and member of the Board of the Portuguese Association for the Diversity of Vine-PORVID and President of the Group of Experts «Genetic Resources and Vine Selection» of the International Organization of Vine and Wine, which will address, in this conference, the genetics of grape varieties. The moderator will be Luís Gradíssimo, Enófilo, specialist in wines and enogastronomy and responsible for the Enóphilo project, which will lead the conference.
The wine tasting, from the producers of Vinho de Talha DOC Alentejo, will start at 3.30 pm at Casa das Talhas, the Winery’s wine tourism space. The ticket will cost €5.00 which entitles you to a glass to taste all available wines. Present will be producers of Talha DOC Alentejo Wine certified by the Alentejo Regional Winegrowing Commission (CVRA).
Algarve hosts the fifth Regional Enotourism Forum APENO – Ageas Seguros
28/11/2022The Associação Portuguesa de Enoturismo (APENO) and Ageas Seguros, in partnership with the national Regional Wine Commissions (CVR), invite economic agents from the various Portuguese wine regions to discuss the strengths and points of improvement of national Enotourism, in various Regional Forums that take place until 2023 in various parts of the country. After the first and successful forums in the Lisbon region, in the Tagus region, in the Setúbal region and in the Alentejo region, now follows the Wine Tourism Forum in the Algarve region, on the 5th of December.
Decentralizing has been the keyword for APENO and Ageas Seguros to do more and better for wine tourism in Portugal. For this reason, the mission, this time, is to open doors to cycles of debates, in which the focus is to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of national wine tourism, with the aim of finding solutions to further grow a sector already in its own right. frank expansion, but with much more to give in Portuguese territory.
As the first national association dedicated exclusively to the sector, APENO, in partnership with Ageas Seguros, invites economic agents from the various national wine regions to discuss wine tourism on the same stage, in sessions open to the general public. APENO will travel from land to land to listen to the main problems of the different regions and to find, together, new approaches to make the best wine tourism.
«It is with great enthusiasm that we join, once again, an initiative with APENO. We want to reinforce our position in the wine tourism sector, with these professionals, contributing to a safer and more sustainable sector. It is our commitment to be present in the lives of Companies in a relevant, close and emotional way», reinforces Gustavo Barreto, member of the Executive Committee of the Ageas Portugal Group.
Objective: to create solid foundations for Enotourism
«APENO – Associação Portuguesa de Enoturismo was born just two years ago but already brings together among its associates the best players in Enotourism at national level, and we continue to grow every day. There is a lot of talk about Enotourism, but still no one has definitions or numbers that help to understand it, among other issues that need to be debated. And, obviously, APENO has been focused on resolving these issues and creating solid foundations for work so that Portugal is considered a reference region in wine tourism worldwide», says Maria João de Almeida, President of APENO.
«Obviously, this also involves the attention we want to give to each of the national regions, where we will identify and debate the existing problems in wine tourism, try to present solutions and make known the work we have been doing since we were born. In these sessions, which we do together with Ageas Seguros, our partner company, and with the CVRs of each region, we will also have a training session related to Risk Prevention and Management as a key to the efficiency of Enotourism, as well as a round table which will bring together economic agents with room for debate. I’m sure the result will be very positive», concludes Maria João de Almeida.
The fifth of these Regional Forums takes place in the Algarve region, on the 5th of December, at 2.30 pm, in the Auditorium of the Convento de São José in the municipality of Lagoa. «The regional wine tourism forums promoted by APENO constitute an important moment of reflection dedicated to wine tourism in the Algarve, its potentialities and challenges. It will be an important moment of debate about this sector of activity that has shown great dynamism in our region», highlights Sara Silva, President of CVR do Algarve.
It is a working session where wine tourism in the Algarve region will be discussed, with the following program:
2:30 pm – Opening of doors and reception of guests.
3:00 pm – Presentation of the Portuguese Wine Tourism Association APENO (mission, advantages and activities) – Members of the Board of APENO
15:45 – Risk Prevention and Management as a key to the efficiency of Wine Tourism, with Francisco Erse – PME & Corporate Manager of the Ageas Portugal Group.
16:30 – Presentation of the APENO Wine Tourism Guide (a project already under development that intends to assert itself as the reference wine tourism guide at national and international level).
17:00 – Debate: Reflections on Wine Tourism: The needs of the sector – A brief conversation about the main challenges of the region for wine tourism in the Algarve region.
Speakers:
Sara Silva, President of CVR do Algarve;
André Gomes, Director of the promotion, animation and tourist information nucleus of the Algarve Regional Tourism Authority;
Filipe Vasconcellos, CEO of Morgado do Quintão.
All these moments will have space for questions and answers from the guests present.
To participate in these Regional Forums, you can register through the APENO website
Very soon, the dates of the next forums in the remaining national wine regions will be announced, with the aim of creating, together, a country of reference for Enotourism worldwide.