Ventozelo Winery Celebrates Hunting Season with New Game Dishes

To mark the opening of hunting season, Cantina de Ventozelo is continuing its monthly initiative to celebrate regional and seasonal products with the introduction of new dishes dedicated to lovers of game. Under the guidance of Chef José Guedes, partridge and wild boar take center stage this month as a tribute to the hunting tradition in the Douro region.

More than 400 hectares of Ventozelo Hotel & Quinta are dedicated to vineyards, but the river and forest also play significant roles in the estate’s life. It is no surprise, therefore, that hunting and the game reserve have been important aspects of its history for over 500 years, even before the vineyards and wine became prominent. Historical documents even include a 1910 decree defining the forest perimeter and establishing a game reserve on the “Quinta de Ventosello”.

In 2024, the Cantina de Ventozelo restaurant honors this historical legacy by showcasing game dishes. “My main goal with this monthly initiative to celebrate regional and seasonal products is to highlight both what is produced on the estate and the region’s heritage,” explains Chef José Guedes. Throughout October, game will take center stage, with three new additions to the daily lunch menu: Marinated Partridge (€12), Creamy River Fish Rice (€22), and Wild Boar Stew in Douro Wines (€24). The main menu will also feature two classic dishes already available year-round: Game Tart with Greens (€12) and Wild Boar Stew (€6).

This initiative by the Cantina de Ventozelo restaurant began in March of this year with a celebration of pig slaughter. Scheduled to run until the end of 2024, it manifests itself in special menus and additional activities such as themed tastings or live demonstrations of techniques and products, ranging from beefsteak tomatoes to the harvest, including hunting and olive picking (scheduled for November).

Open to guests and the general public, Cantina de Ventozelo, which occupies the very spot where farm workers were once served meals, continues under the guidance of Chef José Guedes to bring local gastronomy and traditional Douro recipes to life.