Alentejo wine tour with wine pairing lunch

Your private driver will pick you up from your hotel in Évora on the morning of your tour and take you just beyond the city’s medieval walls to the Herdade da Cartuxa winery. Once owned by the Jesuits, but family-run since the 19th century, the whitewashed winery was established in 1776 and produces some of Portugal’s best-known labels.

On arrival, you’ll be met by a guide from the winery to commence your private tour. Despite its long-established position, Herdade da Cartuxa has remained at the forefront of innovation since its opening. Your guide will explain how wine was originally produced here, and what changes have taken place in the intervening years.

You’ll also get to visit the production units and the barrel-lined cellars, as well as learning about the little-known grape varieties used here, such as aragones, castelao and trincadeira. You’ll get to sample a selection of their wines, accompanied by traditional local snacks such as sausage and cheese. The tour takes about 90 minutes.

After your tour, you’ll continue onto the larger Esporão winery, a journey of about 40 minutes by car. Arriving through the estate’s extensive vineyards, you’ll get a sense of the history and quality of the wines produced on the 750-year-old estate.

First, you head to the estate’s restaurant for a gourmet wine-pairing lunch. You’ll be served dishes typical of the region, made using seasonal produce that reflects the local terroir.

After lunch, you’ll have a tour of the estate and a tasting of the wines produced here. You’ll see the barrel tunnel and learn about the different wines produced here, with a tutored tasting to help you compare different harvests and appreciate the characteristics of young and old wines.

Once you’ve completed your tour and had some time to relax, your driver will take you back to your hotel in Évora.