Portugal has a long, rich history as a top winemaking country, boasting robust reds, sophisticated whites, and complex fortified wines. On TAP Air Portugal, your exploration of Portuguese wine culture starts in the sky, with a selection of the finest labels chosen by renowned experts. Ready to delve deeper? TAP Air Portugal’s Stopover program, which includes free stopovers in Lisbon or Porto for one to five nights, provides ample opportunity to visit its hallowed wine regions, as well as everything else this amazing country has to offer.
Less than two hours south of Lisbon will put you in Alentejo wine country, whose crowing jewel is Évora, a medieval walled city and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among Alentejo’s serene landscape of gently rolling hills, Herdade do Esporão vineyards produces outstanding organic wines using local grape varietals such as Trincadeira. Nearby, the family-owned Monte da Ravasqueira winery houses a fascinating museum filled with carriages of various eras; in its homey dining room you can feast on typical Alentejo cuisine like sopas de pão (bread stew) accompanied by its top-notch wines. Should your tastes run to the gourmet, chef Miguel Laffan’s Michelin-starred cuisine and first-class wine list at the L’AND Vineyards resort will top your list.
In magical Porto, the famed, centuries-old port wineries from which the city gets its name line the banks of the Douro. Ramos Pinto, one of the city’s most esteemed producers, occupies a palatial mansion distinguished by a bright yellow façade; book a tour of its historic offices and distillery and you’ll also be treated to a tasting of its noble vintages.
And while port is the region’s best-known wine, the verdant Douro Valley also turns out spectacular reds—and some truly breathtaking scenery. All along the river, vineyards and wineries cover steep, rugged hillsides, many of which offer beautiful views as well as great wine. Quinta do Bomfim, under two hours from Porto, is one such place—where you can sip award-winning vintage ports on the sprawling terrace and soak in unbeatable sunset vistas. And all of these amazing places are accessible via TAP Air Portugal’s daily flights from New York, Boston, and Miami.
