Join Nathalie as she unlocks the secret's of these two little know Portuguese wine regions. A wonderful mix of unique and grassroots wine-making, new and interesting wines, superb luxurious accommodation and Michelin star dining. But most importantly, not too far removed from experiencing real and authentic Portuguese hospitality. A perfect blend of the unique, the luxurious and the real Portugal.

Some Highlights

• We visit the world’s first and only winemaker with a wine exclusively made with the Jampal grape variety. You will taste the exclusive and rare Dona Fátima – the only wine in world exclusively produced with Jampal grape variety
• Savour a 1934 vintage Colares red at a private tasting in the centuries old cellars of Adega Viúva Gomes. Nathalie has also organised a special tasting of vintages from 1967, 1969, 1997 for you to compare too
• Dine in a Michelin star restaurant each evening where Nathalie will co-ordinate with Chef Miguel Vieira and sommelier Inacio Loureiro to present wine from 8 different wine regions of Portugal with a specially prepared menu. A mix of fine dining and traditional Portuguese dishes
• After dinner, you will retire upstairs and enjoy 4 nights in a 17th century, 5 star boutique luxury hotel with superb sea views. Your suite has it’s own balcony that looks down on the Atlantic Ocean below. You will enjoy an intimate and club atmosphere with our wonderful hosts*

We will also

• Visit the UNESCO World Heritage site which is the Sintra castle
• See first hand the  unique viticulture of Colares wine growing region
• Nathalie has lived in the region for 4 years so you get to discover the tastes and experiences that only her intimate knowledge of the area can produce

Limited to 6 persons only*

You can view the full itinerary here

Colares and Carcavelos Wine Regions

Very little wine is made nowadays in the DOC Colares and Carcavelos, two once-famous wine regions by the coast, west from Lisbon. This is prime beach and residential country, where there are many more lucrative uses of land than growing grapes. Carcavelos, just west of the capital, makes tiny quantities of fortified wine from red or white local grapes. Colares, neighbouring the great surfing beach of Guincho, makes high-acid, tannic wines from red Ramisco grapes, planted in sand dunes, and gently aromatic whites based on Malvasia.

This incredible and tiny DO in Portugal’s Lisboa region has a remarkable tale.  Colares wines went from being served and sought after by many of Europe’s royal families to one of the worlds most endangered and almost forgotten wine regions. A century ago the vineyards exceeded 1000 hectares (2500 acres), but today only 19 hectares (50 acres) exist, and thanks to the vines growing out of the ocean sands,  the Colares vineyards have never been effected by the phylloxera disease that ravaged most of Europe’s vineyards in the 1800’s.

The Colares DO is located about 30 miles northwest of Lisbon in one of Portugals’ swankiest of beach resort areas.  Coastal towns such as Azenhas do Mar are havens for some of Lisbon’s elites and surfers, and over the past several decades real estate developers have been purchasing the old Colares vineyards.  Today there are only two wineries continuing the tradition for the DO; Adega Viuva Gomes, and the Adega Regional de Colares- both sourcing fruit from Colares’ mere 55 growers.  Between the two of them only 50,000 bottles of Colares wines are produced from the region’s only allowed grapes; the white grape Malvasia, and the noble red grape Ramisco (pronounced Ra Mish Co).

Malvasia is a grape grown in many countries in Europe, and can be good, but Malvasia from Colares offers a beautiful example of how great this grape can be.

Carcavelos is a Portuguese wine region centered on the Carcavelos municipality in Estremadura region and includes land near the cities of Cascais and Oeiras. The region has Portugal's highest wine classification as a Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC). Located at the very southern tip of the Estremadura region, the region has a long winemaking history dating back to the 18th century when Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, Marquis of Pombal owned vineyards here. The region is known for its fortified wine production, creating off dry, topaz colored wines that have nutty aromas and flavors. While once a thriving wine region, world-renowned in the 19th century for its tawny colored fortified wine, in the modern era Carcavelos is a haven for dedicated, boutique winemakers.

* To secure  a suite with balcony, we must receive your booking two (2) months in advance.