Category: Blog

The Pink Palace is a magnificent Museum dedicated to Rosé Wines in Porto. The wine region is known by the Port Wine, however now days produces amazing reds, excellent whites, and the perfect Rosé´s. This museum experience has the goal of immersing the visitors in the world of Rosé wines. Educates and Entertains in each different and unique room of The Pink Palace. You will generate storytelling through photos that you can share with friends and family.

Rosé Wine, different ways

As you may guess, what gives color to the Rosé wine is not a specific grape or color of the grapes. The wine should be produced with the correct balance between the skin of a red grape and the juice which is always white. The blend and the correct combination will give the perfect pink color.

However, there are believers that their option will be a blend of red and white wine. This way, it will go into a much more complex process. The product will be closer to red wine since it has a warmer tone and a similar creative process. The process results in a blend, like most red wines ( Monocasta / single grape variety not included).

Another methodology to produce a Rosé wine will be using the direct recourse to the press, through the saignée method, among others. For wine consumers, it is important to understand that doesn’t exist a relation between rosé color and the flavor. A lighter shade of rosé can have more complex aromas and flavors than darker ones.

If you are visiting Porto, meet our Porto Wine Tours ( full day or multi-day tours ). While in Porto taste the local gastronomy and know more about this amazing wine region.

The Pink Palace is the 7th Museum at WOW – World of Wine in Porto. It is perhaps the most perfect one for those special pictures on Instagram. Enjoy!

Ervideira is a famous Portuguese wine brand present in more than 20 countries worldwide. The history of this winemaker located in Alentejo,  Portugal goes back to the 19th century, more precisely in 1880. In this year Count D´Ervideira was honored by King D. Carlos I of Portugal. His public functions and contribution as a politician and social work in the Évora region. He was the first mind to start the production of wine in Évora, the major city of Alentejo. 

Count D´Ervideira name was José Perdigão Rosado de Carvalho (Born in Évora, 1862). He founded the local newspaper “Distrito de Évora” and served as Provedor in Santa Casa da Misericórdia and Real Casa Pia of Évora. First was honored with the title of Viscount of Erveira. After, to Count D´Ervideira. As governor, he had a major role and be responsible for the implementation of infrastructures in Évora, such as schools, churches, fountains, and drinking fountains.

He left a legacy, that went generations after generations till the present with a wonderful property of vineyards. During the last decade, improvements were made and will continue. It is a family wine business. Located in Vendinha, near Reguengos de Monsaraz, 30 minutes distance of Évora.

The name itself means for the owners a legacy of passion in every product they launch to the market. You find innovation in the processes, you taste the passion for the wines and you feel the history in every single glass of wine. Each wine is a tribute to the man who loved and respected the land, weather conditions, vineyards, and loves wine.

Ervideira wine means also character, complexity, structure. However, they match with softness, subtlety, and softness, all profile characteristics of Count D´Ervideira himself.

Ervideira Highlights

Annual Production: +800.000 bottles of wine;
Wineshops: 4 (Portugal)
Wine products: S de Sol, Flor de Sal, Lusitano, Terras D´Ervideira, Vinha D´Ervideira, Conde D´Ervideira, Late Harvest.
Other products: Alcohol Gel (production during pandemia).
Exports: More than 20 countries on regular basis.

Would you know more about Alentejo wines in Portugal? Something related to Alentejo wine region? Get in touch or choose our Alentejo Food & Wine Full Day Tour. You can also join our Facebook page or Instagram.

Portuguese sidewalk is already part of the country’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. Four months later, it is recognized as the art of know-how of the Portuguese Pavement. It is also a homage to the millenary activity and specific techniques in the first half of the 19th century. 

The “art and know-how of the Portuguese pavement” was registered in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The goal is moving on to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This process takes some time, as almost every process in the past. Fado or even Évora in Alentejo with the fantastic protection walls of the city tooked the same path.

Portuguese sidewalk, threats to the preservation

The Portuguese Associação da Calçada Portuguesa (association of Portuguese Sidewalk) identifies has one of the major problems: the decrease of human resources in the sector. They are considered master pavers and the number of specialists decreases. You may find other factors such as the lack of pavement maintenance. Poor construction or even the strong competition from other types of pavements. In the sector, there is also the decline of the paving industries, extraction, and processing of stone.

“The art of paving is millenary, but the production of Portuguese pavement began as a specific technique in the first half of the 19th century, in Lisbon, where it developed and gained expression in extraordinary quantity and quality, expanding throughout the country and across several continents, as an indisputably striking feature of the matrix that is not only Lisbon but national”, quoting the intangible heritage file.

Lisbon and Portuguese pavement

In Lisbon and almost in every location in Portugal, you will be able to enjoy the unique pavement. Lisbon is perhaps the major city where drawings and art of pavement will show more effects while walking. It is possible to make almost every draw, from animals, phrases, lines, squares, spirals. It is unique and it is common to see travelers taking pictures. 

The oldest restaurants or more traditional ones will present you with the floor with drawings on Portuguese pavement. Some have on the entrance the year they were established, while others add their name. However, it becomes a visual component of the whole experience for good food and wine experience.

In conclusion, get the very best of Lisbon and Portugal while you visit the country. Join us on Instagram or share if you love the content.

Family Wine tour and Dinner with a Sommelier were the kick-offs for an amazing day with a family group from New York / United States of America. Grabbing the initial idea and what is possible to make with total safety and security on this pandemic season, we tailor-made a program. This customization joins a full-day wine tour in Lisbon & Tejo Valley wine region.

After finally meet them at their accommodation when we made the pick-up, we drove to the countryside chatting about their trip, what they visited already and what they will visit after. We shared a little bit of history and culture, that they could establish the missing links in some points of Portuguese gastronomy and history.

Arrived at the first spot, we had Ana guiding us through the history of vineyards and winemakers, sharing the step by step of winemaking art of their products. In the end, we finally sat and enjoy the wine tastings. Some concerns for the 2021 year were shared. The main reasons are due to irregular weather and climate, but with hope in terms of quality as usual. Meanwhile, at lunch hour, was reserved the best wine for the wine pairing with the meal. A delicious starter, a Portuguese dish, and the unforgettable dessert Sericaia. Time to depart and go to another winemaker and proceed with this family wine tour.

We move to another winery in the afternoon, after some sightseeing in the local village. Once again, the explanations of their methodology to produce unique wines. Interesting to the family to understand that visiting the same wine region, the winemaker work in a different direction of winemaking.

Family wine tour afternoon

They elected different grape varieties, geography, and climate impact on the vineyards. Winds from the Atlantic Ocean have a major impact, however is still possible to produce amazing quality wines. After the premium wine wasting, we return to Lisbon. Requested by the family, which would love to acquire some gifts. Why? Because they depart on the next day to their country.

At the end of the afternoon, we took our family to a portion of very unique, private, and exclusive food and wine pairing in the Portuguese capital. They met our sommelier and shared their amazing day. However, they were ready to start their wine dinner with the sommelier experience. Pedro (sommelier first name) starts to talk about the wine regions and main grape varieties. He also spoke about blends and single grape varieties (Monocasta in Portuguese) wines.

Each moment of the meal commented by Pedro, wine after wines and dish after dish, how the wine defines the pairing with food. Authentic food with amazing wines to end a perfect day of this family wine tour. Tailor-made, unique, and exclusive.

Porto Cooking Classes are one of the best activities to make in the city, while you visit. Depending on your preference you might love to discover the fresh ingredients in a local market or just cook with a local chef.

Visiting a local market during a market tour with a cooking class, you will learn about the typical fresh ingredients to cook a Portuguese traditional meal. During the visit, you will be in touch with local sellers. They love to share their knowledge about the history and culture of the city, but with the main focus on their products.

Fish, meat, vegetables will be the main ingredients, however always with a concern of your potential health restrictions. If you prefer to avoid the visit to a local market, you will find always options for a private and exclusive Porto cooking class. Step by Step, the chef will give assign tasks and explain all the processes that you will be able to replicate at home after your trip to Portugal. Of course, you will also receive the recipes.

Porto Cooking Classes, possible cooking dishes

One of the dishes you might learn, based on Portuguese traditional gastronomy is the Kale Soup, especially in Autumn or Winter. Onions, Portuguese Olive Oil, garlic, potatoes, and Portuguese cabbage will be served hot with some slices of pork chorizo. Kale soup is considered one of the best soups worldwide, however, it is comfort food. Read more about Kale Soup here. Porto Cooking Classes is the perfect plan to learn local gastronomy.

Being in Porto, the major city in the North of Portugal is always a good motive to try some of the best Douro Wines. By default, they are kings in a cooking class that you will be able to taste authentic flavors from Porto and Douro wine regions.

Porto Cooking Classes have many other options in dishes. Fish stews are possible due to visit the local markets on the market tours with Cooking Class. The possibility to grab amazing fresh fish becomes reality and the step by step of recipe is easy.

Alfrocheiro is a Portuguese grape variety produced almost exclusively in the Dão wine region. In fact, that´s a curious and mysterious grape variety, since the first references are after the phylloxera crisis. The origin of Alfrocheiro is not known. Research history says that is perhaps a foreign grape variety, while for others it is important the characteristics of the grapes. It is a small, compact bunch of grapes with a heterogeneous color and uniform.

The pulp is juicy and soft and this variety has a regular production with an average maturity. These two factors create almost a perfect balance between acids and sugar, good color on the wines with fine and fruity aromas. Usually, wines based on Afrocheiro become complex over the years.

Alfrocheiro, besides Dão Wine Region

The Alentejo wine region, Tejo and Bairrada have also the production of Afrocheiro grape, however, Dão remains the top producer. The grape is also present in Spain, perhaps because of the similar climate or even soil, but it has a different name. It has the name of Baboso Negro in Tenerife while in Oviedo the name is Albarin negro or even Brunal in Zamora. Afrocheiro grape variety has a cultivation area of 1850 ha. In Portugal. New plantings growth depends on the year but is around 3 to 3,5%.

Dão is surrounded by mountains that protect vines from the chill and rains of the Atlantic Ocean and the influence of the Continental climate. You will find vineyards from 200 to 1000 m above sea level in the center of the country. In general, the region has an amazing diversification of grape varieties. You will find the famous Touriga Nacional and of course on the white wines the famous Encruzado, among others. Afrocheiro is perfect for single-grape variety wines and blends. On blends, it will give more color to the wine, red tones. Take a look at the multi-day tour section to Dão Wine Region.