olá, portugal! wine tasting in the alentejo
Lisbon was our intro to Portugal, and effectively confirmed that we were in for a week of amazing food in a beautiful new country. But a stint of wine tasting in the Alentejo cemented something much, much more important. We had a new-found love for Portuguese wine!
We woke up early on our third morning–earlier than is probably acceptable by any true Portuguese person. However, we had heard very different estimates on how much time it would take us to get to Évora, and then onto our home for the night: Herdade do Vau in Beja.
With a potentially long day of driving ahead of us, we energized with a quick and final breakfast at the Memmo Alfama. Then, we hopped a cab to our rental car, and we were on our way…
Évora was insanely quiet on a weekday morning, but it was still beautiful. We strolled around the heart of the town a bit, before settling in for an early (and delicious) lunch at Dom Joaquim. After, we continued our walk around the small city, burning off the extremely filling meal we had just inhaled.
There really wasn’t much to see during our quick spin around the city — we weren’t in the market for shopping, and since the hubs was driving, I wasn’t going to drink my way around town all alone. It was perfect for a quick stretch. If you find yourself staying in or near town, Dom Joaquim is a must.
After some complications in the parking garage (TRAPPED) (nope, just stupid) we were on our way.
I maybe fell asleep during this stretch. Big meal! An afternoon glass of wine! My natural propensity to fall asleep in any and all moving vehicles! But, after about an hour and a half, I awoke to find that we were officially in the middle of no where.
We followed the directions along dusty, rocky roads, and I started to wonder if I had gotten the address wrong. Then, we saw giant nests with huge birds watching us amble along. I started to wonder if we were going to make it out of this country alive.
We followed everything we had learned from Jurassic Park, and kept our eyes down, made no sudden movements, and kept driving.
…And driving and driving, until finally: we had arrived. And to be honest, for a brief moment, I wondered if maybe those giant birds did maul us to death. Surely, we had arrived in HEAVEN.
We were warmly welcomed by the owner, Miguel, and his wife, and instantly, we felt like we were at home. When we commented that the house was stunning, Miguel told us it was designed by their daughter. A budding architect, she had fully renovated a traditional Portuguese house that was previously in ruins… as her very first project. Ever.
I’d say she did ok.
We took a brief tour before settling into our room, and then heading back outside where we lounged by the pool with white port & tonics.
As the sun set, we made our way into the dining room, and joined our hosts for the perfect homemade Portuguese dinner: fish, potatoes, white asparagus, and chocolate cake for dessert.
We chatted over glasses of their own wine, Riso, and then moved into the parlor for port. Eventually, thanks to a long and absurdly relaxing day full of sun and wine, we could barely keep our eyes open. Eventually, we called it a night.
The next day, we allowed ourselves a slower start (to make up for the previous day). But it wasn’t too slow. We still had pool time in our future! But first, a quick tour of the grounds in Miguel’s Land Rover. Right here is where I watched the hubs’s new life dream imbed itself into his brain:
Own a villa in the hills of a beautiful country. Make our own wine. Have a fully customized Land Rover Defender.
I support him. Especially if he picks a place with views like this:
After our tour, it was back to the pool for one more dip (and you can see just how I felt about the pool here), before we sadly — very, very sadly — had to say goodbye.
Fortunately, our next stop quickly cheered us up again! But I’m pretty sure I left a little piece of my heart in Beja. I think I need to return next year to try and reclaim it.
xo!
the romantic
– Thank you to Miguel for welcoming us to beautiful Beja and inviting us to experience Herdade do Vau. If you’re interested in experiencing the magic your own, room rates start at €100 per night, and more information can be found here. All opinions are, as always, my own.
Lazy Travelers
The Lazy Travelers are two transatlantic best friends who have mastered the art of exploring a new city. Though Ashley is based in London and Carolyn is in Philadelphia, we'll use any excuse to reunite around the world. We’re professional bar hoppers, pub crawlers, and food testers, and you’ll never see us zipping around, checking things off a list of “must-sees.”
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18 Comments
@mrsoaroundworld
So so so pleased you loved herdade do Vau. I think it is a lovely place and I love the simplicity of it. We went back this year and stayed for 2 nights. Next summer we will be down for 3 at least!
@mrsoaroundworld recently posted..My Flight: British Airways BA1 business class service from London City to JFK
Lazy Travelers
WE’RE IN!
… i assumed that was an invite, and it’d be rude to revoke now, you know.
Lazy Travelers recently posted..olá, portugal! wine time in the alentejo
Shikha (whywasteannualleave)
What a charming town – enjoying reading your Portugal posts and learning more about a country I’ve seen very little of – I love the beautiful sunflower fields too:)
Shikha (whywasteannualleave) recently posted..The Mayfield Lavender Fields, Surrey – A Purple Paradise near London
Lazy Travelers
thanks, shikha!! the sunflowers were so pretty… i may or may not have made the hubs turn around so we could stop and snap a few pics.
Packing my Suitcase
What a pretty place!! I think I should consider exploring this country… my country’s colonizers hahaha 😀 glad you learned some Portuguese 😀 the pictures are amazing!
Packing my Suitcase recently posted..Impressions of Milano
Lazy Travelers
haha well, i don’t know if i learned much portuguese… really only olá and obrigada! next time?
Lazy Travelers recently posted..olá, portugal! wine time in the alentejo
Kenin Bassart
What a lovely place! I admittedly don’t know much about Portugal and this was a nice introduction to the countryside. Cheers!
Lazy Travelers
if and when you do finally visit, make a trip out to the countryside an absolute must! i loved lisbon, but i felt like i learned so much more about the people once we left the city.
Lazy Travelers recently posted..olá, portugal! wine time in the alentejo
Erik Tax
Oh my god its heaven on earth at Quintos, and the B & B the owner Miquel and his wife
To learne How kind The Portugesian people are, Marvelous
Lazy Travelers
it was a great experience 🙂
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Dan @ A Cruising Couple
After being in France for a month and then traveling to Brazil (a country not exactly famous for wine) this is literally making me drool a little. Oh how we miss the days of lunch wine tastings and getting lost in rolling hills and vineyards! This looks like an amazing experience 🙂
Dan @ A Cruising Couple recently posted..25 Incredible Images from the Brazilian Amazon
Lazy Travelers
i know, we just moved from london to paris, and the (cheap + delicious) wine culture is definitely missed!
Lazy Travelers recently posted..foodie break: @dineatharvest
Laura
If our time in a country allows, we always try to spend a little bit of time in the city and a little in a smaller town. It mixes things up a bit, and I think you get an even better sense for the place. Beja looks like the perfect place to get that experience. And, white port and tonics? Yes, please.
Laura recently posted..Enjoying the Eco-Friendly nThambo Tree Camp
Lazy Travelers
totally agree. we’re usually more city people, but we always love when we escape and see more of what a country has to offer!
Lazy Travelers recently posted..foodie break: @dineatharvest
HotMamaTravel
Beautiful location, but I would have been a little freaked out by the drive too. Now I’m thirsty for wine.
HotMamaTravel recently posted..Tradewinds Island Grand
Lazy Travelers
it wasn’t as bad on the way back because we knew what to expect, but it was definitely VERY desolate for awhile there!
Kieu
I’m taking notes — Portugal may be on our near-future list!! 😉 Though I’m not sure about the Jurassic Park drive, I’m so down for a wine hotel! hehe
Kieu recently posted..7 things they don’t tell you about overlanding East Africa