8 Reasons why you should visit Portugal RIGHT NOW!

Sep 27, 2018

Do you want to have a unique experience and find out how the delicious Wines With a View are made?! Then come to Portugal in fall and be a part of the vindima (Portuguese word for grape harvest)! During September and October, visitors can witness these ancient rituals up close, by taking part in the harvest itself, touring through the many vineyards, crushing the grapes, or even lodging within the walls of a grand wine estate. What are you waiting for?

Here are 8 reasons why you definitely shouldn’t miss this spectacle!

Fall in Portugal, apart from being beautiful, and warmer than the rest of Europe, brings a buzz of activity to the 20 designated wine regions across the country: from picking and processing the grapes to celebrating the harvest with food, song and traditional festivals.
credits: Associação de Turismo do Porto e Norte, ARCC-BY-NC-ND
The harvest is one of the oldest wine activities in Portugal and certainly one of the most genuine and traditional ones. The vineyards, which are most of the year empty, come alive: they become full of grapes ready to be harvested and workers ready to pick and stomp the grapes, to transform them into fantastic wines, which will then be available at Wine With a View to be enjoyed in the very best spots! During this season, you can smell the aroma of grapes spread everywhere and be amazed by the dazzling colors take over the vast countryside.

credits: howtospendit.ft.com
From the plains of the Alentejo towards the south, to the northern valleys of the rivers Dao and Douro, or the rainy Vinho Verde area, each harvest and harvest celebration has a unique, local flavor. The vineyards sit among stunning landscapes and are easily toured by car or on bicycle.

credits: Quinta do Pôpa
Often the estate will have a restaurant and offer wine tasting dinners, complete with a view of the vineyards from where the grapes came. Port wines may be the oldest and best-known wines from Portugal, but they are certainly not alone. Nearly 8 percent of Portugal's landscape is given over to vineyards today and the result is a wide variety of quality wines, each with their own personality. UNESCO designated two of Portugal’s wine-producing regions as World Heritage Sites: the Douro Valley Wine Region and the Pico Island Wine Region on the Azores Islands.
Credits: Visit Portugal
The Douro Valley is the oldest demarcated wine region in the world (1756) and since 2001 a World Heritage Site. From here, comes not only (fortified) Port wine, but also red and white wines that are highly appreciated worldwide. This area offers beauty that is able to amaze even the most demanding and hard to impress visitors. Its stunning landscapes are mesmerizing throughout the entire year, but during the harvest season it becomes alive and feels almost like an enchanted valley.

Credits: visitportoandnorth.travel
The harvest season is a cheerful time and you can feel it in the atmosphere, after all, the Wineries/Quintasfinally get to collect the result of a long year of work and waiting! Despite the good mood, the harvest process involves many long hours of hard work to reach the final result, the delicious Portuguese wines!
There are many activities available only during this season. You can participate in the harvest with the locals, help to produce wine from the grapes by stomping away, and some wineries even allow you to take home with you the “fruits” of your labor. Can you imagine sharing a bottle of wine you produced with your friends? In your unbreakable Wine With a View souvenir glasses?

credits: http://wonderful.uk.com
There are a number of wineries with special harvest programs and wine tours, as for example the Quinta de Bacalhôa and the Aliança Vinhos de Portugal. These experiences usually include a visit to the farm, the vineyards and wine production facilities, the museum and grape picking, lunch with plenty of traditional gastronomy and local wines harmonized with delicacies prepared by internationally known chefs, grape stomping, and, of course, wine tasting, to end a great day in the best possible way!