Visit leading Alentejo wineries for wine and olive oil tasting
Alentejo vineyards and landscapes - source: Winekeller
Spend a day learning about and tasting Alentejo wine and olive oil - visit 2 top Alentejo wineries including Alentejo wine industry and organic farming pioneers, Esporão and wine innovators, Ervideira.
Wine, olives and olive oil are staples of the Mediterranean diet and staples of Portugal’s Alentejo region. The production of all three are core to the Portuguese and Alentejo economies and the vineyards and olive groves are a prominent feature of Alentejo landscapes.
We spent a day visiting two top wineries in one of the core wine and olive producing regions of Alentejo, Reguengos de Monsaraz. Firstly to the family-owned winery, Ervideira, whose wine history dates back to the late 1800s and whose range of wines reflects some amazing wine innovation. Then onto Herdade do Esporão, recognised as one of the top Alentejo wine brands and a pioneer in wine tourism and organic farming in Alentejo, where we enjoyed a superb lunch, a tour and some wine and olive oil tasting!
See the video here:
Read all about our brilliant day tasting wine and olive oil in Alentejo - firstly an introduction to the regional wine and olive oil:
Typical Alentejo landscapes - olive trees, vines and vast plains - source: Winekeller
Alentejo wines and Alentejo wineries
Portugal’s Alentejo wine region is the country’s largest wine region. Not only is it large, it’s very diverse, with lots of different soil types, micro-climates and landscapes. Vast plains and valleys are punctuated by vineyards, olive groves and cereal crops. Typically, summers are hot and dry, springs and autumns are mild, with many sunny days and Winters can be rainy but not always cold.
The Alentejo DOC (Denomination of Controlled Origin) is made up of 8 wine sub-regions, all with a long tradition in wine production.
Reguengos de Monsaraz
The region of ‘Reguengos’ - or - ‘Reguengos de Monsaraz’, is the largest area of the Alentejo sub wine regions, with dramatic landscapes and poor stony soil, scattered with a great number of rocky outcrops. The climate here is more continental, with colder winters and hot dry summers. This terroir produces powerful and full-bodied wines, with excellent ageing potential. Some of the oldest Alentejo vineyards are in this region.
There are several notable Alentejo wineries in the Reguengos region, producing excellent, well-balanced and powerful wines, typical of this terroir. Amongst the top producers, we visited Herdade do Esporão and Ervideira, both located around the town of Reguengos de Monsaraz and within 30 minutes of Alentejo capital Évora.
Typical rocky outcrops in Reguengos
Typical Reguengos olive orchards
Alentejo olive oil
The growing of olives and the production and use of olive oil in Mediterranean countries, dates back centuries. Today they are a staple food in Alentejo and feature heavily in Alentejo cuisine.
Today, Portugal is the seventh largest olive oil producer in the world and the fourth biggest exporter. The Alentejo region produces more than 70% of Portugal’s domestic olive oil, where olives are harvested from olive tree plantations around Moura and Esporão, off the Guadiana River Valley.
Alentejo's four main traditional olive varieties are: Galega, Cobrançosa, Cordovil de Serpa and Verdeal Alentejana. For more information about each, see here.
The olives are harvested and the oil extracted between the months of October and February.
Amongst the many olive and olive oil producers in Alentejo, Esporão is one of the most significant (see later!)
Visit Ervideira
Ervideira winery - Reguengos, Alentejo - source: Winekeller
Ervideira is located just outside Reguengos de Monsaraz on the road from Évora, just 30 minutes away. The winery is located here, as well as some of the vineyards and the ‘Wine Lounge’ - a really welcoming shop and wine tasting area. The setting is beautiful in the middle of the Alentejo countryside - a great place to spend 2-3 hours, enjoying a winery tour and a wine tasting.
How to find Ervideira
Address: Ervideira, Herdadinha - Vendinha 7200-042 Reguengos de Monsaraz - Portugal
About Ervideira
Ervideira is a well-known and well-respected family-owned Alentejo winery, with a history dating back to the year 1880. The winery was established then by a José Perdigão Rosado de Carvalho - who was awarded the title Count D’Ervideira by King D. Carlos I of Portugal for his work in politics and public life. Count D’Ervideira played a significant role in the prosperity of the town of Évora in Alentejo, which included developing the wine industry here.
Ervideira’s philosophy is built around the legacy left by, as well as a tribute to founder Count D’Ervideira.
Today Ervideira is managed by the family’s 4th and 5th generations, Duarte Leal da Costa and Bernardo Leal da Costa, whose values remain true to the generations before them, based on combining tradition with innovation.
Ervideira produces 500-800,000 bottles of wine per year from a total of 160 hectares of vines, split across the two Alentejo wine-growing sub-regions of Reguengos de Monsaraz and Vidigueira.
Ervideira is known across Alentejo and Portugal for its unique, premium quality wines and in addition to selling to Portuguese restaurants and retailers, the company exports about 30% of its production to countries all across the world, with Brazil being its top export market.
In the Ervideira ‘wine lounge’ - what a fabulous setting! Source: Winekeller
Ervideira wines
Ervideira’s mission has always been to create truly unique wines and true to its values of ‘tradition’ and ‘innovation’ its broad range of wines reflect years of pioneering work in the vineyard and the winery.
This includes several ‘firsts’, including the ‘first’ to produce a certified sparkling wine in Alentejo (and they remain the largest sparkling wine producer), the ‘first’ to produce a ‘Blanc de Noirs’ wine, where white wine is produced from red grapes and the ‘first’ producer to age its wines in the nearby Lake Alqueva at a depth of 30 metres!
Ervideira grapes are harvested at night avoiding the heat of the day and yields are limited to ensure premium fruit quality.
Learning about Ervideira wines - source: Winekeller
Ervideira’s wine offering spans about 30 different wines, including their own as well as other brands and sparkling, white, rosé and red as well as late harvest dessert wines. Hungarian oak casks and stainless steel tanks are used to age the white wines and French oak casks for the premium reds.
The core ranges include: the flagship Conde D'Ervideira range which pays homage to Count d’Ervideira, the Vinha D'Ervideira range representing the core family wines and the Terras D'Ervideira range, the entry-level every-day drinking wines. Then there is the Invisível range, meaning ‘Invisible’, the white wine produced from red Aragones grapes, the Vinho da Água wines, which are aged underwater in the lake and the superior range of Lusitano wines.
Ervideira wine tourism
Wine tourism is extremely important for Ervideira, providing the opportunity to introduce its wines and its heritage.
The Wine Lounge is a great place to spend time and enjoy a wide range of wine tourism experiences, including tasting a minimum of 5 wines. Select from different wines to taste, perhaps a winery and cellar tour and of course, get to sample wonderful traditional foods with the wines.
You can also sign up to experience being a ‘winemaker for the day’, where you learn how to blend and make wines - and in fact you get to make your own wine - or you can opt to tour the vineyards by bike!
There’s certainly lots of wine experiences to choose from - just make sure you book in advance!
You can then browse the wine shop to choose some wines or wine gifts to take away with you.
Our wine tour and wine tasting at Ervideira
We enjoyed an excellent tour of the winery and the cellars and had the opportunity to taste some of the young wines in the tanks. We then moved into the Wine Lounge for a great and informative wine tasting, with wines from across all of the different Ervideira wine ranges and some lovely accompanying Alentejo breads, olive oils, cheeses, olives, cured hams and sausage meats, which were delicious!
The views across the countryside and winery from the Wine Lounge are stunning and there is an outside balcony too, where you can sit and enjoy a tasting. It was very busy when we were there - wine tasting at Ervideira is obviously popular!
We loved all of the wines, but one of our favourites was the ‘Espumante da Água’ - a white sparkling wine made from a mix of 4 grape varieties - Arinto, Antão Vaz, Gouveio and Alvarinho - and is one of the wines which is aged in the nearby Alqueva Lake. The second fermentation of the wine takes place in the bottle, for 9 months, under the water and the lack of light and the additional pressure results in lots of very fine bubbles. Wow, it was really delicious - what a great tasting and tour at Ervideira!
Visit to Herdade do Esporão
Following our wonderful visit to Ervideira, we headed south, across typical Alentejo plains, towards the town of Moura and in less than 30 minutes arrived at the beautiful Herdade do Esporão, founded in 1973 by José Roquette and one of Portugal’s most important and respected wine and olive oil producers. It is also one of the leading wine tourism destinations - the first to be certified in Portugal - and a passionate advocate for sharing Alentejo’s wine and gastronomic culture with visitors.
Our plan was to have lunch here as we had heard excellent things about the food at Esporão and to also go on a tour of the winery and do some wine tasting and olive oil tasting!
How to find Herdade do Esporão
Address: Herdade do Esporão, Apartado 31, 7200-999, Reguengos de Monsaraz
An introduction to Herdade do Esporão
Herdade do Esporão is located in the heart of beautiful Alentejo, in Reguengos de Monsaraz, with over 500 hectares of vineyards, olive groves and other crops. In addition to the Alentejo estate, there are two others which you can also visit: Quinta dos Murcas in the Douro wine region and Quinta do Ameal in Vinho Verde.
Herdade do Esporão produced its first wine in 1985 and its first olive oil in the mid 1990s.
Today it is known for its premium wines and olive oil and its focus on sustainability, the environment and organic farming. Esporão exports to more than 50 international markets and produces over 11 million litres of wine and 1 million litres of olive oil per year.
In 2022, Herdade do Esporão was named by Drinks International as one of ‘the 50 most admired wine brands in the world’, for the third consecutive year. In 2023 is was recognised as no. 85 in the list of the ‘World’s Best Vineyards’.
The beautiful Esporão estate, with the famous tower in the background - source: Winekeller
The history of Herdade do Esporão
The history of Herdade do Esporão dates back to 1267, when the land was demarcated. Over the years it has been the scene of many battles and during the 15th century, three monuments were built, which can be seen today in the centre of the estate: the Torre do Esporão, the Arco do Esporão and the Chapel of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios. The white tower is especially distinctive and is one of the most important towers in Portugal, considering its place in history.
The Esporão mission
Family owned, Herdade to Esporão is passionate about its mission: ‘Making the best products that Nature provides, in a responsible and inspiring way’.
It is also passionate about and an advocate for ‘slowing down’ and ‘respecting and moving at the pace of nature’. This is the philosophy behind all production processes.
The Herdade do Esporão estate
The Herdade do Esporão estate stretches over 2000 hectares and offers unique conditions for growing around 40 different grape varieties, 4 olive varieties and other crops, with wide temperature ranges and poor and varied soils.
The rest of the estate which isn’t planted with crops is forest land and there is also a beautiful lake on the estate. The impressive visitor centre was opened in 1997.
Arriving at Herdade do Esporão, Alentejo - source: Winekeller
There are 3 wineries on the Alentejo estate - one for white wines, one for red wines and one for the premium, most complex wines, ‘Adega los Lagares’. The main red wine winery was completely renovated in 2018 to help manage increased production and is called ‘Adega Monte Velho’, It is considered one of the most sophisticated and advanced wineries in the whole of Portugal.
The underground cellars for storing the red wines are vast. Some 15 metres underground, the cellars hold about 2000 oak barrels.
There is also an olive mill on the estate, various fruit and vegetable gardens and tasting rooms for the olive oil and wine tastings.
Additionally, part of the visitor centre, there is a shop as well as a Michelin star (and ‘Green Michelin star) restaurant and a bistro - see later.
Organic farming
Organic farming is followed across the entire estate, which encourages natural biodiversity. Some of the vines are certified organic, others are in the process of transitioning to organic.
The move to organic farming and a much greater focus on the environment and resource management began with the 2nd generation family owners in the early 2000s. The first certified organic wine was launched in 2015 and since 2019, the entire Esporão estate has been certified organic. Significantly, Esporão is recognised by Robert Parker Wine Advocate, one of the most influential wine publications in the word as a leader in organic wine and sustainability and is a holder of the ‘Robert Parker Green Emblem’.
Herdade do Esporão wines
Esporão is a large wine producer - some 11 million litres per year. In addition to their own grapes, they also buy in grapes to keep up with production demands. 65-70% of wines produced are red and there is a team of 5-6 winemakers. Esporão produces a large range of wines, based on some 40 different grape varieties.
During our tour of the winery and the cellars, and our lunch, we had the opportunity to taste some of the wines and particularly loved the white organic Monte Velho wine, which is typical of the quality of the Esporão wines. We would definitely recommend an Esporão wine tasting - especially in the superb wine tasting area in the heart of the cellars.
Herdade do Esporão olive oils
Today there are approximately 100 hectares of olive trees at Herdade do Esporão including the oldest olive tree in Alentejo at 2600 years old!
The move to start producing olive oil followed after the wine but today Esporão applies the same focus on totally natural and organic production methods. Both virgin and extra virgin olive oils are produced on the estate in the olive mill (opened 2017), with the cold press happening straight after the olives are harvested. All 4 Alentejo grape varieties are grown on the estate (see earlier).
Olive oil tasting
We enjoyed a great olive oil tasting, where we tasted 3 different oils. We were able to really appreciate the differences between the different varieties and blends, starting with the Galega olive oil, which was quite mild and creamy, with a nutty flavour. We then went on to a blend called ‘Selecção’ which was much more bitter, tasting of white pepper and tomato leaf. We finished with a spicy, pungent oil based on the Cordovil olive variety.
We found it really interesting to experience a proper olive oil tasting and learned a lot about the different varieties and how best to use them in cooking! It was great to be led through the tasting by an expert and to learn how to taste them properly, especially how to clean your palate with a piece of Granny Smith apple!
Esporão olive oil tasting
The Esporão olive oils we tasted
Dining at Herdade do Esporão
The restaurant at Herdade do Esporão was opened in 1997 and offers two typically Alentejo tasting menus based on local and seasonal produce, much of which is based on foods grown in the estate’s organic gardens.
The design of the restaurant is beautiful and there is also a wonderful terrace with a view over the vineyards and lake. Its reputation, aided by the Michelin stars awarded in 2022 and 2023 mean that the Esporão restaurant is extremely popular and pre-booking is essential.
Dining in the bistro - or wine bar
If you are pressed for time or you don’t want a full tasting menu in the restaurant - or if there isn’t availability, which was the case for us on the day we visited, you also have the excellent alternative option - the ‘wine bar’. Here you can enjoy a more informal lunch, but, based on the foods served in the main restaurant!
We enjoyed the most spectacular lunch here and can’t recommend it enough. The dishes were innovative, beautifully prepared and presented and the food was really excellent - so of course were the different wines we enjoyed with each course, including the dessert wine!
You can book lunch in the bistro, or just a wine/olive oil tasting or both!
Wine tourism activities at Herdade do Esporão
Herdade do Esporão welcomes approximately 15,000 visitors each year, to learn all about the estate, its mission and philosophy, its wines, its olive oils and its wonderful gastronomy.
There are lots of different options - see here for more information and to reserve.
Additional information to help plan your trip
Where to stay
Neither Ervideira nor Herdade do Sobroso offer accommodation, but there are options in nearby Évora, Moura, Reguengos de Monsaraz or Monsaraz. See here to help find accommodation in this area of Alentejo.
Other local wineries to visit
There are several other good wineries in the area around Reguengos de Monsaraz, try Adega José de Sousa and Carmin-Cooperativa Agricola de Reguengos de Monsaraz.
Things to see and do in the area
Visit Monsaraz
Try to make time to visit the fortified hilltop village of Monsaraz - known as one of the jewels of Alentejo and one of the oldest villages in all of Portugal. Situated just a short distance from both Ervideira and Herdade do Sobroso and right by Alqueva Lake (see below), it really is worth visiting.
The old historic centre is surrounded by ancient city walls, which also house Monsaraz Castle, dating back to the 14th century and classified as a National Monument of Portugal. The castle offers stunning views over Alqueva Lake. Enjoy time strolling round the quaint streets and alleyways and enjoy browsing the traditional craft and gift shops!
Spend time relaxing at the beautiful Alqueva Lake
Alqueva Lake is one of the largest artificial lakes in Europe, on the River Guadiana - great for all sorts of water sports, hiking and cycling.
Visit Évora
Visit nearby Evora, Alentejo’s capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site - see our wine travel blog about visiting Évora.
For more information about visiting the Alentejo and Évora, see:
VisitPortual - Alentejo, VisitPortugal - Évora, ‘VisitAlentejo’
Summary and highlights
What a fabulous day we spent discovering superb Alentejo wines and olive oils in the heart of this beautiful Portuguese wine region. The whole day was amazing, but a personal highlight had to be the most amazing lunch we enjoyed at Esporão! One of those moments you know you won’t forget in a hurry!
