How to spend 2 days in the wine sub-region of Basto in central Vinho verde region, visiting wineries and enjoying the medieval city of Guimaraes

As part of a tour of north Portugal exploring the Vinho verde region and vinho verde wines, we ventured into the centre of the region, into the wine sub-region of ‘Basto’. Here we discovered the most amazing scenery, hospitality, history and of course, wines! This part of Portugal is known as the Minho region, the oldest part of Portugal and a region full of character, with lots to explore and discover! 

We visited two very different wine estates, both excellent examples of Portuguese wine tourism, helping visitors to enjoy the best of this special Portuguese wine region.  We also spent time enjoying the amazing sights of the historic Minho region of Portugal, where we were especially enchanted by the medieaval city of Guimaraes. 

Read on to see how to spend 2 days exploring this fabulous wine region!

Also see our video here:

Vinho verde’s sub region of Basto:

The Vinho Verde wine region is very diverse, with each of the 9 sub-regions having very different climates and terroirs. The hilly sub-region ‘Basto’ is the innermost of the regions and is thus relatively sheltered from the Atlantic winds. The climate is harsh, very cold and rainy in winter and very hot and dry in summer - more of a continental climate. 

Basto includes the districts of Cabeceiras de Basto, Celorico de Basto, Mondim de Basto and Ribeira de Pena.

Basto region wines:

The wines made from the Basto region tend to have a slightly higher alcohol content and more pronounced fruit flavours than those from other parts of Vinho verde, due its specific geography and climate. Their wines are also good gastronomic wines, compared to the wines from the north of the Vinho verde region which are lighter and pair well with lighter dishes like shellfish. 

Basto favours the late maturing Portuguese grape varieties, including Azal (white) and Espadeiro (red). The white wines tend to be light and refreshing, with aromas of lemon and green apple.

For more about the Vinho Verde sub-regions and vinho verde wines, see here.

Our 2 day tour of the Basto Vinho verde region

We decided to have an overnight stay in the city of Guimaraes, the birthplace of Portugal’s first king, a Unesco world heritage site and a wonderfully-preserved medieval city. There is so much to see here that as well as enjoying an evening in the city, soaking up the atmosphere, we returned the following afternoon to spend a few hours visiting some of the many sights. Guimaraes is under an hour’s drive from Porto and is easy to get to via the excellent motorway network.

We booked our 2 winery visits around this, one each day, both no more than 30 minutes  drive from Guimaraes. The first one, Quinta de Santa Cristina, located in Celorico de Basto, is a successful, reputable, third generation winery. The second, Casa da Tojeira, is a family-owned 17th century manor house and winery, based in nearby Cabeceiras de Basto.

What they have in common: wine tourism and winemaking.

Quinta de Santa Cristina - Garantia das Quintas

Driving up the steep, winding roads, following the signs for Quinta de Santa Cristina, amongst the vineyards we spotted an old chapel and a very modern building side by side, a real contrast, but typical of many wineries in this part of Portugal - a long and fascinating history combined with investment in winemaking innovation and the future.

A family-owned estate

Quinta de Santa Cristina, in the beautiful Basto sub-region of Portugal’s Vinho verde wine region, lies in a commanding position overlooking the valley below, on the right bank of the Tâmega river. 

This family estate has existed since 1733 and is owned today by Mr. António Pinto, Ms. Rosa Maria Pinto and their daughter, Mónica Pinto, who formed the official winery company in 2004, under the name of ​​’Garantia das Quintas’.

Quinta de Santa Cristina vineyards

The Quinta de Santa Cristina property and winery sit 400m above sea level, surrounded by some 30 hectares of vineyards. There are another 30 hectares of vineyards spread over other locations - the whole estate comprises 3 farms: Quinta de Santa Cristina, Quinta da Capela and Quinta de Salgueiros.

The 60 hectares of vineyards - planted with a mixture of white and red, including some 14 different grape varieties - are certified ‘GAP’, i.e. 'Good Agricultural Practices’. This means that mechanical and chemical intervention is kept to a minimum and the grapes are harvested by hand.

Quinta de Santa Cristina wines

Quinta de Santa Cristina produces a large range of wines, from the typical vinho verde wines to more exclusive aged or ‘Reserva’ wines, as well as sparkling wines.

They produce approximately 5-600,000 bottles per year, most of which are sold into the local Portuguese market - to retail chains and restaurants. About 30% of the production is exported, the largest markets being Germany, the USA, Poland, Switzerland, the UK and the Netherlands.

Wine tourism

Wine tourism, or ‘enotourism’, is incredibly important to Quinta de Santa Cristina, enabling them to introduce their wines to a broader range of consumers. They offer a very large and varied range of wine tours and wine tastings, ranging from the classical tastings and tours of the vineyards, with regional foods, to themed tours across the year, to jeep tours, to picnics, to vine planting and even rafting and canyoning with wine tours! 

We witnessed a new event space and tasting area in the final stages of completion, which will surely now add a further dimension and appeal to the great wine tourism offer here (see below).

There is also an excellent shop where you can purchase wines of course, but also delicacies such as jams and cheeses and useful wine accessories! 

Our Quinta de Santa Cristina tour and visit  

The first thing that you can’t help but get distracted by, when visiting Quinta de Santa Cristina, is the incredible view over the valley below that just stretches out endlessly before you. It really is stunning. We drank in this view as we walked through the nearby vineyards around the winery, accompanied by our informative guide. 

The Quinta de Santa Cristina chapel

Our guide kindly let us see inside the lovely little chapel we had passed when we first arrived. This chapel has also belonged to the family since 1733 and is a treasured part of the estate. In fact we were amazed to learn that when the new winery was built (see below), it was necessary to relocate the chapel to a new location and this was done stone by stone to ensure the original building was maintained.

Modern winery

We then went into the very impressive winery, opened in 2012 with a capacity for producing 1 million litres of wine. We were shown the traditional stone tank or ‘lagar’, where the red wine grapes are still pressed today by human feet! The white grape varieties are pressed in large stainless steel tanks. You get an incredible view of this very modern and large winery by walking across a platform which runs above the winery and leads to the new events and tasting area mentioned earlier.

New events and tasting area

This new space is incredibly impressive. It features a large and airy indoor room, ideal for wet days and welcoming large groups - we loved the locally crafted basket light shades hanging from the ceiling! This then leads through to a very large terrace, featuring a herb garden and infinity pool! All designed to optimise the incredible views  - we could only imagine sitting here on this terrace, enjoying some lovely Santa Cristina wines and local, traditional Portuguese foods. We will definitely get to do this one day!

The views over the valley are spectacular, but in particular the views across to the famous local landmark - the ‘Monte de Farinha’ (or ‘Flour Mountain’) in nearby Mondim de Basto and the church or sanctuary which sits proudly on the top of it, ‘Alto da Senhora da Graça’. You can read the legend behind this and why the mountain is called ‘Flour Mountain’ - and you can also enjoy hiking and cycling here - it’s a well known cycling landmark in Portugal.

Our wine tasting

After our wine tour, we were able to sit outside the winery - maybe not the new terrace, but still we were nonetheless able to enjoy the fabulous views - and enjoy tasting a few of the Santa Cristina wines.

We started with the ‘Alvarinho/Trajadura’ blend and the Loureiro/Alvarinho blend, which were refreshing and floral, followed by the single grape, Azal wine, which we loved. Basto is known for its special white wines based on the Azal grape variety, with aromas of lemon and green apple... 

We then progressed onto the single grape wines Alvarinho, Avesso and a grape which is not often seen as it is hard to grow, Batoca. It was delicious! Proof indeed that Quinta de Santa Crisitina is successful at growing it!

We ended the tasting with a lovely red wine based on the Vinhão grape variety.

All of the wines were delicious and excellent value for money - take a look at the online prices. 

What a wonderful couple of hours we spent here at Quinta de Santa Cristina. The time we spent enjoying the different wines, accompanied by some lovely Portuguese sausage, cheese and corn bread, sitting enjoying the spectacular views was truly memorable.

There’s an awful lot to enjoy here and it’s waiting for you to discover it!

Where to find Quinta de Santa Cristina

Address: Quinta de Santa Cristina, Rua de Santa Cristina, 80 – Veade, 4890-573 Celorico de Basto

Where to purchase Quinta de Santa Cristina wines

If you search online for Quinta de Santa Cristina wines or Garantia das Quintas you should hopefully find a stockist in your country. In the UK the wines are available at Vivino.

Casa da Tojeira

We were intrigued to visit Casa da Tojeira due to its strong emphasis on ‘wine tourism’.

Finding it wasn’t easy - beware of using a satnav! Once we did, however, we were totally charmed on sight by the beautiful manor house in front of us as we made our way down the drive through the formal lovely gardens. The front of the house has a very symmetrical design and features a double staircase to the upper level and balcony, lined with columns. 

A private manor house

Casa da Tojeira  is a privately owned, 17th century  manor house and estate, comprising some 20 hectares of land and vineyards. Rooms in the house can be rented on a bed and breakfast basis and it's a popular location for events, from corporate events to weddings.

The house very much retains its traditional charm and offers an authentic experience of visiting or staying in such a typical Portuguese manor house of that time. There has naturally been some updating of bedrooms and facilities but walking through the main living rooms  is like walking back in time! 

Casa da Tojeira vineyards and wines

Wines have been produced commercially on the estate since the 1980s and today are sold mostly in Portugal, but also exported to other countries including the USA, Luxembourg, France and Switzerland. The winery is located on the estate.

The vineyards surrounding the manor house are planted with a variety of grape varieties including whites, Alvarinho, Azal, Arinto, Loureiro and Trajadura and red, Vinhão, Amaral, Padeiro de Basto and Borraçal.

Casa da Tojeira also grow a small volume of international grapes for their sparkling wines, including Chardonnay and Pinot noir. 

Wines produced from their own grapes are marked under the Casa da Tojeira brand, but they also use grapes from other wineries to produce wines under different brands.

Casa da Tojeira produces white wines, red wines, rosé wines and a range of sparkling wines.

Wine museum

There is even a wine museum on the estate, right next to the house which you can visit, offering a perspective of life on the farm, in the vineyards and in the cellars of a time very much gone by!

Wine tourism

Casa da Tojeira is certainly a place to visit to experience history, culture, traditions, nature - with wine and local gastronomy! The wine tourism offering is extensive, including:

Wine tours and tasting

There are lots of options to choose from in terms of wine tours and tastings, which include wine cellar visits and wine tastings as well as tours of the manor house. You can choose to accompany your wine tasting with some local delicacies or a meal (note, there is no restaurant onsite, meals are brought in).

Accommodation

There are 7 rooms (3 doubles, 4 twins) available to book in Casa da Tojeira and 5 apartments in nearby Casa da Herdade. Reservations can be made via bookings.com.

There is a breakfast room at Casa Da Tojeira and a wonderful, traditional lounge area for relaxing and socialising.

The rooms in Casa da Tojeira all have bathrooms and central heating, but our view, from what we saw when touring the house, is that staying here would be a great experience if you’re looking for an authentic, traditional experience. If you prefer more modern furnishings and facilities, then we would recommend staying in Casa da Herdade.

Enjoying the nature

Tours can also be arranged for those who wish to enjoy a variety of leisure activities in the local farmland and park including bike rides, hiking, kayaking,  rides, swimming, horse riding or fishing.

Our Casa da Tojeira tour and visit

When we arrived at Casa de Tojeira, we were met by our guide for the morning, Luís Freitas, who proceeded to give us an excellent and informative tour of the beautiful 17th century manor house and introduce us to the wines!

Firstly we strolled around the vineyards, where Luís shared some background with us about winemaking at Casa de Tojeira and after that we went into the house.

Luís gave us a guided tour of the house, including the beautiful, large lounge areas and the bedrooms. He then took us into the original kitchen of the house which has been maintained as it would have been when the manor house was built back in the 18th century. It was fascinating to step back in history for a moment to experience life in Portugal in those times! With the wine museum, these features make Casa da Tojeira a really interesting visit for history and culture enthusiasts!

Casa de Tojeira wine tasting

We then settled down in the lovely dining room for our wine tasting. Luís expertly guided us through a tasting of 5 Casa da Tojeira wines. These were accompanied by some lovely local foods including corn bread, meats, local honey and a variety of cheeses.

We started with the Tojeira Premium Branco - a blend of Azal, Arinto, Loureiro and Trajadura, then followed this with the Tojeira Loureiro Grande Escolha and the Tojeira Branco Grande Reserva, which is and Alvarinho and Trajadura blend, aged in French oak. 

These 3 whites were lovely - our favourite was the Reserva, which got better and better the longer it was open and in the glass.

We then went onto the red Grande Reserva, made from Vinhão grapes and finished with the real surprise of the tasting, the Tojeira Blanc des Blancs sparkling wine, 100% Chardonnay, non-vintage and made by the traditional Champagne method. Retailing at just 12 euros in Portugal, this was delicious!  

This wine tasting cost just 15 euros per person and for 5 wines, with delicious nibbles, we found this excellent value, especially considering the fabulous setting!

This was a really interesting and different wine tour and tasting - where in addition to getting to know some lovely vinho verde wines from the Basto region, we dipped our toes in some fascinating Portuguese history and culture!

Where to find Casa da Tojeira

Address: Casa da Tojeira, 4860-212 FAIA CBC, Cabeceiras de Basto, PORTUGAL

What to see in Guimaraes, Portugal

We arrived in Guimaraes at about 6.30pm for our overnight stay and were excited to see the silhouette of the old medieval city as we drew close. 

A Unesco world heritage site in 2001, when you talk about the history of Guimaraes, you are in a sense, talking about the history of Portugal. Often referred to as the ‘Cradle of Portugal’, Guimaraes was the first capital of Portugal, before this status moved to Coimbra and the first king of Portugal, King Afonso, was born here. 

Historic city centre

Guimaraes has a beautifully preserved historic city centre, featuring a 10th century castle up on the hill, a magnificent 19th century Ducal Palace, some fabulous buildings dating back to the 15th century, characterful squares, charming streets and traditional houses.

A city of traditions and modern culture

Today this is a very popular city, not just with tourists, but Portuguese locals and visitors alike, who come here to enjoy the traditional food, music and ambience. Guimaraes was awarded the title ‘European City of Culture’ in 2012 and we could see why! There is a real ‘joie de vivre’ about Guimaraes, you really feel it! 

There is a great choice of restaurants and you can always hear music, with buskers lining up to take their turn in the main squares - inviting people to dance - especially at the weekend when families go out together.

Local festivals

In early June Guimarães stages an annual food fair and on the first weekend in August, the Festas de Cidade e Gualterianas, held in the town since 1452, with a market, bullfighting music and a procession of floats.

Where to stay in Guimaraes

We had booked a room in the Ibis Guimaraes Centro Hotel, which was, as the name suggests, right in the centre of the town and close to all of the sights. We like to mix up our accommodation when we’re on a road trip and when we want to economise a bit, we find that  Accor/Ibis is always a good value for money option.

Other accommodation options in Guimaraes can be found here.

The local Guimaraes football team was playing against giants Benfica that evening in the local stadium, which explained the heavy traffic and crowds, but the atmosphere was great! (They drew which was a good result!)

Our evening in Guimaraes

As soon as we had checked in and freshened up we headed out of the hotel and towards the historic city centre. It was a steady, gradual climb up but within 10 minutes we reached the heart of the city - a beautiful square called Largo da Oliveira (Olive Tree Square) which contains the historic church of Nossa Senhora da Oliveira and the Padrão do Salado - a 14th century memorial to a victorious battle against the Moors. 

This square leads through to a second ancient square, Praca de Santiago, connected by a portico, under which the buskers gather to share their music with the crowds.  

The atmosphere here was amazing and there are lots of restaurants around both squares to choose from. We settled for a table in the centre of Praca de Santiago, where we could sit and watch everything going on around us.

After a walk to help digest dinner(!), we decided to return to Guimareas the following day to discover more!

How to spend an afternoon in Guimaraes

We parked in one of the large car parks just outside of the city centre and made our way back to the ancient squares, Largo da Oliveira and Praca de Santiago, this time taking our time to explore the Nossa Senhora da Oliveira church and the Padrão do Salado monument.

We then strolled through the beautiful ancient streets up towards the 2 most popular sights of Guimaraes, firstly, the ‘Paço dos Duques de Bragança’, the Ducal Palace, which was built by the Dukes of Bragança in the 15th century and restored in the 20th century. Then, secondly, on up to Guimaraes Castle on the hill. We didn’t pay to go into either, we just enjoyed strolling round each of the sights, enjoying the superb weather! 

Just next to the imposing and impressive castle, stands the Church of Sao Miguel do Castelo, where, according to legend, King Afonso was baptised.

We then strolled back down to the ‘Olive Tree’ Square where we enjoyed a wonderful late Sunday lunch of traditional roasted cod, with a bottle of wine and soaked up the amazing atmosphere of people enjoying themselves!

On our way back to the car, we came across another stunning square, just outside the historic city centre, called Largo do Toural. It was wonderful to spend some time here enjoying the traditional music and dancing - and again - just watching friends and families enjoying their time together.

For more information about this beautiful, very traditional Portuguese historic city, see here.

Travel tips for visiting Portugal’s Minho and the ‘Basto’ Vinho Verde region 

Like so many parts of Portugal, the Minho region has not really been on the tourist trail, with people favouring the southern regions, especially the Algarve. However north Portugal is an incredible tourism destination. Alto Minho Portugal is the oldest part of the country and the most characterful, so it really is worth exploring this beautiful region and discovering the amazing vinho verde wines!

How to get to the Basto wine region, Vinho Verde

We would recommend you fly into Porto’s international airport and from here you can hire a car to take you into the Minho region and the Vinho Verde wine region. You can be in the centre of the region in Braga or Guimaraes within an hour - the motorway and road network here is excellent.

When to visit

Due to the more continental climate in the middle part of Vinho verde, we would recommend visiting in the late Spring/early Summer and early Autumn. We visited in early October which was beautiful.  

Where to stay

We found Guimaraes to be the perfect place to base ourselves in for our 2 days in the Basto region, but Braga could be another perfect location (see later).

Visit Braga

The ancient city of Braga is one of the oldest cities in Portugal and one of the country’s most important religious centres. It lies just 30 minutes drive from Guimaraes. Braga was once the capital of the Roman province of present-day Galicia and in the Middle Ages, the city competed with Santiago de Compostela in power and importance. 

Reflecting its historical and religious significance there is lots to discover in Braga, with ‘unmissables’ including the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte and the Sé de Braga - the first Portuguese cathedral, built at the end of the 11th century.  Braga is a university city and so also offers a lively and vibrant culture and atmosphere. 

Visit Vila Real

The old city of Vila Real lies at the far east of the region and provides a gateway into the neighbouring Douro Valley wine region. Lying on a headland overlooking the River Corga, Vila Real is a stately, elegant city demonstrating traditional Portuguese civic architecture, with lots of lovely buildings, with stone-framed windows and balconies framed with iron railings. 

Follow the Romanesque Route

If you like your Romanesque architecture, then take time to follow the Romanesque route which is a tour covering 58 monuments located in the centre of a triangle whose vertices are World Heritage Sites: Porto, Guimarães and the Douro Valley.

Visiting the Basto region as part of a bigger Vinho Verde wine tour

We visited the Basto region as part of a larger Vinho Verde tour. Distances between major towns and wine regions are really quite small and travelling is easy due to the excellent motorway network.

See here for more information about planning your Vinho Verde wine tour!

Visit the Peneda-Gerês National Park

The Basto wine region is located at the southern end of the stunning Peneda-Gerês National Park - created in 1971 and Portugal’s only protected national park. 

We would highly recommend spending some time here, to discover not just its scenic beauty but its old granite villages, the rare examples of ancient human history, rare and endemic botanical species and the habitat of native and endangered species. These include the emblematic wolves and wild horses and the local breed of Castro Laboreiro dogs. 

Take a step back in time and experience life as it was many years ago in this area and to some extent how it remains, extremely rural and traditional and in the winters especially, tough and challenging. Witness the locals carrying on with their daily lives which revolve mostly round farming and looking after their herds of cattle and goats.

Castro Laboreiro

Take time to visit the small village of Castro Laboreiro, named as the top place to visit in the whole National Park.

Situated at 1000 metres altitude, enjoy the spectacular views across to the mountains beyond, even better if you can make the 20 minute climb up the remains of the Castle of Castro Laboreiro. Then have a rest and some refreshments at the Restaurante Miradouro do Castelo, where you can enjoy the uninterrupted views!

Make sure to visit the old Roman bridge remains in the village - the Ponte Velha - then drive through the wild countryside, past small rivers and dense woods, passing more Roman bridge remains on the way, to the Castro Laboreiro Plateau, where you can marvel at the huge granite rock formations and the incredible views.

For more ideas and information about visiting northern Portugal see:

• ‘Visit Portugal’

• Associação de Turismo de Porto e Norte de Portugal 

Conclusion and personal highlights

We spent a really enjoyable 2 days discovering this part of Vinho Verde - we met some lovely people and very much appreciated the wines, the hospitality and the scenery. This is equalled by how much we enjoyed exploring somewhere off the beaten track and discovering more about Portugal’s incredible history , traditions and culture!

Hopefully this inspires you to check it out too!

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