Catavino Tours

Portuguese Natural and Sustainable Wine Tour

Natural wine is becoming a popular trend in the wine industry for a good reason. It's not only great for the health of the planet, but also tastes fantastic. Join Catavino on this tour of wineries in Portugal that are working to make wines with less intervention and with more attention to the big picture. This will be a fantastic opportunity to learn more about their techniques and be guided through how Portugal's young winemakers are moving to more sustainable wine-making.

During this natural wine adventure, we'll visit wineries and meet winemakers who all believe that wine should be more responsible in its relation to the environment. We'll walk among the vines, learn about ancient wine-making traditions, and get our hands dirty. We'll also taste wines from all over Portugal to help you understand what Portuguese natural wine is all about. This is a small group tour (maximum 12 people) and will be led by co-author and photographer of Foot Trodden: Portugal and the wines time forgot, Ryan Opaz.

This tour runs from Saturday, October 7 - 14th, 2023

To find out more about this tour, please fill out this form and we'll be in touch. This tour is on a first come first serve basis. If you would like to create a private version of this tour, please contact us.

Highlights

Visit 10+ wineries all focusing on natural and low-intervention wines
Co-Author and photographer of Foot-Trodden: Portugal and the wines time forgot, Ryan Opaz traveling with you
Private tastings with winemakers in Lisbon and the Douro valley
6 Portuguese wine regions visited, Douro, Alentejo, Dão, Bairrada, Lisboa, Colares

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Type

Group

Location

Lisbon, Douro, Porto

Theme

Natural & Low intervention wines

Duration

7 days

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Tour Itinerary

Lisbon

Welcome dinner at a local restaurant with a selection of low-intervention wines to frame the week ahead.

Alentejo Wine Region

The Alentejo region has a history with wine dating back to before Roman times. This culture has always made wine in large clay pots called Talhas. On this day, we will visit one winery that helped stop the destruction of these clay pots and reclaim this centuries-old tradition. We'll also have the chance to see and taste wines aged under olive oil, an ancient practice used today to reconnect with the past. Most importantly, we will do this in the villages where these traditions are alive. Our lunch this day will be filled with wines from the Talhas, and our friends who are their guardians.

Colares

A region built on the beach, Colares has a total area of around 50 acres today, down from its high of 2500. Vines are ungrafted in the sandy soils of the Atlantic coast and the wines made from Ramisco and Malvasia do Colares are some of the longest-lived wines in the world. We will visit both the Cooperative at the heart of all Colares wines and one of the most historic producers, where we will have a chance to visit the sandy soil vineyards along the coast. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Lisbon | Douro Valley

Check out your hotel in Lisbon. Meet your private wine guide and bus driver in the hotel lobby and then head to the Douro Valley. After a quick visit to Óbidos, the ancient walled city, we'll then head to see old vineyards recently lost to apple orchards. Today there is a group of young, passionate winemakers attempting to save the old vines in the area and make new wines that eschew the cooperative model in favor of small, lot wines. The winemaker we visit today helps consult at one of the large co-ops but also reserves a small space for him and his friends to experiment with their own wines. All of which show the potential for wines from this region to shine globally. Our lunch will be with the winemakers and local cuisine in a very informal setting. Dinner will be served at the hotel restaurant. A Special guest will share stories with us as we taste through a selection of their best wines.

Douro Valley

The Douro Valley is the most mountainous wine region in the world. Rolling hills dominate the landscape, and the Douro River is a must-see for wine lovers. Today, we'll look at both the old and new faces of Douro wines. In the 1990s, the region swayed to more modern styles of winemaking, but today, we find a renaissance as the region begins to explore what it once was and what it might become! Today we will visit to up and coming legends in the Douro, both focused on small production, low intervention wines.

Douro Valley | Dão | Porto

On the way to the Dão Wine Region, we'll stop at a small family-owned winery for a visit and wine tasting. We'll meet a team dedicated to Biodynamic winemaking and learn about their work to rebuild after the fires of 2017. Their wines are beautiful, showcasing pure fruit and elegant styles from the Dão region. For lunch, you will enjoy the most emblematic dish made in the Bairrada Region, roasted suckling pig paired with a selection of our favorite local wines.

Porto

Day on your own, and in the evening meet the private bus driver and leave towards the theLAB, an artisanal tasting room and wine shop located in the heart of historic Porto and run by Catavino. Designed to be an open and dynamic space to explore flavor in all its forms, our tastings are fully customized to meet the specific needs of every client. From the essence of Biodynamic wines to exploring Portuguese history in a glass, we invite you to share in this exciting experience!

Do you want to experience a custom made tour?

If you would like us to customize your next tour to Portugal or Spain, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to set up a call or offer an itinerary that meets to your needs.

Type

Location

Theme

Duration

Douro Valley: Full Day Tour and Tasting

Portuguese Natural Wine Tasting

Dão & Bairrada Wine Tour