Exploring Portugal’s wine route: where golf and wine converge

Portugal’s wine route is a journey through history, culture, and sensory delight. From the Douro Valley’s lush vineyards to Alentejo’s sun-kissed landscapes, Portugal offers a diverse tapestry of wine experiences that captivate everybody. The seamless integration of golf courses makes this journey even more enticing, allowing enthusiasts to tee off amidst breathtaking scenery before indulging in Portugal’s finest wines.

One of the crown jewels of Portugal’s wine region is the Douro Valley. Nestled along the Douro River, this UNESCO World Heritage site is famous for its terraced vineyards and picturesque landscapes. Here, visitors can begin wine tastings at prestigious estates such as Quinta do Crasto and Quinta do Vallado, where centuries-old traditions blend seamlessly with modern winemaking techniques. After a day of exploration, golf lovers can unwind at the nearby Vidago Palace Golf Course, a championship layout surrounded by lush forests and natural springs.

Further south, the Alentejo region beckons with its rolling plains and Mediterranean climate, ideal for grape cultivation. Visitors can discover acclaimed wineries like Herdade do Esporão and Adega Mayor, known for their bold reds and crisp whites. For golfers seeking a challenge, the Monte Rei Golf & Country Club awaits, offering an unparalleled golfing experience amidst the stunning backdrop of the Eastern Algarve.

As travellers traverse Portugal’s wine route, they’ll find themselves enchanted by the diversity of landscapes and flavours that define each region. From the minerality of Vinho Verde in the north to Porto’s rich, fortified wines, every sip tells a story of tradition and innovation.

Portugal’s wine route for everybody

Tee Times Golf Agency, a beacon of expertise, offers bespoke packages that flawlessly blend golfing adventures with wine-tasting escapades. Their meticulous planning ensures the best Portugal golf holidays, tailored to individual preferences. Whether a leisurely round followed by a cellar tour or a multi-day expedition exploring the country’s top vineyards and golf courses, Tee Times Golf Agency leaves you with nothing to worry about but enjoying your journey, instilling confidence and reassurance in your choice.

With our team of experts as your guide, you can confidently traverse Portugal’s wine route, knowing that every fairway and vineyard has been carefully curated to deliver the ultimate blend of relaxation and exhilaration. Whether you’re a wine connoisseur, a golf fan, or simply a traveller searching for unforgettable experiences, Portugal’s wine route awaits, promising a journey that indulges the senses and enriches the soul.

Photo by: Visit Algarve.

Algarve wines awarded in Agricultural Contest

Algarve wines awarded in Agricultural Contest

Algarve Wines

Algarve Wines: three wines from the Algarve region were distinguished in the 5th Agricultural Credit Wine Competition, an initiative promoted in partnership with the Portuguese Scales Association.

The Unique – Algarve Cooperative Winery saw the Porches Regional Wine 2017 be awarded a gold medal, similar to Edd’s Regional Wine Reserve 2014, Concepts by Edd’s II.

Paxá Wines received a silver medal for the QO Reserva Regional Wine 2014.

Porches Regional Wine 2017 Distinction

Porches Regional Wine 2017 Distinction

Of the 240 white, red and sparkling wines put to the test by 143 national producers from the different wine regions of the country, the jury distinguished, during the blind tests carried out on October 20 in the Wine Market of Campo Pequeno, 71 wines with the Scrolling Tambourine of Portugal, 40 with gold medals and 31 with silver medals.

Paxá Wines

Paxá Wines

The award ceremony, attended by Francisco Toscano Rico, president of the Institute of Vine and Wine, which certifies the competition, among other figures, was led by Sílvia Alberto and brought together two hundred guests, among those were producers and representatives of cooperatives, responsible for Agricultural Credit all over the country.

With this contest, which tests the quality of national wines, Crédito Agrícola aims to “support the wine sector and the development of local economies”.

Algarve Wine Commission reinforces bet on wine tourism

Algarve Wine Commission reinforces bet on wine tourism

Algarve Wine

Allying tourism with wine harvesting in the Algarve is one of the priorities of the Algarve Wine Commission (CVA, in Portuguese), in line with the Algarve producers, in order to draw thousands of tourists to the region’s wineries.

With this premise, the CVA launched, at the beginning of this year, the Map of the Wine Region of the Algarve, distributed free of charge, in collaboration with Turismo do Algarve, at tourist offices and also through other tourism promoters, like Tee Times Golf Agency.

It is a “practical and accessible way for any visitor to find the location of all regional producers, their contact and associated services, from wine tasting to the sales and guided tours.”

Algarve - Regions with Designation of Origin

Regions with Designation of Origin

In this sense, CVA is now preparing a mobile application to be launched by the end of the year, which will allow access, in an updated and geolocalized way, to the wineries on the map.

The app will make available not only the information contained in the Map of the Wine Region, but also associate it with the Algarve’s wine commercialization sites, including news and events associated with the Vinhos do Algarve brand.

On the other hand, according to the CVA, the Algarve producers are also betting on wine tourism “on a consistent basis and with their own programs”.

With the approach of the grape harvest, there are several possible options, one of the examples being the partnership of Quinta da Tôr with the Loulé Council, which integrates grape harvesting in its Loulé Criativo project, which aims to promote the Algarve identity through participation in activities.

“Nothing better than promoting a territory with the possibility of participating in a harvest day with a local producer and in an area as typical as the interior of Loulé, where the Quinta da Tôr is located,” the commission points out.

Vineyard in Algarve

Vineyard in Algarve

The program does not only include work in the vineyard, but also the traditional wine conviviality, especially at lunch, with products and wine from the Algarve, allied to the practical part of making the wine in a traditional way, with the footsteps of the clusters already in the cellar.

“These types of proposals are starting to be appear regularly and generalized in the region, with more wine tourism being a product that is gaining more and more fans and that can not pass alongside a region that is already the most visited and needs to enjoy this flow to diversify the supply, “concludes the Algarve Wine Commission.