Our journey begins in Lisbon, where centuries of Portuguese wine history unfold beneath tiled facades, steep alleyways, and Roman ruins.

In the early evening, we gather at the Roman Theatre Museum overlooking Alfama and the Tagus River for a welcome tasting of talha wines, traditional Portuguese amphora wines inspired by methods dating back to Roman times. Surrounded by ancient stone and sweeping city views, we’ll begin exploring the roots of Portuguese wine culture and the story of the week ahead.

Dinner follows at Prado, one of Lisbon’s defining modern restaurants, where seasonal Portuguese cooking and a thoughtful wine program set the tone for the journey to come.

Today we explore Lisbon through the lens of wine. On a tour of neighborhood culinary culture, we trace the city’s evolving relationship with drinking culture, from Roman-era production to the dictatorship years, when mass wine production damaged quality and tradition, and finally to the revival happening today through small producers, forgotten grape varietals, and modern urban wineries.

Along the way, we’ll visit neighborhood taverns and traditional food establishments that once fueled everyday wine culture throughout the city. Lunch takes place at a classic tasca in Campo de Ourique, where vinho verde from a family producer illustrates how deeply wine remains tied to daily Portuguese life.

The evening culminates at the private wine garage of Goliardos, the nucleus of smaller, independent wine producers in Portugal, with a guided tasting focused on Portugal’s wine regions, terroirs, and indigenous grapes, laying the groundwork for the deeper exploration of Dão still to come.

Leaving Lisbon behind, we travel north into the mountains and granite landscapes of Dão, one of Portugal’s oldest wine-producing regions and one of its most exciting today. Our first winery visit introduces the foundational theme of the trip: farming.

At Casa de Mouraz, we meet António Lopes Ribeiro, founder of one of Portugal’s pioneering biodynamic wine estates. Here, vineyards function as living ecosystems. Old mixed plantings, biodiversity, and organic farming practices shape wines that feel deeply tied to the land around them.

Walking through the vineyards with António, we’ll discuss biodynamic viticulture, co-planted grape varietals, biodiversity, and the relationship between farming philosophy and the final wines in the glass. Lunch will be at a nearby restaurant, 3 Pipos, a destination itself, where António will join us and pair his wines with excellent local cuisine. 

This first winery visit establishes Dão through the lens of agriculture and landscape: earthy, village-rooted, and deeply connected to nature. Depending on timing and local conditions, there may also be an opportunity to visit a traditional black ceramics workshop and witness the historic “Soenga” clay-firing method. By evening, we arrive at Madre d’Água, our countryside home in the Serra da Estrela foothills.

Today shifts from vineyards to the broader food traditions of the Serra da Estrela mountains. In the granite village of Videmonte, we spend the day with bakers, shepherds, cheesemakers, and farmers whose lives remain closely tied to the rhythms of the land. The morning begins with Sr. Manuel, a local baker restoring an old millstone beside a mountain stream and baking traditional rye bread in a wood-fired oven. We’ll knead dough, learn about local grains, and experience a style of breadmaking rooted in necessity and tradition.

Next comes a hands-on cheese workshop with Alcina Martins, a shepherd and cheesemaker whose family has produced Serra da Estrela cheese for generations. Guests will learn how the iconic sheep’s milk cheese is made using thistle flower as a natural coagulant before tasting warm requeijão fresh from production. Lunch unfolds at a local farm, where homemade cheeses, mountain honey, vegetables, and slow-cooked regional dishes reflect the agricultural culture of the Serra da Estrela region. In the evening, we’ll return to the hotel for a light, fresh meal accompanied by a tasting tasting of rare and small-production Dão wines led by Mariana, exploring lesser-known grape varieties and producers shaping the region today.

Enjoy a late breakfast and a leisurely morning among the vines of the hotel estate or join an optional excursion to Loriga, a mountain village tucked inside a glacial valley. Here, we visit a family-run bakery operating inside a former textile factory, where traditional breads and pastries continue to be made by hand more than forty years later. On a walk through a glacier valley near the village we’ll stop at some stunning viewpoints over the valleys of the Dao, giving us perspective on the relationship between the mountain and fertile valley below. 

In the afternoon, the story returns to wine through one of Dão’s most important estates.

At Quinta da Pellada, we meet Maria Castro, daughter of legendary winemaker Álvaro de Castro, whose work helped redefine the modern identity of Dão. If Casa de Mouraz focused on farming philosophy, Quinta da Pellada explores heritage, elegance, and the rebirth of classic Dão wines. Walking through the vineyards and estate, Maria explains how the region evolved from being overlooked to becoming one of Portugal’s most respected fine-wine regions. Among the vineyards, we’ll sit down for a traditional lunch paired with estate wines showcasing the freshness, balance, and aging potential that have made Quinta da Pellada a benchmark for contemporary Dão. Late in the day, as the sun begins to set, we’ll make our way back to Madre de Água for some rest, snacks, and time to explore the hotel grounds, which include vineyards and an animal farm. This visit brings together landscape, family history, and one of the defining stories in modern Portuguese wine.

Today’s winery visit focuses on precision, terroir, and the future of Dão.

After breakfast, we’ll check out of our hotel and make our way toward Viseu, the capital of the region. At Mira do Ó Vinhos, we meet Nuno Mira do Ó, one of Portugal’s most respected contemporary winemakers and viticulturists. His Druida wines have become reference points for elegant, restrained Dão wines built around altitude, freshness, indigenous grapes, and careful vineyard selection.

Unlike traditional winery tours, this experience centers on direct conversation and exchange. Nuno’s wines prioritize subtlety over power, expressing granite soils, old vines, and vineyard character through minimal intervention and thoughtful winemaking. Together, we’ll taste a range of wines while discussing altitude, Encruzado, old-vine field blends, vineyard selection, and the future of Portuguese fine wine. Lunch, afterward focuses on another regional specialty: posta, the thick-cut grilled steak deeply associated with the area at a restaurant treasured by local winemakers. 

The evening remains free to explore Viseu, one of Portugal’s oldest cities, where narrow stone streets lead toward quiet squares, family-run restaurants, and some of the region’s most impressive churches. Wander through the historic center, from Rossio to Rua Direita and Rua Escura, before reaching the granite ensemble of Praça da Sé, home to the Sé Cathedral, the Misericórdia Church, and the Grão Vasco Museum. Or settle into a terrace for a glass of Dão wine as the city slips into evening.

Our final day begins with a foraging walk through Quinta da Cruz park alongside chefs João and Ana of Flora restaurant. Depending on the season, we may gather elderflower, mint, wild herbs, and aromatics that later appear during dinner. After exploring the area together, we’ll enjoy a picnic, getting to know our hosts while taking in the natural environment that provides them with daily inspiration back in the kitchen.

The afternoon is free to explore Viseu before we reconvene for a farewell dinner at Flora, a contemporary restaurant rooted in nature, fermentation, and modern Portuguese cooking. The meal brings the week full circle. Just as the trip began in Lisbon at Prado, it ends here with Mariana’s Revela wines paired alongside a seasonal tasting menu that reflects the craft, restraint, and quiet elegance defining contemporary Dão. À nossa.

Depart for Porto or continue exploring Portugal independently. Until the next adventure.