Lisbon Wine Tours Weekend

Upon your arrival to Lisbon’s international airport, your friendly driver guide will be waiting for you in the arrivals lounge. Transfer to your palatial hotel in the refined Lapa area, one of Lisbon’s most sophisticated neighborhoods. Drop off your luggage, check in and freshen up. Your driver will then take you into Lisbon for a magnificent welcome lunch at A Travessa, one of our favorite restaurants in Lisbon. In the romantic courtyard of the converted Convento das Berardos monastery, decorated with fresh flowers and luxurious tableware, you’ll enjoy a tasting menu lunch with various dishes paired with high end Portuguese wines. The dishes are innovative Portuguese/Belgian dishes (the elegant proprietress is Belgian). You’ll try many dishes such as their flagship seared monkfish- melts in your mouth. Taste wines from prestigious estate like Quinta do Crasto in the Douro and Rothschild´s Quinta do Carmo in the Alentejo.

After a stunning lunch, you’ll be ready to stretch your legs, and your own private art guide will meet you at the restaurant and take you on a fascinating walking tour. You’ll see the authentic Alfama quarter with its Baroque Igreja de Santa Engrácia (which took nearly 300 years to build!), the Moorish Saint George Castle (renamed this after the Moors were conquered) and take in the impressive views over the sea from the top. In the early evening, your driver will take you back to your hotel. The evening is yours to enjoy Lisbon on your own. Why not try a port at the Solar do Vinho do Porto? This is Lisbon's 18th-century Port Wine Center, and one of our favorite wine bars located in a historic mansion where you can taste hundreds of ports by the glass. We recommend the absolutely gorgeous Valle Flor for a classy and formal dinner or the quaint Tasquinha d´Adelaide for wonderful down home cooking.

Overnight:

5* Luxury Hotel, Lisbon

Meals Included:

Gourmet Lunch with wine pairings

Transfers:

Lisbon airport- Hotel- Walking Tour

Enjoy a later wake up today, perhaps taking in a spa treatment or a swim at your luxury hotel. In the mid morning, your driver will collect you and you’ll head south to Azeitão, in the coastal Setúbal Peninsula near the Arrábida mountain and national park, where you’ll be visiting the famed Quinta da Bacalhôa estate. This beautiful wine estate is owned by one of Portugal’s wealthiest men, Joe Berardo, who is a major art lover and patron. This shows when you visit the property, and you’ll have a VIP visit today. Tour the estate, with its lush vineyards and 16th century renaissance gardens. Visit their “Azulejo” room, with the largest collection of antique Portuguese tilework in the country. Carry on to the wine cellars and Japanese garden and conclude your visit with a tasting of their best wines such as the zippy Caterina (oak aged Chardonnay blended with the native Fernão Pires grape) and Palácio da Bacalhôa (Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot).

Following a marvelous morning in the wine country, you’ll drive to Cascais where lunch awaits in a villa overlooking the sea. The cooking here is creative, ultra light and Mediterranean and you’ll taste a range of delicious dishes paired with a rich white wine from the Alentejo. Explore Cascais after lunch, taking in a walk on the beach or a visit to some of its small and quaint museums, gourmet shopping, etc. In the late afternoon, return to Lisbon and the rest of the day at leisure. For an excellent, formal dinner you could dine at your own hotel or at the Four Seasons excellent “Varanda”, and for something easy and light, head to the Bairro Alto´s small mom and pop restaurants for “Petiscos” (like Spanish tapas, small portions of rustic dishes).

Overnight:

5* Luxury Hotel, Lisbon

Meals Included in Price:

Full Breakfast, Gourmet Tasting Lunch with wine pairings

Transfers:

Lisbon- Azeitão- Cascais- Lisbon

Today is a sightseeing day in Sintra, with a wonderful port wine tasting included. In the mid morning at your preferred time, you’ll drive northwest about half an hour to the dreamy, fairytale-esque town of Sintra. This wealthy and manicured historic town has been the home to Portuguese aristocrats, European nobility and eccentric foreigners for centuries, and its villas and palaces peek out of the lush trees that rise majestically out of the Serra de Sintra. The Ancient Romans used Sintra as a strategic inland base from the coast, and the Moors who followed years later used Sintra as a royal resort. Today we can still admire the Moorish castle, and the breathtaking tilework “Azuelos” which is a legacy they left. You´ll begin your day with a visit to the extraordinary Palácio da Pena, a castle like no other anywhere in Portugal. Built in 1840 under Ferdinand of Saxe Coburg- Gotha´s patronage, the palace melds Neo Gothic, Manueline and Bavarian architectural influences into one whimsical Never Never Land. You´ll explore the wild rooms, incredible views, crazy turrets and faux medieval kitsch with an entertaining art guide.

A wonderful Port Wine Masterclass is next, with a sublime tasting of six port wines paired with delicious Portuguese cheeses. Your host is charismatic and passionate about port and you’ll taste wines such as Cockburn´s Quinta dos Canais, Taylor’s LBV, Quinta da Pacheca´s 10 year old Tawny Port, Graham´s Six Grapes Reserva and Ramos Pinto´s Quinta de Ervoamoira Vintage. Taste tantalizing cheeses like Quiejo da Serra da Estrela (the most famous of all of Portugal’s cheeses and extremely expensive), Terrincho from Trás-Os-Montes, Pico from the Azores islands and Serpa from the Alentejo.

In the early afternoon, you’ll have free time to go for a heartier bite to eat (if you wish) in Sintra, go shopping (there are fantastic gourmet and ceramics shops here), or sit in a charming square over a glass of “Vinho”. Return to Lisbon and your driver will drop you off at the hotel. Freshen up and get dressed up tonight as you have an unforgettable dinner tonight. Your farewell dinner is at the super chic Pragma Fausto Airoldi, in Lisbon’s Casino. This is one of Portugal’s celebrity chefs, and you’ll indulge in his tasting menu paired with specially selected wines.

Overnight:

5* Luxury Hotel, Lisbon

Meals Included in Price:

Full Breakfast, Port wine tasting and cheese pairings- Gourmet farewell dinner with wine pairings

Transfers:

Lisbon- Sintra- hotel- one way dinner transfer

This morning at your preferred time, your driver will take you to the airport for your outbound flight. And this concludes your fabulous wine tasting weekend in Lisbon. We look forward to seeing you again!

Meals Included in Price:

Full breakfast

Transfers:

Lisbon hotel- airport

What's Included:

• Accommodation for 3 nights in luxurious 5* Hotel
• Private Airport Transfers and all transfers as per the itinerary by luxury Mercedes E and English speaking chauffeur
• Bottle of Portuguese wine in your room upon arrival
• 3 Full breakfasts
• Two ultra- high quality lunches with wines
• One gourmet welcome lunch- tasting menu with paired wines
• One extraordinary farewell dinner- tasting menu with paired wines
• 2 Professional and VIP Wine Tasting Presentations with Winemakers/Owners/top staff in Azeitão and Sintra
• Private guided walking tour of Lisbon with art guide
• Private guided tour of Sintra´s Pena Palace with art guide
• 1 keepsake itinerary with maps and ample information on Portugal, food and wine, and all locations visited
• Gourmet Gift
• All Local taxes

What's Not Included:

• Flights
• Meals and Drinks not Specified
• Personal Expenses such as Telephone, Minibar, etc
• Tips and Gratuities (Guides, Restaurants, etc)
• Travel Insurance (Strongly recommended)
• Cancellation Insurance

Prices:

This is a SAMPLE TOUR ITINERARY. Please note that our chauffeured luxury tours have the following starting prices:

• Final price depends on chosen style of accommodation and dining. Please contact us with your group size (minimum 2 guests, no maximum group size), travel dates and preferences and we will send you custom pricing.
• Discounts available for larger groups
• Please note that our tours are available upon demand for PRIVATE GROUPS and are not scheduled tours for mixed groups.

More Information on Lisbon Wine Tours Weekend:

If you are interested in this package, contact us today for more information. This tour can also be adapted for bigger groups with a substantial discount. All of our tours are available year round upon request for your private group of minimum 2 people. If you would like us to customize a luxury gourmet tour for you, contact us with your requirements, and we can send you a free itinerary and quote with no obligations. We organize cooking packages and wine tours from 1 day, to weekends to longer food and wine discoveries throughout Italy, Ireland, Portugal and Spain.

Email us at: info@cellartours.com