Alentejo wine and food explored on a local tasting tour

21.07.2023 - 07:45 / roughguides.com

Alentejo wine is excellent. The food's extraordinary. And Alentejo itself is peaceful and good value. It may be Portugal's largest region, but it's also undiscovered. Join Neil McQuillian on a foodie tour of underrated Alentejo. The information in this article is taken from The Rough Guide to Portugal, your essential guide for visiting Portugal.

Alentejo plays hard to get. Beja regional airport is small. Public transport isn't up to much. And area attractions need some marketing.

Get over all this. You're on to a good thing.

Fly into Lisbon. Then ramble along Alentejo's coast. Explore walled towns like Marvão and Monsaraz. Discover Elvas and Évora. Wander Alentejo beaches. Or even go stargazing. Alqueva in Alentejo is an award winning dark sky reserve.

There isn't a single experience that doesn't pair with local food and wine.

Book Évora Olive Hotel. It's a good pitstop on an Alentejo foodie tour.

Alentejo wine is defined by the region's hot, sunny weather © Carpeira/Shutterstock

Alentejo gastronomy is diverse and seasonal.

Goose barnacle (percibe) are harvested on wild southern Alentejo beaches. The Lagoa de Santo André is known for eel stew. And Nisa, Serpa and Évora all produce DOP (denominação de origem protegida) cheese.

Season wise, you'll only eat cardo (thistle) soup between winter and spring. Fresh pork is a winter treat. And wild asparagus, truffles, black bass and game are all specific to certain times of year.

Seasonality is trending in Europe now. In Alentejo it's a traditional way of life.

Naturally things overlap. Nisa cheese can be found elsewhere. Fresh game can be frozen. But the principles of local and seasonal are respected. And a compelling reason to travel round Alentejo in search of new tastes.

Prefer to leave planning and booking to experts? Have a look at some sample itineraries. Both Complete Portugal or Portugal Itineraries offer inspiration. All Tailor Made Trips can be modified together with your local expert, then booked for a stress-free holiday. Click 'Modify this itinerary' to contact a local Portugal expert.

Two-woman, two-room rural bakery in Alentejo

Produce diversity is central to Alentejo culture. Take the second day of my tour, at Padaria Joana Roque bakery in Vidigueira. As we're leaving, Joana, asks where we're headed. Our guide Olga, says to an olive oil tasting nearby.

Joana’s disdain is immediate. “Why? The oil's so much better here!”

Small scale Alentejo production promotes diversity. And Joana's bakery is a classic example. It's a two-woman operation, attached to Joana’s home. It looks like a charming, rustic film set. But the daily graft's clear. And Joana also proves her oil point. She douses warm bread in sugar and Vidigueira olive oil and hands it to us