Where to Discover the Best of Lisbon Wine

As well as wine bars and restaurants (read here), there are plenty of other ways to experience wine in Lisbon. Here the insider tips from our Aficionados wine writer…

Lisboa is the local wine region, but there are various sub-regions worth looking out for. Alenquer makes some of the finest reds with indigenous grapes such as Aragonez, Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca. From Bucelas, look out for whites made with the Arinto grape – producing vibrant wines with notes of citrus and beeswax that can age very well. Colares is a fascinating area where the sandy soils allow vines to be planted ungrafted (unlike much of the world). In this historic region, you’ll find reds from Ramisco – a variety that produces impressively age-worthy styles.

Alongside Port and Madeira, Carcavelos is a region just west of Lisbon renowned for its fortified wines. Although they’ve fallen from popularity, these rich, nutty, sweet wines were once famous (Thomas Jefferson was reportedly a fan) – and are seeing a renaissance today. Try a glass with a pasteis de nata for the ultimate food-and-wine pairing.

Quinta do Olival da Murta

Serra Oca is the wine label from Quinta do Olival da Murta – an organic farm that champions sustainability. An hour north of Lisbon close to the Serra de Montejunto, the property has been in the family for five generations and its wines are rapidly earning a reputation. If you’re there at the right time of year, you can help the team harvest, plant trees, identify local plants as well as taste the wines.

Viúva Gomes

Explore coastal Colares – just 45 minutes’ west of Lisbon – by visiting Viúva Gomes. This historic, family-run estate has been making wine from clifftop, sandy vineyards since 1808. Email them to book a tasting of their impressive range, with wines that speak of the stormy Atlantic.