Plan a trip
A route through the vines
Pick a country and a style, and we'll sketch a few days through it — real sub-regions in a sensible order, with what to expect at each stop and when to go, drawn from everything already on the site.
Where to
Style preference
Your route
A focused 3-stop route through Portugal
The character of this trip
Slow roads, granite hills, long lunches
Portugal packs three very different landscapes into a short map: the terraced Douro, the cool granite plateau of the Dão, and the cork-oak plains of the Alentejo. The wines are made from grapes you will meet almost nowhere else, Touriga Nacional chief among them, and the best meals arrive without hurry. The roads wind more than the map suggests, so give each stop more time than the distance implies.
A focused route through what's currently documented
Portugal has 3 places mapped on Ampelos so far. The route below draws on the ones within reach of each other — enough for a short, honest route rather than a full itinerary — and will grow as more of the country is documented.
Stops
3
Total driving
~375 km
Behind the wheel
6h 49min
Worth setting aside
5–7 days
What to expect
Notable producers
- Quinta do Noval — Known for the Nacional, a Port from ungrafted vines.
- Taylor's — A historic Port house with a leading reputation for Vintage Port.
- Graham's — Symington-owned Port house, known for rich, sweet Vintage Port.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in early autumn (September), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in spring (April–May), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~89 km · 1h 37min to the next stop
From Douro, the route turns toward Dão. The climate here: continental, sheltered by mountains.
What to expect
Notable producers
- Álvaro Castro — Quinta da Pellada; a small estate and one of the benchmarks for elegant Dão reds and whites.
- Casa de Santar — Santar; one of the historic estates, with an old manor house at its centre.
- Quinta dos Roques — A family estate known for varietal Touriga Nacional and Encruzado.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in early autumn (September), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in spring (April–May), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~286 km · 5h 12min to the next stop
Dão is Touriga Nacional country; Alentejo is Alicante Bouschet. The drive between them is a change of grape, and the glass changes with it.
What to expect
Notable producers
- Herdade do Esporão — Reguengos; one of the largest quality estates.
- Cartuxa — Évora; the Eugénio de Almeida foundation's estate, known for Pêra-Manca.
- Herdade do Mouchão — Portalegre; a historic estate famous for Alicante Bouschet.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in early autumn (September), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in spring (April–May), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.