Wine Tourism during Summer Holidays at João Portugal Ramos Winery

Summer holidays are synonymous with family time, long sunny days, and kids to entertain. João Portugal Ramos’ Vila Santa Winery offers a variety of programs in Estremoz, Alentejo, where you can find leisure suggestions for everyone. From visiting the vineyards and winery to a picnic in the vineyard, there’s something for everyone. The picnic includes a basket with sheep’s cheese, sausages, and Alentejo bread, codfish with chickpeas, partridge empanadas, a selection of pâtés (coriander, olive, and blood sausage). For dessert, “Areias à Vila Santa” or chocolate cake. All this is accompanied by Pouca Roupa white wine and Marquês de Borba Colheita Red. The program costs €45 per person.

To entertain the children, the perfect program is “In Search of the Secret Bottle” (€50/person). A game designed for a minimum group of six people, where participants have only one hour to discover the secret bottle inside the winery. It’s a puzzle full of surprises, clues, and imagination, to try to discover the mysterious bottle. In addition to visiting the cellars, a tasting of two wines is included, accompanied by Alentejo bread, sheep’s cheese, and Oliveira Ramos olive oil.

In addition to these two programs, there is a plethora of other experiences available, ranging from wine tastings starting at €20 (with a tasting of 4 wines, Alentejo bread, sheep’s cheese, and olive oil tasting), to varied lunches (starting at €65 per person), always accompanied by João Portugal Ramos wines, or some delicious tapas (€45 per person) very well garnished (Tibornas with oregano and extra virgin olive oil, grilled sheep’s cheese with oregano, Alentejo sausages, codfish with chickpeas, selection of pâtés and Alentejo bread, Chocolate Sin for dessert, coffee or tea). A perfect match with Marquês de Borba white wine and Marquês de Borba Vinhas Velhas white and red.

In September, the highlight is the harvest program (€80 per person). In addition to participating in the harvest process, with manual harvesting and foot treading of grapes in the winery’s marble lagares, participants can enjoy a harvest lunch, punctuated by traditional tibornas with extra virgin olive oil, regional cheeses, harvest salad (with grapes, sundried tomatoes, and cheese), and dark duck rice ‘Vila Santa’ with zucchini carpaccio, as well as dessert. All good reasons to come for a few days in the Alentejo and taste good wines from the João Portugal Ramos group, while doing a different and appealing program with the family.

Reservations: Adega Vila Santa, Estrada Nacional 4, 7100-149 Estremoz. Open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6:30 pm and Saturdays from 10 am to 6 pm. Prior booking (48 hours in advance): 91 669 38 33 or +351 268 339 919