Uncorking Portugal: An Exclusive 10-Day Journey through Portugal's Wine Regions

The journey begins in the world's oldest demarcated wine region, where steep, terraced vineyards have been carved into the mountainsides since Roman times. The Douro Valley isn't just Portugal's most visually dramatic wine region — it's arguably the most spectacular vineyard landscape in the world.

Day 1

Begin your journey at Six Senses Douro Valley, a 19th-century manor house transformed into one of Europe's most sophisticated wine resorts. Request the newly renovated Vineyard Suite, where floor-to-ceiling windows frame panoramic views of the undulating vineyards. Allow us to coordinate with the resort's wine director, Francisca van Zeller — herself a member of one of Portugal's historic wine families — to arrange a vertical tasting of rare vintage ports upon arrival, setting the tone for the exclusivity that defines this journey.

Day 2

The following morning, bypass the tourist-filled quintas and instead board a helicopter tour for a dramatically different perspective of the UNESCO-protected landscape. The one-hour aerial tour reveals the true magnitude of human persistence that shaped these mountains into viticultural masterpieces. Your pilot will land directly at Quinta do Noval, one of the region's most prestigious estates for a rare tasting of Nacional Vintage Port — considered one of the world's most collectible wines.

Lunch follows at DOC, Chef Rui Paula's riverside culinary temple, where the tasting menu pairs contemporary interpretations of Portuguese classics with limited-production Douro wines. Request the private dining room overlooking the river, where the sommelier offers off-menu wine pairings typically reserved for visiting winemakers.

Day 3

For your final day in the Douro, board the historic Presidential Train — a meticulously restored royal train once used by Portugal's heads of state — for a journey along the Douro river line. This exclusive charter is only available a handful times throughout the year for only 72 passengers per journey, and includes a multi-course lunch prepared as the train winds through the valley, with wine service overseen by some of Portugal's top sommeliers. The journey concludes at Quinta do Vesuvio, an isolated estate where you'll witness the traditional foot-treading of grapes during harvest season (September-October).

Leaving the dramatic Douro behind, continue your journey into the granite highlands of the Dão, a region increasingly recognized as Portugal's answer to Burgundy for its elegant, mineral-driven red wines centered around the Touriga Nacional grape. The landscape shifts dramatically from terraced riverbanks to pine and eucalyptus forests interspersed with ancient vineyards and medieval villages.

Base yourself at Casa da Ínsua, an 18th-century baroque palace converted into a luxury hotel, where gardens designed in the formal Portuguese style provide a regal backdrop for morning coffee. The estate still produces its own wines, and the hotel's cellar houses vintages dating back to the 1950s.

The Dão region remains largely undiscovered by international travelers, offering a sense of authenticity increasingly rare in European wine destinations.

Let us coordinate with a local guide to bring you to Quinta dos Roques, where winemaker Luis Lourenço has pioneered single-vineyard expressions of indigenous varieties. Here, you'll taste barrel samples of Jaen (known as Mencía in Spain) and Alfrocheiro, varieties rarely exported but which showcase the region's exceptional capacity for producing age-worthy reds.

Day five delivers a dramatic contrast at Quinta da Pellada, where Álvaro Castro produces some of Portugal's most sought-after cult wines. Unlike the formal grandeur of previous estates, Castro's property exudes rustic authenticity, with ancient stone lagares (treading tanks) still used for top cuvées.

Here, you can participate in a blending session, creating your own custom Dão blend under Castro's guidance, which will be bottled, labeled and shipped to your home — a truly personalized souvenir from this hidden corner of Portugal's wine lands.

Your journey continues westward to Bairrada, a coastal region where clay-limestone soils produce exceptional sparkling wines and structured reds from the Baga grape. This region represents the perfect marriage of vinous and culinary excellence, as it's also home to Portugal's most famous gastronomic tradition — leitão, or suckling pig.

Day 6

Check into Palace Hotel do Bussaco, a neo-Manueline masterpiece built as a royal hunting lodge in 1917. Set within a 250-acre forest with trees collected from Portugal's global explorations, the palace houses its own winery, producing limited-edition reds and whites using methods that have remained unchanged for a century.

Your exploration of Bairrada begins at Luis Pato's estate, where the winemaker has dedicated his life to elevating the reputation of the indigenous Baga grape. Unlike standard tastings, you will be led through Pato's personal wine library and the winery cellar to enjoy a vertical tasting spanning four decades of Pato's flagship Vinha Barrosa cuvée, demonstrating Baga's remarkable ability to evolve over time.

The afternoon brings a visit to Filipa Pato and William Wouters' biodynamic estate, where the next generation continues the region's evolution. Their minimalist winery, designed by a renowned Portuguese architect, houses concrete eggs and amphorae where native varieties ferment without intervention.

Day 7

Day seven focuses on Bairrada's sparkling wine tradition with a private tour of Caves São João, where millions of bottles age in underground galleries. Allow us to coordinate a visit that includes access to the family's collection of library vintages, including sparkling wines from the 1960s that showcase the region's aging potential. Then enjoy a lunch in the cellar to include dishes like a truffle-infused version of the region's famous leitão, paired with sparkling wines from different decades.

The final leg of your journey takes you to Alentejo, Portugal's sun-drenched southern region, where cork forests and wheat fields stretch to the horizon, interspersed with whitewashed villages and ancient dolmens. This region represents Portuguese winemaking at its most diverse, with estates ranging from centuries-old monasteries to cutting-edge architectural showcases.

Your accommodation for these final three days is São Lourenço do Barrocal, a 200-year-old estate transformed into an exclusive retreat by architect Eduardo Souto de Moura. The property spans 1,800 acres of organic farmland, vineyards and olive groves, with just 24 rooms and cottages converted from former farm buildings.

Day 8

Day eight introduces you to Alentejo's winemaking traditions at Adega José de Sousa, where wines are still fermented in large clay amphorae following techniques established by the Romans. Unlike the tourist-oriented amphora demonstration at some estates, here you'll have the opportunity to work alongside the cellar master to help seal a new amphora using pine resin and beeswax, becoming part of a tradition that stretches back two millennia.

The afternoon brings a dramatic contrast at Herdade do Freixo, where the entire winery has been built underground in a stunning feat of architectural innovation. The spiral design allows gravity to move grapes and wine without pumping, while maintaining perfect temperature naturally. Opt for a helicopter transfer from São Lourenço directly to Freixo's helipad, where winemaker Diogo Lopes will lead a comprehensive tasting of the estate's limited-production wines, including experimental cuvées not available commercially.

Day 9

Day nine offers perhaps the most unique experience of the entire journey — a day at Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, which can begin with a sunrise hot air balloon ride over the estate's 450 hectares of vineyards, olive groves and cork forests. After landing, explore the property on a guided horseback tour, stopping at remote vineyard parcels to taste wines made from each site.

Culminate your day with a private stargazing experience in the heart of the vineyards. Alentejo boasts some of Europe's darkest skies, and an astronomer from the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve will set up a professional-grade telescope for an unforgettable evening of celestial observation paired with the estate's premium wines.

Day 10

Your final day centers around the historic wine city of Évora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where Roman temples stand alongside medieval cathedrals. Enjoy a private tour of the city's architectural treasures, including the haunting Chapel of Bones, before your journey concludes at Cartuxa, a winery housed in a 16th-century Jesuit monastery. Here, in the cellar where monks once produced sacramental wines, you'll taste Pêra-Manca, Alentejo's most prestigious and rare wine, produced only in exceptional vintages.

Enjoy a final dinner in the monastery's former library, now a private dining room reserved for visiting dignitaries, where each course pays homage to a different region from your 10-day journey through Portugal's wine lands.