A gourmet tour of Alentejo, Portugal

Review by Louise Steggals

Quick look
What To See
Eating Out
Sleepover
Getting There

Since the advent of the internet and the boom in DIY holiday sites like Expedia, tour operators and tourist boards have had to bend over backwards to create new and interesting holiday packages to tempt us to their shores. The Alentejo region of Portugal has, in previous years, been unfairly overlooked by tourists who head for the more familiar surroundings of the Algarve or Lisbon.
Text continues below image

For food and drink lovers this is a terrible shame because the region has the perfect conditions for wine production: great weather and the right terrain. This, combined with fantastic local cuisine and stunning architectural sights should put it firmly on the “must see” list for anyone who considers themselves a gourmet. Now, with a weekly Sunday flight to the town of Beja from London Heathrow, there’s no excuse to miss out on these culinary delights.

What To See : Back to top

There are two main attractions to the Alentejo: the vast number of wineries you can visit where you can sample the best of the vineyards, and the sheer heritage that runs throughout the region, particularly in the towns of Beja and Evora (the latter being a UNESCO world heritage site) leading to architectural curiosities around every corner.  
Text continues below image

Our four-day stay includes trips to three wineries. The first two, the Malhadinha Nova and the Casa de Santa Vitoria are large-scale operations, the first owned by a family, the second by a hotel group. Both produce somewhere in the region of 250,000 bottles of wine in the season and mix modern technology with traditional methods (if you time your visit right during the harvest, you will more than likely have the opportunity to roll your trousers up and indulge in some grape mashing).

At the other end of the scale is the Herdade Grande which, despite its ‘grand’ name is a smaller operation run by a dedicated team of three, headed by a man who quit the rat race to fulfil his dream of owning a vineyard. The wine is still excellent and we end up leaving with three bottles carefully wrapped up to take home.
Text continues below image

Walking through any of the towns in the area will bring you wonderful sights of curious looking buildings, charming bars and cafes, museums and parks. Beja and Evora are particularly good for this kind of sight-seeing. Beja castle is an impressive sight as you drive into the town and the municipal park is beautiful, boasting an aviary of exotic birds and wonderful sculptures and frescos.

Evora is in a league of its own and it’s very easy to see why the town has the UNESCO status. One absolute must is the eerie Casa dos Ossos – the Chapel of Bones – a small chapel lined with the skeletal remains of the monks of the town to save space. The bakeries are also a definite treat where you can indulge in a Pastelo de Nata – a deliciously sweet, flaky egg-custard tart that has become a national delicacy.

Text continues below advert

Eating Out : Back to top

There is one particular dish that this region is known for – grilled black pork – and the best place to sample it is a traditional bistro in Beja, Adega 25 de Abril (R Moeda 23, Beja). This place is populated with locals (always a good sign) and serves the dish as a platter for two people, served with patatas frites and seasoned salad for €18. The flavour of the meat is out of this world and it is succulent and tender. Dessert is another traditional dish – Sericaia – a flan which is reminiscent of bread and butter pudding, served here with a toffee-coated plum.
Text continues below image

In Evora, the town’s best restaurant is generally agreed to be O Fialho (Travessa dos Mascarenhas 16, Evora). This restaurant looks rather unassuming from the outside but is the haunt of Portugal’s well-heeled families and visiting celebrities. However it certainly doesn’t have the A-list price tag you might expect – mains start at a very reasonable €14. Having failed to resist the selections of breads, olive oil and goats cheese put out as nibbles, we skip the starters and opt for fried whiting, again served with patatas frites and salads, finishing with another local delight, the Pao de Rala – sweet shredded pumpkin in an almond paste – very sweet but tasty.
Text continues below image

Text continues below advert

Sleepover : Back to top

For a real treat, the hotel and spa attached to the Herdade da Malhadinha Nova winery and restaurant is a must www.malhadinhanova.pt. The management are fiercely proud of the resort they’ve styled as “50s film star chic” and rightly so.There are just 10 rooms here (seven doubles and three suites) so the vibe is one of homeliness and exclusivity – you could be forgiven for expecting to see a movie star sitting at the next table.
Text continues below image

The owners have spared no expense in providing a luxurious stay from the Bvlgari toiletries to the Villeroy and Boch china. The views are both stunning and peaceful (best enjoyed from the infinity pool) and, with breakfast being a real feast that sets you up for the rest of the week, let alone the day, you’ll be very sorry when the time comes to leave.

Final thoughts

Alentejo is a real gourmet delight. There isn’t the usual pandering to tourists that you find in more popular destinations giving you a real flavour of local life and the sense of having truly been abroad somewhere. The region is simply stunning to wander around with the towns untainted by modern glass and brick monstrosities, instead packed with the traditional Mediterranean buildings you see on postcards. The boon for us too is that, whilst Portuguese wine is overlooked in favour of wines from France, the New World, Chile and the rest, it remains reasonably priced so it is definitely worth hunting a few bottles out and expanding your palate.

Getting There : Back to top

Sunvil Discovery put together individual itineraries based on your interests and run the weekly flight from London Heathrow to Beja (the charming 49-seat Embraer is an experience in itself) departing on Sundays.

Prices start from £496 per person for 7-nights (BB) at the 4-star Hotel Evora in Evora and from £462 per person (BB) at the Casa da Eira in Vila Nova de Milfontes inclusive of flights and transfers.

Staying at the Malhadina Nova is £1083pp on a B&B basis, and includes return flights from Heathrow to Beja and car rental.

Visit www.sunvil.co.uk for booking and further information.