Wine Tourism

The Wine Tourism is a segment of tourism activity that relies on the journey motivated by the appreciation of the flavor and aroma of the wines and the traditions and culture of the places that produce this drink.

More than just "drinking" wine, the wine tourist enjoys landscapes, uses the equipment of gastronomy, hospitality and entertainment, as well as local businesses and other service benefits. The wine tourism must involve the visitor in the culture, in the drink details: the experience is turned into an experience of the five senses. It is viewing the vineyards, hearing the stories, smelling the wine, tasting the delicacies of the cuisine, touching the bottles and grapes.

Besides knowing the history, culture and traditions of the place, tourists have a chance to see the way the wine is produced, in all of its stages, and understand what makes the product. Concepts such as rural tourism and agritourism are related to wine tourism.

The wine tourism has naturally become a very popular activity in Portugal.

Portugal has a rich wine heritage. A Portuguese wine is easily identified by connoisseurs, due to the distinct flavor and aroma from all other wines in the world. The warm sun, the cool winds of the Atlantic, the heavy rain, the good earth and the ancient stones, the different varieties of grapes which are native to the country, are features that provide the quality and uniqueness of the drink.

As a winemakers country par excellence, actions that put the wine lover in contact with nature and the production of the drink multiply all over Portugal. Numerous farms and wineries open their doors and allow the tourist to participate in the harvest, taste wines, visit caves, among other options that always coordinate with the regional hotel and gastronomy.

The desire to learn more about wine, collecting various information about it, from the production methods to gastronomy, is the starting point for intense flavor and aroma trips. Along the way, knowledge of history, culture and traditions of the places that produce the nectar is acquired.

Wine Tourism in Calçada do Souto Farm

Quinta Calçada do Souto is a farmhouse located in the demarcated region of Vinho Verde (green wine), in the Northern Portugal. Possessing 12 acres of vines for green wine production, a pinewood and a brook, it presents ideal conditions for the wine tourist to spend his holidays. Here he can follow all stages of the production of wine, staying in the comfort in of one of the available farm houses.

Although winemaking culminates with the grape harvest at the time of the vintage, this is not the only interesting and important operation in the manufacture of the wine.

Winter is the season of the vineyard´s rest, but not of the rest of the one who cares for it. It is during this period that the pruning of the vines runs, an important operation for good quality of the grapes of the next seasons harvest. The correct pruning of the vines is a knowledge acquired through experience and age, and a task of responsibility. But it is also a relaxing activity of an intense communion with nature, that the wine tourist can follow with interest. An invigorating winter afternoon spent in the middle of a vineyard, feeling the acrid smell of the sleeping earth, listening to the song of blackbirds, while hearing the click-click of the pruning shears. In the evening, the landscape of the bare. trimmed and tidy vineyard, leaves a pleasant feeling of accomplishment duly rewarded by the cozy fireplace on a comfortable sofa with a glass of wine to accompany it.

In spring the landscape changes in just a few days. The vineyard awakens, is covered with light green sprouts. It is time to pass the tractor in the middle of the vineyard rows, because the harmful herbs accompany the vine growth with equal voracity. It is also time to make periodical treatment to the vineyard to prevent diseases and fungi, and ensure the growth of clusters. This is a critical time for the final wine, for any slip in the protection of the fragile sprouts can result in loss of the entire crop. The effort is, however, largely rewarded when the little bunches of grapes increase day by day. The knowing look can predict at this early stage whether the year will be a good or a bad year, by observing the quantity, quality and arrangement of the sprouts.

The summer witnesses the vineyard at its fully developed stage. The leaves abound, bunches grow and mature, the vine is a green and strong spot in the valley. The work with the tractor and the treatment continue, but this is a time when it is a pleasure to see the result of the effort made throughout the year. The clusters reach their final size and start maturing. The abundant sunshine of Portugal helps the grapes stay sweet, contributing to the recognized quality of our wine. A walk through the vineyard, under the intense heat of the sun, is followed by a refreshing dip in the pool. Overlooking the vineyard, of course, tasting a wine and that was left refreshing.

Fall finally arrives and with it the great apotheosis of wine, which is the vintage. The grapes reached their maximum degree of maturation. The best time to harvest is estimated to the second, and prays are made to have a sunny day, so that the degree of sugar is the highest. Trailers and baskets are washed, the scissors are checked, spaces are prepared for the workers meals. It's the funniest time to the wine tourist and the most rewarding season for the producer. Workers invade the farm. The bustle is enormous and the joy even greater. Cut the aromatic bunches of juicy berries and deposit them in the baskets, is to participate in the celebration of the harvest. And the grapes fill baskets, one after another.