There are several diverse definitions of Wine Tourism. From a stricter perspective, Wine Tourism includes, essentially, visits to vineyards, wineries, and wine festivals, with or without tastings, but from a broader view we can also understand this activity as the displacement or travel to wine regions to know the production of wine in its various aspects, from grape varieties, winemaking methods, type of soil, and also to get in touch with the customs and traditions of these regions and their people.

At Quinta da Raza we support this broader version. Thus, in 2023, we decided to reformulate and restructure our wine tourism experiences and programs, dividing them into four categories – Wine Tasting, Wine Tasting + Adventure and Nature, Wine Tasting + Estate and Wine Tasting + Heritage – and presenting a set of new additions that will convince you to come and visit us. Let’s get to know them?

In the first category, Wine Tastings, to the four previously existing tastings – Tasting of two wines from Quinta da Raza, Basto Autochthonous Grapes, Tasting of Alvarinho Wines, and Natural Wines – we have added two new ones: Singular Wines and Personalized Tasting. In the Singular Wines experience, we introduce you to some of our most distinctive varieties such as Avesso and Gouveio, with a strong mineral and gastronomic character, great aging potential and which ultimately reveal another side of vinho verde. In the Customized Tasting, we invite you to create a perfect selection, selecting three wines: one from the ‘Dom Diogo’ portfolio, one from the ‘Quinta da Raza’ range, and finally one of our ‘Natural Wines’. Can you make the perfect selection?

The remaining tastings, being “old favorites” are not without novelties! To whet your appetite, we can confess that we have reformulated our tapas of organic Portuguese sardine and mackerel conserves and enriched our cheese and regional charcuterie board. And why not repeat or try for the first time, if that is the case, our Alvarinho Wine Tasting? After all, here you can taste three of our four recently awarded wines in the famous international wine contest Mundus Vini, including our monovarietal ‘Quinta da Raza Alvarinho’ awarded with the title Best of Show, the award given to the best vinho verde in competition.

In the Wine Tasting + Adventure and Nature category we strengthen our synergies with regional partners, continuing to provide adrenaline-filled activities like Rafting, Canyoning and Buggy tours. Come and discover some of the most beautiful landscapes and hidden corners of the Terras de Basto, aboard a boat or an off-road vehicle; then let yourself relax on our panoramic terrace with the company of our wines and delicacies. If you are looking for something quieter, you can choose our Picnic. We have new spots among our vineyards and ‘ramadas’, where you can rest and inebriate yourself with the sounds of nature while enjoying a succulent meal and, needless to say our refreshing wines.

In the Wine Tasting + Estate section we would like you to know and, at the same time, the vineyard, the soil, the grape varieties, in short, our terroir, and everything that makes it unique. Come with us on this visit through our property; we can do it by foot, on a walking tour, or aboard our charming jeep. We will show you the small, thick-filmed Alvarinho bunches, the large, compact, heavy Arinto bunches, and the Vinhão dyers while sharing while sharing with you some stories of old harvesting days. On the way, you will also get to know our Organic Vegetable Garden with its aromatic herbs, spinach, lettuce, and chives, and the Animal Farm where the ‘pedresas’ chickens, the mute ducks, and the Bísaro pigs grow happy and free. When you need to regain your energy, you only need to tell us where you want your tasting: in the tasting room or on the panoramic terrace; we will take care of the rest.

If you enjoy history and culture, monuments and archaeological sites, you should not miss the suggestions of the Wine Tasting + Heritage series. For our hometown, Celorico de Basto, we have prepared an itinerary starting at the Church of Santa Maria de Veade, a prime example of religious architecture from the Romanesque period, where its beautiful side portals stand out. Have we awakened your curiosity? The tour doesn’t stop there! Have you ever heard of topiary art? Stay with us as we take you to the most paradigmatic camellia garden in the ‘Terras de Basto’; it is right next door, at Casa do Campo, in Molares. Note its symmetry, the elegance of the ‘fresco houses’ and the size of the famous ‘Centenária’, Portugal’s oldest and most illustrious cameleer, in the freshness of its 250 years!

On these heritage tours we don’t forget our neighbors. Thus, we have also prepared a tour to Mondim de Basto, starting at Castro do Crastoeiro, a fortified settlement from the Iron Age (c. 9th century BC – 1st century AD), where the famous Galician warriors and the indigenous peasant societies lived before the arrival of the Roman imperial power. Besides learning more about their way of life, handicrafts, beliefs and social organization, this settlement will give you a privileged view of the largest viticultural “spot” in the Basto Region. On the subject of privileged views, this tour would not be complete without the trip up to the top of the Farinha Hill, the Sanctuary of Senhora da Graça, terminus of the most famous stage of the Tour of Portugal by bicycle. Take a deep breath and feel on top of the world!

Still not convinced to visit us, taste our wines and try one of our wine tourism proposals? Maybe you are looking for a more personalized program…If so, contact us; we will be delighted to hear your ideas and suggestions. Come; you will see that you will have a lot of fun.