Best Things to do in Lisbon | The Sounds of Wine

(Versão Portuguesa abaixo)


Starting this weekend and going through November, you can enjoy some of the best things in life - music, wine, and food - on a number of selected wineries near Lisbon. The characteristic smell of the cellars, the passion of the stories and the emotion of the music, all comes together with the good wine and typical food of the Setúbal's region.

You can choose from different music styles, but you can be sure that the guided visit to the winery, the commented wine tasting, the delicious regional produces (bread, cheese, charcuterie, and baking goods) and the intimist concerts, all will add up to an unforgettable experience.

A partir deste fim de semana e durante o mês de Novembro, pode desfrutar de algumas das melhores coisas da vida - música, vinho e comida - num conjunto de adegas selecionadas, perto de Lisboa. O cheiro característico das adegas, a paixão das histórias e a emoção da música, tudo se junta com o bom vinho e comida típica da região de Setúbal.

Pode escolher entre diferentes estilos de música, mas pode ter certeza de que a visita guiada à adega, a prova de vinhos comentada, os deliciosos produtos regionais (pão, queijo, charcutaria e bolos) e os concertos intimistas, contribuirão de igaul forma para uma experiência inesquecível.

28th October, Malo Tojo Wines, Azeitão
Jazz & Bossa Nova with São Santos Silva, Rui Rosado e Luís Filipe Martins.

4th November, Quinta de Alcube, Azeitão
Natural3Soul com Salomé Caldeira, David Piçarra e Renato Batista.

18th November, ASL Tomé, Pinhal Novo
Portuguese Guitars with Pedro Antunes e Nuno Castelo.

25th November, Quinta do Piloto, Palmela
Fado with Cláudia Picado, Ricardo Anastácio e José Duarte.

28 de Outubro, Malo Tojo Wines, Azeitão
Jazz & Bossa Nova com São Santos Silva, Rui Rosado e Luís Filipe Martins.

4 de Novembro, Quinta de Alcube, Azeitão
Natural3Soul com Salomé Caldeira, David Piçarra e Renato Batista.

18 de Novembro, ASL Tomé, Pinhal Novo
Guitarras Portuguesas com Pedro Antunes e Nuno Castelo.

25 de Novembro, Quinta do Piloto, Palmela
Fado com Cláudia Picado, Ricardo Anastácio e José Duarte.



Reservations and Price:

ROTA DOS VINHOS DA PENÍSULA DE SETÚBAL
Phone: (+351) 212 334 398
E-mail: info@rotavinhospsetubal.com
Adults: 12,00€ |  Children (4-12 years old): 5,00€. | Special prices for groups (6-10 pax)

Best Things to do in Lisbon | Free Wine Tastings

I'm sure that all you wine lovers out there love a wine tasting. Visiting a cellar or a wine bar, to hear about a wine and its history and to have the pleasure of enjoying it in a good company is always a great experience. If you can have all of this for free, it's even better! If you are near Lisbon, this week there are 2 amazing free wine tastings taking place on the 25th and the 28th, respectively in Lisbon and in Sintra. Visit the gorgeous Adega do Palácio - Wine Bar, and taste 5 wines from the Beiras region. Saturday, you can go to Sintra to know a little more about the Wine Route of Bucelas, Carcavelos and Colares and, of course, to taste its wines. Make your reservation right now!

Tenho certeza de que todos os amantes de vinho gostam de uma degustação de vinhos. Visitar uma adega ou um wine bar, ouvir falar acerca de um vinho e da sua história e ter o prazer de apreciá-lo em uma boa companhia é sempre uma ótima experiência. Se pudermos ter tudo isto de graça, é ainda melhor! Se estiver perto de Lisboa, esta semana há 2 provas de vinhos gratuitas que terão lugar nos dias 25 e 28, respectivamente, em Lisboa e em Sintra. Visite a belíssima Adega do Palácio - Wine Bar e experimente 5 vinhos da região das Beiras. No Sábado, pode ir a Sintra para saber um pouco mais sobre a Rota do Vinho de Bucelas, Carcavelos e Colares e, claro, para provar os seus vinhos. Faça a sua reserva agora!

Especially for all of the wine lovers, the Adega do Palácio - Wine Bar presents, on October 25th at 6:30 pm, the 4th edition of "Conversas na Adega" (Talks at the Cellar). With free admission, this edition of "Conversas na Adega" is offered with a wine talk and wine and sparkling wine tasting from the Lapa dos Reis family, a producer from the Beiras region, in Portugal. The wine talks and tastings happen monthly at the Adega do Palácio, so you better stay tuned for the next editions.

Especialmente para todos os amantes do vinho, a Adega do Palácio - Wine Bar apresenta, no dia 25 de Outubro, às 6:30 da tarde, a 4ª edição de "Conversas na Adega". Com entrada gratuita, esta edição de "Conversas na Adega" é brindada com um wine talk e prova de vinhos e espumantes da família Lapa dos Reis, um produtor vinícola da região das Beiras. Estas conversas e provas de vinhos têm lugar mensalmente na Adega do Palácio. Por isso, fique também atento às próximas edições.


Registration and Information:

Adega do Palácio - Wine Bar
Hotel Real Palácio
Rua S. Sebastião da Pedreira nº 234-C,
1050-210 Lisboa
Phone: 213 199 500
adegadopalacio@realpalacio.com

The Casa do Eléctrico de Sintra will host a commented wine tasting, entirely dedicated to the wines of Colares and the Wine Route of Bucelas, Carcavelos and Colares. The final edition of 2017's "A Glass with History" will be held on October 28 at 4:00 pm. These conversations and wine tastings will be conducted by winemakers and producers of the region. The admission is free, and subject to prior registration until the Wednesday before the session date.

A Casa do Eléctrico de Sintra acolherá uma degustação de vinhos comentada, inteiramente dedicada aos vinhos de Colares e à Rota dos Vinhos de Bucelas, Carcavelos e Colares. A edição final de "Um Copo Com História" de 2017 será realizada no dia 28 de Outubro às 4:00 da tarde. Esta conversa e prova de vinhos será conduzida por enólogos e produtores da região. A admissão é gratuita e está sujeita a registro prévio até quarta-feira antes da data da sessão.


Registration and information:

Casa do Eléctrico de Sintra
Rua General Alves Roçadas, 2
Sintra
Phone: 219 238 771/767

dtur.vila.alda@cm-sintra.pt

Best Things to do in Lisbon | Route of "Petiscos" and Wines of Alentejo

Starting on 15th and ending on 29th October,  the Route of Petiscos and Wines of Alentejo will take you to  10 Lisbon's restaurants, offering  10 delicious "Petiscos" paired with and 10 amazing wines from Alentejo.  If you think this is good news, wait until you know the price... 3,50 € for the pair!

Now that I have your attention, let me give you all the information you need to start this incredible route dedicated to all the foodies in town. This initiative from the Alentejo Regional Winegrowing Commission (CVRA) aims to bring the outstanding wines from Alentejo to a larger public and to highlight their versatility and quality.

You can find the restaurants part of this route in different parts of the city, making it a good excuse to walk around Lisbon before you try a Petisco and a good wine from Alentejo.  In the images below you can find relevant information on the time, food and wine available at each restaurant.  I have a few ideas about the ones I want to try!

Com início no dia 15 e terminando a 29 de outubro, a Rota dos Petiscos e Vinhos do Alentejo, irá leva-lo a 10 restaurantes de Lisboa, que estão a oferecer 10 deliciosos "Petiscos" emparelhados com 10 surpreendentes vinhos do Alentejo. Se acha que esta é uma boa notícia, espere até saber o preço ... 3,50 € para o par!

Agora que já tenho a sua atenção, deixe-me dar-lhe todas as informações de que precisa para iniciar esta incrível rota. Esta iniciativa da Comissão Vitivinícola Regional Alentejano (CVRA) visa dar a conhecer os excepcionais vinhos e gastronomia do Alentejo a um público mais alargado, destacando a sua versatilidade e qualidade.

Pode encontrar os restaurantes que fazem parte desta rota em diferentes pontos da cidade, tornando-se uma boa desculpa para caminhar em Lisboa antes de experimentar um Petisco e um bom vinho do Alentejo. Nas imagens acima, pode encontrar informações relevantes sobre os horários, comida e vinho disponíveis em cada restaurante. Eu cá já estou com umas ideias sobre os vinhos que quero experimentar!

Best Things to do in Lisbon | Wines of Alentejo Tastings in Lisbon

(Versão Portuguesa abaixo)

As some of you may know, I'm from Alentejo and absolutely passionate about this region on the South of Portugal. Passionate for its landscape, its culture, its people, its gastronomy and its wine! And, passionate as I am, could not miss the opportunity to invite you all to visited Vinhos do Alentejo em Lisboa that will take place at Centro Cultural de Belém (CCB), in Lisbon on the 13th and 14th October. So, if you are a local or happen to be visiting Lisbon, save the date for a visit to this amazing event.

The Alentejo has become one of the most creative and even avant-garde wine producing region in the country, presenting wines produced from a remarkable diversity of grape varieties and landscapes, which result in a multiplicity of styles where the common denominator is quality. In this wine show you'll find many of the wineries from Alentejo, and will have the opportunity to receive advice and practical tips from experts on Alentejo's wines.

Vinhos do Alentejo will include commented wine tastings, talks and a showcase of DOP products from Alentejo to promote and give proof to the region. Some of the best wines and PDO Alentejo products will travel to the Centro Cultural de Belém (CCB) in Lisbon, to give a taste of the region over two days.  Because Portuguese love to pair a good wine with great food, there will be plenty of regional products from Alentejo - bread, olive oil and traditional confectionery - to harmonize with your favorite wines.

Como alguns já devem ter percebido, sou do Alentejo e absolutamente apaixonada por essa região do sul de Portugal. Apaixonada pela sua paisagem, pela sua cultura, pelo seu povo, pela sua gastronomia e pelo seu vinho! E, apaixonada como sou, não posso perder a oportunidade de convidá-los a visitar a mostra Vinhos do Alentejo em Lisboa que terá lugar no Centro Cultural de Belém (CCB), em Lisboa, nos dias 13 e 14 de outubro. Seja um Lisboeta ou ou um visitante da cidade, salve a data para uma visita a este evento incrível.

O Alentejo tornou-se uma das regiões produtoras de vinho mais criativas e até vanguardistas do país, apresentando vinhos produzidos em diferentes tipos de paisagens, a partir de uma notável diversidade de variedades de uva, o que resulta em uma multiplicidade de estilos onde o denominador comum tem sido a qualidade. Nesta mostra de vinhos, encontrará muitos produtores vinícolas desta região, e terá a oportunidade de receber conselhos e dicas práticas de especialistas em vinhos do Alentejo.

O Vinhos do Alentejo incluirá provas comentadas, palestras e uma vitrine de produtos DOP do Alentejo para promover e dar a provar o que de melhor se produz nesta região.  Porque os portugueses adoram acompanhar um bom vinho com ótima comida, haverá muitos produtos regionais do Alentejo - pão, azeite e doçaria tradicional - para harmonizar com seus vinhos favoritos.

Best Things to do in Lisbon | Harvest Time

Harvest time is here. In the vineyards, the grapes are ripe and ready to be picked. Everything is prepared to make the new wine and, not far from Lisbon, you can participate in this amazing moment. Today, on the Best Things to do in Lisbon series I'll bring you some wine tourism experiences that you can enjoy just a few kilometers from Lisbon on the Setúbal's Peninsula Wine Region.

Do you remember the visit I've made last May to Fernando Pó, a wine district near Lisbon? It was an amazing experience and you can read all about it here. The good news is that you can do it this month, during the harvest, and it will include grape picking and winemaking experiences.

It can't get any more convenient than this to any one visiting Lisbon. A train starting from the main Train Station in the city (Oriente) will comfortably take you to Fernando Pó in under an hour, where you will be guided on a visit to its main wineries on a truly amazing gastronomic experience. Next visits on 9, 16 and 23 September.

If you have a more tight budget, there are several wineries in the region that held open days this harvest time, including a guided visit and a wine tasting for free.

If you are planning your visit to Lisbon, maybe you want to consider to save a day to visit Setúbal Península Wine Region, the Arrábida and book one of this wine experiences that will be held from 9 September to 8 October.

You can check the dates and book at the Setúbal's Península Wine Region Route. The first experience is called "De Comboio até às Vindimas" (By Train to the Harvest) and the second "Adegas de Portas Abertas" (Wineries with Open Doors).


More Information and Reservations:
Rota de Vinhos da Península de Setúbal
Phone: (+351) 212 334 398
info@rotavinhospsetubal.com
Please contact Monday to Friday, 10h00-16h30, except holidays.
www.rotavinhospsetubal.com

Best Things to Do in Lisbon | Summer Wine Tourism Experiences

Summer is on our door step, and the longer days and warm weather are propitious to outdoor activities. Today I bring to you two wine tourism experiences really close to Lisbon that you will enjoy and that you can bring your kids along. A picnic in the country and a cruise where you'll the opportunity to watch dolphins in their natural habitat will certainly be two experiences that your children will enjoy. These wine experiences and many others can be find at the site of Rota dos Vinhos da Região da Península de Setúbal (Wine Route).

SAINT ANTONY PICNIC
QUINTA DO PILOTO WINE ESTATE, PALMELA
June 15 at 16:00

The Saint Antony Picnic is an annual event held every June at Quinta do Piloto, that includes a visit to the winery, wine tasting and regional products tasting in the vineyards.

The Picnic Menu includes Cold Tomato Soup, Azeitão cheese, dry sheep cheese, sheep's butter, traditional Portuguese charcuterie, bread baked in a wood oven, local jams, Palmela fogaça (regional cake) and seasonal fruit.

This wine experience is organized by Quinta do Piloto. You can make your registration at the Wine Route site.

Adults: 18 € | Children between 4 and 12 years old: 9 €.

WINE SUNSET PARTY
SADO ARRÁBIDA, SETÚBAL
June to September, Saturday at 18:30


The weekly Wine Sunset Party cruises, with the duration of 2:30 hours, include wine tastings commented by the enologist from one winery of the Setúbal's Peninsula Wine Region (a different one is invited each week) and the tasting of regional products like cheese, charcuterie and regional pastries. The cruise goes through the river Sado Estuary, Setúbal's Bay, Arrábida and Tróia coast.  Dolphins watching is very common as there is an established population of dolphins in the region.

This wine experience is organized by Sado Arrábida and you can check the wineries present on each cruise date on their site.

Adults: 30 € | Children between 6 and 12 years old: 17,50 €.

Best Things to Do in Lisbon | Gastronomic Festivals

You may ask yourself what is the common denominator for sardines and cocktails. It's easy,  Lisbon in April is the answer!

Next month, both Lisbon visitors and locals will have the opportunity to participate in two different gastronomic events that have conquered the public attention and praise in previous years. Lisbon Fish & Flavours (Peixe em Lisboa) and Lisbon Cocktail Week will be expecting your visit with a diversified offer where quality and creativity are the key words.

Starting the 30th March and until the 9th of April, the 10th Lisbon Fish & Flavours week will bring together some of the best restaurants and Chefs of the city, celebrating one of the most emblematic of national products - our fish and seafood. 

In one single space (Pavilhão Carlos Lopes) you will find diversified and innovative fish-based culinary offerings. Of course that desserts and wine pairings have not been forgotten and you can visit the festival with the certainty of having a delicious meal.

There is also an auditorium where cooking workshops,  debates and other activities relating to gastronomy are organized. There will be a gourmet market area, with the exhibition and sale of food products and wine.

A number of Portuguese and international Chefs will participate, representing their restaurants. Visiting the festival can be a way of tasting some of their creations within a much friendlier budget. For instances, the Executive Chef of the Four Seasons Ritz Hotel Lisbon, Pascal Meynard, will represent the Hotel for the second time at this event. Therefore, while visiting Lisbon Fish & Flavours, don't forget to sample the Shrimp and Spinach Salad, with black truffle vinaigrette and parmesan, one of Chef Pascal Meynard's featured recipes. 

For the movies and TV shows fans there are some cocktails that had become iconic. Who can forget Mr Bond's Martini (shaken not stirred, of course!), Don Draper's Old Fashioned or Carrie Bradshaw's Cosmopolitan? Those and many other classical cocktails will be the stars of this year's Lisbon Cocktail Week, that takes place from the 21h to the 29th of April.

Along with the signature cocktails and the mocktails (cocktails without alcohol) every each one of the 62 participating bars will have a classic available for the Cocktail Moment. This Cocktail Moment takes place during the nine days of the event, from 6pm to 11pm. During this period it will be possible to have two cocktails for the price of one in all 62 spaces of the event. 

There will also be  a Shop & Mix itinerary, including shops and places where you can buy mixology utensils and ingredients to make cocktails at home. Finally, each venue will have its own program during the Lisbon Cocktail Week, with concerts, dinners with cocktail pairings and workshops.

The list of 62 participating bars includes some iconic places of Lisbon. The Ritz Bar and the Tempus Lounge  (remember our article on 6 Lisbon Hotels to Fall in Love?) are two of the participants and I'm sure their baristas will mesmerize us with some superb cocktails.

Best Things to Do in Lisbon | Photography

There are always interesting exhibitions going on around Lisbon and for those visiting the city may be the opportunity to see something different. That may be the case for the photography exhibition I'll be presenting this week.


Visão Yanomami - Claudia Andujar (Brazil)

Arquivo Municipal de Lisboa - Arquivo Fotográfico

11 February to 15 April


Integrated in the program of the event "Lisboa Capital Ibero-Americana de Cultura 2017 |" Past and Present ", the exhibition presents a selection of the photographic work of the Brazilian photographer of Swiss origin Claudia Andujar, carried out between the 70's and part of the 80's of the 20th century, while traveling through the Amazon.

The exhibition Visão Yanomami brings together 40 photographs taken from a collection of 100,000 images by the Brazilian photographer, who dedicated several years to this project of revealing the life of the indigenous community.

Although it may seem an ethnographic work, this is an artistic project of the author. To her intention to document the life of the Yanomami people,  Claudia Andujar added an elaborated aesthetic that reflects and is enriched by her the past marked by the war and by her own condition of a minority member.

The exhibition is open from Mondays to Saturdays and the entrance is free.

Best Things to Do in Lisbon | Two Tours off the Beaten Track

Lisbon has numerous attractions and although most of them can be quite touristy, there are also some new small companies developing interesting activities and touring amazing places that are off the beaten track (even for locals!). That is the case of Lx Secret Places, that promises to take you on memorable tours to historic places in Lisbon. I did two tours with them and I can say they really hold to their promises!

SPLENDID PALÁCIO FOZ

Next Programed Tours - 18th March

Most visitors to Lisbon pass by the beautiful pink palace at Restauradores and many have surely entered the Tourism Office that stands in part of its ground floor. Only a few have visited the interiors, currently reserved to official functions and receptions. But is possible to visit the splendid rooms and to learn a lot about its history if you book a tour with Lx Secret Places. They will guide you to the Noble Spaces of Palácio Foz, from the sumptuous Staircase, to the cozy Hall of the Fireplace, the gleaming Noble Hall (of the Mirrors) and the unique Louis XVI, Panels and Dinner Rooms. The visit has a duration of 45 minutes and it can be held in English (for booking a non programed tour please visit the site).

MYSTERIOUS WINE ABBEY

Next Programed Tours - 18th March

In the basement of the palace lies the secular space of the old Abadia Vínica Restaurant. This mysterious place (unknown to most locals) is surrounded by secrets, full of stories and all covered with symbols. Private clubs, secret societies, groups of conspirators are the ingredients of the stories your guide will tell you in the scenic ambience of this underground place. The tour includes the visit to the Claustrum, to the Refeitorium, without forgetting to go through mysterious cells. This visit also has a duration of 45 minutes and it can be held in English (for booking a non programed tour please visit the site).

Best Things to Do in Lisbon | Portuguese Tiles and Street Art Itineraries

The first post on this series was a success far greater than expected. Reassured of the interest of this kind of random information on Lisbon's events, Best Things to Do in Lisbon series returns this week with two activities that you can held independently, benefiting of the help of a batch of great books that I found recently.

You know I love tiles and street art. And I know that many of you love it too. The two great things I propose you to do while in Lisbon is to look for the best tiles in the city and / or look out for many amazing street art installations scattered all over Lisbon, both from national and international artists. Sounds good?

LOOKING FOR AZULEJOS IN LISBON


All over Lisbon you can find tiled panels. In museums, churches, on the building walls or in the subway stations, is impossible to miss them. But you want to check the most significative and beautiful, from the 16th century white and blue tiles to the contemporary artists works that beautify the city. In the 1st book you can find some of the best examples of what you can find in Lisbon. The second book presents itineraries trough the city to find some of the most interesting Lisbon's tiles.

Some of my own suggestions: Palácio Fronteira, Museu do Azulejo, Subway Stations (Parque, Oriente, São Sebastião, Colégio Militar and many others), façade of Vida Portuguesa store at Fábrica Viúva Lamego, São Vicente de Fora Monastery and Sintra National Palace.

LOOKING FOR STREET ART IN LISBON


Lisbon has so many impressive pieces of urban art that you can take almost a day to visit every site. So, if you like street art you better prepare yourself and plan ahead. One way of doing it is to consult articles on line or have a book like Street Art Lisbon where you can find some of the best works, how to get there and even GPS coordinates to easily find them.

Some of my own suggestions: go to LX Factory, walk down Calçada da Glória, visit Fábrica Braço de Prata, look for Vhils works scattered trough the city and for Bordallo II trash sculptures. You will be amazed by the work of this Portuguese artists.

You can find this books at Zest Books.

Best Things to Do in Lisbon | Art Ehxibitions

When visiting a city, always look for exhibitions or shows that may be interesting. Assuming that some of you do the same and that a few may be planning to visit Lisbon on the near future, I'll be writing a series of posts on Things to Do in Lisbon, like Art Exhibitions, Walking Tours, Concerts or anything that I may like and expect that you will like to know about. Your feedback on what you find more relevant will be highly appreciated.

This week, the highlight goes to two art exhibitions that opened recently in the city on two of the most relevant Portuguese modern artists of the 20th century: Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso and Almada Negreiros.

AMADEO DE SOUZA-CARDOSO / PORTO LISBOA / 2016-1916

MUSEU NACIONAL DE ARTE COMTEMPORÂNEA - MUSEU DO CHIADO

12 January to 26 February 2017


When Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso (1887-1918) returned from Paris to Portugal at the beginning of World War One, he was a well known painter in the avant-garde milieu, having taken part in several group shows in Paris, New York, Chicago, Boston, Berlin and London. But Portugal of the early 20th century was not Paris and when Amadeo organizes a solo exhibition in 1916, both in Oporto and in Lisbon, the public reaction is controversial. One hundred years later an exhibition is held in both cities once again. Last year the French capital held, at the Grand Palais, a retrospective exhibition of the work of Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso, who lived for 12 years in Paris.

JOSÉ ALMADA NEGREIROS : A WAY OF BEING MODERN

FUNDAÇÃO CALOUST GULBENKIAN

3 February to 5 June 2017


Almada Negreiros (1893-1970) was a prolific and varied artist, being a master of multiple crafts. To him, every art was a part of the “spectacle” an artist was required to present to the public, so that every piece, gesture or attitude was a means to reveal a total idea of modernity. This impressive exhibition presents paintings and drawings that are closely linked to the work the artist did in collaboration with architects, writers, publishers, musicians, set designers and stage directors. This exhibition, with almost 400 pieces, is a comprehensive retrospective on the work of an artist who propelled the avant-garde in the 1910s and whose career spanned the 20th century.