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Carcavelos wine tasting at Quinta da Corrieira near Lisbon
Want to enjoy an authentic Portuguese vineyard experience without trekking all the way to Douro or Alentejo?
Just 20 minutes from Lisbon city centre, you can tour a working DOC winery, sip exceptional Carcavelos wine, and stay for a delicious lunch. At Quinta da Corrieira, Jörg, the owner, personally guides you through the vineyard and shares the fascinating history and winemaking process of this nearly lost Portuguese region.
We embarked on this Lisbon vineyard tour last summer and loved it so much that we returned to help harvest grapes. We even got to stomp them in the traditional lagar. In this post, we’ll walk you through the full Carcavelos wine tasting experience, explain how to book your visit, and share exactly what to expect from the tour, lunch, and more.
🍷 Love wine? Book your Carcavelos wine tasting here.
If you’re a wine lover looking for a unique and easy-to-reach experience near Lisbon, this guide is for you.
What is Carcavelos Wine?
Carcavelos is one of Portugal’s smallest DOC wine regions, but with a very long history! The traditions date back to the 14th century, and Quinta da Corrieira was founded in the late 70s. It’s now run by the Lewerentz family, and they keep the old wine traditions alive.
Vinho de Carcavelos is a premium fortified DOC wine. DOC stands for Denominação de Origem Controlada. This is a quality label that guarantees the wine comes from a specific region and follows strict production rules.
This Lisbon wine a rare fortified wine, and made with lots of love and attention by the owners Katrin and Jörg, and their team. Who would have thought you can find a vineyard so close to the city!
They are located at Quinta da Corrieira in the Oeiras Valley, which is just outside of Lisbon city centre. You can book a tour and wine tasting to sample the famous wine of Carcavelos and learn more about this unique wine region!
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The Carcavelos wine tasting experience
If you want to learn more about Portuguese fortified wine, or want to visit a vineyard near Lisbon, the interesting and educational wine tour is perfect! We were welcomed by Jörg personally, and we started with a delicious glass of white wine.
We then went to the vineyard, where we learned about the white and red grape varieties. It was late summer, and the grapes were nearly ready to be picked! We then continued to the lagar and learned about the production methods and the oak barrels.
In the wine tasting room, we learned more about the history of the farm and started the wine tasting session. The tour and wine sampling is about 1.5 or 2.5-3 hours, depending on which you book. There are two tours to choose from, and we booked the extended tour:
What you’ll taste at the Quinta da Corrieira experience
During the wine tasting tour, we sampled:
1. White table wine from Casal de Manteiga
This is a lighter, everyday style wine that gives you a baseline before the fortified wines. The white grape varieties used here are:
- Arinto – crisp and refreshing, with citrus and green apple notes
- Galego Dourado – a traditional local white variety, often rich with tropical fruit and floral notes
- Ratinho – another local white, adding complexity to the blend
2. Red fortified wine from Quinta da Corrieira
Fortified means a little brandy is added during fermentation to boost alcohol and texture. And this was one of our favourites! We may have bought a bottle or two.
3. Vinho de Carcavelos (15 years aged)
This is the flagship historic fortified wine unique to the Carcavelos region. Traditionally, this wine is made with a mix of white grapes such as Galego Dourado and Arinto/Ratinho, fortified and aged until it develops amber colour and rich, nutty, dried-fruit flavours.
If you book the extended tour, you get to taste even more wine! It includes a sparkling wine, 2 red wines, 2 white wines and a fortified wine. It also includes snacks such as sliced meat, cheese, dates and dark chocolate. This was so yummy!
🍷 Curious about Carcavelos wine? Book a tasting at Quinta da Corrieira.
The harvest at Quinta da Corrieira
Jörg told us the grapes were nearly ready to harvest, so we asked if they needed a hand! It was a long-term dream of ours to stomp grapes in a lagar, and they still use the traditional methods. So a few weeks later, we returned! This time for the traditional pisa a pé!
There was a big group of us and we started early. With sheers in hand and a basket each, we started picking the grapes. The grapes were then brought to a machine that can remove the stems and leaves.
After a morning of picking, it was time for a delicious lunch made by Katrin, and in the afternoon the grape stomping started. For three hours we marched in the lagar with a small group of us, until all grapes were smashed and ready for a rest.
Although the pisa a pé is not offered as an experience at this time, if you’re in Portugal in September, it’s worth asking vineyards to help with the harvest. For us, it really was a dream come true!
How to get to Carcavelos?
Carcavelos is easy to reach from Lisbon. We took a taxi there, and it took less than half an hour.
It’s located between Oeiras and Cascais and you can also take the coastal train line. From Lisbon, take the Cascais train line from Cais do Sodré station. The ride to Carcavelos station takes about 25 minutes. Along the way, you can even enjoy the scenic views along the Tagus River!
From Cascais, it’s about 15 minutes heading east. Trains run regularly and are inexpensive.
Once you arrive at the station, the easiest way to reach Quinta da Corrieira is by Uber or Bolt. It’s a short drive inland, and ride-share apps work well and are affordable in this area.
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FAQ
Can you visit a vineyard in Lisbon?
You can, and it’s a bit of a hidden gem! Quinta da Corrieira is located in Oeiras, and it’s one of the few places where you can visit vineyards near Lisbon and taste the historic Vinho de Carcavelos.
How to get to Quinta da Corrieira?
We took a Bolt or Uber each time. It’s the fastest and easiest way to get to Quinta da Corrieira and these taxi services are very affordable in Lisbon. You can also take the train from Cais de Sodré to the Caxias station, but then you still need to take a taxi or local bus.
What type of wine is Carcavelos wine?
Carcavelos is a fortified wine, meaning a grape spirit is added during fermentation. This results in a richer, slightly sweeter wine that can be aged for many years.
Is Carcavelos wine similar to Port and Madeira wine?
Carcavelos wine is also fortified, like Port, but it has its own character. It is often drier, with nutty and citrus notes, and reflects the Atlantic climate near Lisbon.
Do you need to book the wine tasting in advance?
Yes, booking in advance is a must, especially in spring and summer. Tastings are small-scale and places are limited. There is a minimum of two participants.
Are you planning a vineyard visit near Lisbon?
We are locals in Lisbon and had no idea we could visit a vineyard so close to home! We had an amazing time at Quinta da Corrieira and would recommend to anyone who loves wine.
If you visit Lisbon and don’t have time to venture to the Alentejo or Douro wine regions, a visit to Carcavelos is perfect. It’s just located west of Lisbon and you can enjoy a sip of Carcavelos wine within half an hour!
🍷 Book your tour online to ensure a spot!
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