Gastronomic tour of Trás-os-Montes - North Portugal
Traditional hospitality - Wine and food at Casa do JOA winery in Parada, Braganca, Trás-os-Montes
A tour to discover traditional Trás-os-Montes wine and food - a beautiful but little known wine region of Portugal - where Nature meets Tradition
Having already explored Northern Portugal’s incredible Douro Valley, the amazing city of wine and culture that is Porto and the beautiful Dão region, we didn’t take long to accept an invitation to discover the hidden gastronomic delights of Trás-os-Montes - a wine region of Portugal, situated in the far north of the country, at the Spanish border.
Read all about our amazing gastronomic tour of the beautiful, but little-known region of Trás-os-Montes - or Transmontano, the artisan producers we visited and the fantastic wines and foods we got to discover and experience!
Hopefully this will inspire you to venture further into north Portugal and to experience this fabulous region, its people, its landscapes, its traditions, its hospitality and its gastronomy for yourselves!
The stunning scenery of Trás-os-Montes - Source: Wine Keller
Also see below link to our Video about Trás-os-Montes:
Trás-os-Montes Portugal
This was our first visit to Portugal’s Trás-os-Montes region. It’s often referred to as ‘remote’ - as its name suggests ‘Beyond the mountains’ - but you can reach the capital of Trás-os-Montes, beautiful Bragança, in just 2 hours by car, travelling from Porto international airport.
Our first impression of Trás-os-Montes was of incredibly beautiful landscapes, with ever-changing scenery, fertile and agricultural land and a rural, traditional way of life - where Nature and tradition meet.
Valleys and hillsides are dotted with vineyards, fruit trees, olive groves, bee hives and chestnut trees - all evidence of the abundance of natural products produced here. Ancient beliefs and traditions are celebrated, none more so than Caretos of Podence, the cultural symbol of Trás-os-Montes.
Learn more about Portugals’ Trás-os-Montes region here.
Read on to see why we were invited on this amazing gastronomic tour of Trás-os-Montes and what we discovered about this lesser-known Portuguese region!
One of our wonderful meals in Trás-os-Monte!
Export Pure Products project - Trás-os-Montes
Our group wearing our traditional Caretos de Podence masks!
We were invited, along with other representatives of a cross-section of European countries, to discover the region and products of Trás-os-Monte, by an organisation called NERBA, in relation to its project, ‘Export Pure Products - Trás-os-Montes’.
As the Business Association of the District of Bragança, the region’s capital, NERBA is responsible for promoting outside of Portugal, the traditional, artisan ‘products of excellence’ of the country’s northern regions, in particular, Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro.
This is a significant project for northern Portugal and for the region of Trás-os-Montes. However it's incredibly important for the small, artisan producers, producing amazing products from natural, local ingredients, but who find it a challenge to market them beyond the region and Portugal. These products include wine, honey, olive oil, cheese, dried fruits, sausages - all incredibly high quality, traditionally made and often organic. The products are also mostly labelled ‘DO’, or ‘Designation of Origin’ - which signifies that apart from being of superior quality, they carry specific characteristics of a geographical region or individual producer and are made from raw materials originating within the region.
We were delighted to support this important project and very excited to check these products out for ourselves as well as explore the region and get to know its people
Trás-os-Montes wine producers
Trás-os-Montes enjoys a strong winemaking tradition and produces a varied range of red and white wines, influenced by the different microclimates across the region. Learn more about Trás-os-Montes wine here.
It shares similarities with the bordering Upper Douro region and so during our trip we were introduced to the wines of 3 different producers of Trás-os-Montes and Douro wines.
Beautiful, ancient vineyards, Casa do JOA - Source: Wine Keller
Casa do JOA
Arriving at Casa do JOA in the small village of Parada, 20km outside of Bragança, was like stepping back in time, certainly stepping into a very unique place.
Why? Because it’s a unique blend of centuries old vines, respect for the land and traditions and a very special community.
Winemaker Jorge Ortega Afonso (JOA) is owner and winemaker, but he’s also the charismatic, central force to bringing a community together and celebrating the riches of this land - oh and he's also a wicked comedian and aspiring Fado singer! He certainly entertained us! More on this later…
Casa do JOA vineyards
What is so unique about Casa DO JOA is the age of its vines - some are pre-phylloxera and over 140 years old, with the oldest being 180 years old! The vines are spread out over several different parcels of land around the village, covering about 8 hectares in total and comprising over 20 different grape varieties.
The vines grow at a high altitude of about 800m, in mainly schist soils, with temperatures fluctuating widely between day and night.
The yield per vine is low due to the age of the vines and the conditions, but Jorge manges to work magic in the vineyard and the cellar, doing things the traditional way. Organic processes are followed, with minimum intervention. Jorge uses new ideas to innovate and build on old traditions - an example is the use of natural chestnut flowers to replace using sulphites in his wines.
Casa do JOA wines
Jorge followed his great passion for the land, with a vision to protect these old vineyards as well as the culture of the people and started Casa do JOA in 2009, producing his first vintage wine in 2013/14. The new winery, a ‘labour of love’, was finished in 2016.
Today, Casa do JOA make 3 wines, the Alto do JOA red wine blend, the Alto do JOA rosé blend and a special Alto do JOA white wine blend, which is made as an ‘orange wine’ - ie the grape skins are left on during pressing, giving the wine a golden orange colour. The orange wine is in fact Casa Do JOA’s best-selling wine.
Casa do JOA wine tourism
We would 100% recommend you visit Casa Do JOA to experience not just the great wines, but the incredible hospitality you will be shown and the chance to experience such traditional winemaking. There are lots of wine tourism options to choose from on the Casa do JOA website, involving wine tasting, a tour of the vineyards, food and fado music!
After helping to press this year’s grape harvest in the cellar, we were treated to the most wonderful evening, tasting the wines, introduced to us by Jorge, enjoying them with a wonderful dinner of traditional foods, prepared by locals from the village and Jorge’s mother. Then we were treated to some local music, performed by Jorge and his lovely wife.
Wow, what an experience! Here we really got to experience Trás-Os-Montes - its wines, its food, its people, its traditions - and we loved it. You can too!
Adega de Vila Flor
Adega de Vila Flor is situated in the town of Vila Flor in the southern part of Trás-Os-Montes, in the southern part of the district of Bragança. Vila Flor is a small town that is worth visiting and is locally referred to as the ‘Portuguese Capital of Olive Oil’ - see later!
Adega de Vila Flor was founded in 1962 as a wine co-operative. Today it receives nearly 2 million kilos of grapes from its own 50 hectares of vines, as well as other vineyards within the PDO (protected designation of origin) of ‘Douro’.
Adega de Vila Flor wines
During our visit to the Adega de Vila winery and then afterwards during lunch at the lovely nearby Quinta Holminhos we had the opportunity to taste some of the Adega de Vila Flor wines, including the red Fonte Roman Reserve, made from Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca grapes. We also tasted the white ‘Lavrador’ with lunch, made from Códega do Larinho, Malvasia Fina and Verdelho grapes, as well as the very delicious, sparkling wine, ‘Fonte das Sereias’.
Whilst at the winery, we had the opportunity to taste, as an aperitif, the fortified ‘Florito’ Muscat wine, which again was delicious.
Contact Adega de Vila Flor for a visit and wine tasting.
Quinta Ribeiro da Vila
Quinta Ribeiro da Vila farms 7 hectares of vineyards on the right bank of the River Douro, in the municipality of Carrazeda de Ansiães, in the Douro Superior sub-region of the ‘Douro’ PDO wine region.
Quinta Ribeiro da Vila is owned by the Lima family, who together with their oenologist, were determined to create a wine, which 100% reflects the terroir of the Douro Superior region.
We had the opportunity to taste the superb Quinta Ribeiro da Vila red wine, both the 2013 and 2015 vintages, whilst enjoying a wonderful traditional lunch buffet, overlooking the River Tua and River Douro. Wow what a setting!
Also - what a wine..! Both vintages were really stunning. Made from a blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca, this wine is made in the traditional manner, with the harvesting of the grapes by hand and treading of the grapes by foot! Matured for 18 months in French oak barrels and in the bottle, this is a wine which can be aged for up to 10 years.
Contact Quinta Ribeiro da Vila for more information and to arrange a visit.
Artisan Trás-os-Montes food producers
Along with the wine, we were really excited to taste the regional food products, which included olive oil, honey, cheese and pastries - this was not a trip to be on any diet, believe me!
Portugals’ most famous pastry - Pastéis de nata - Source: Wine Keller
Olmais Olive Oil
Just outside the small town of Vila Flor - the ‘Portuguese Capital of Olive Oil’ - in the upper Douro region of Terra Quente (the hot part of Tráso-os-Monte), you can find a valley and hillsides covered in the olive trees of Olmais.
Olmais olive oil is listed among the top 100 Portuguese olive oils and in total has won over 40 different awards. Production is totally organic and the olives are harvested early, with immediate oil extraction, to produce a highly distinctive fruity, green, extra-virgin olive oil. There are many trees older than 100 years as well as younger trees, planted some 30 years ago.
Olmais is owned by the Gomes Alves family, a family with more than 350 years of history and farming in this region. We were met in the midst of the olive groves by Júlio Gomes Alves who took us through a tasting of his premium-quality, organic olive oil - as well as his white wine aged vinegar and organic fruit vinegars.
We were impressed with all of the Olmais products - they are available to purchase online and you can contact Olmais to arrange a visit and a tasting.
We would highly recommend you do this when in Trás-Os-Montes - for the olive oils and vinegars certainly, but also for the incredible views! We were astounded by the incredible views across the olive groves - it really was beautiful.
Caova Olive Oil
Also whilst in Vila Flor and to accompany the lunch at Quinta Holminhos, we were able to taste the olive oils of the Agricultural Cooperative of Olive Growers from Vila Flor and Ansiães.
The cooperative currently has around 700 members and has supported the olive growers from the region since 2000.
We enjoyed the Douro Superior Extra Virgin and Extra Virgin Bio (organic Olive Oil with our lunch and enjoyed the fruity, acidic, quite spicy taste of the oils.
Tua Valley Olive Oil
We were introduced to another olive oil when we travelled to the Douro Superior. Tua Valley Olive Oil is produced from olives grown in the valleys and hillsides of the Douro and Tua rivers.
Tua Valley Olive Oil is the product of a young entrepreneur from the Trás-Os-Montes region, who wanted to create a traditional and authentic product which reflects the terroir of the region. Once again, we loved this olive oil and enjoyed it with a variety of breads and traditional dishes. Contact Pedro Rodrigues for information if you wish to arrange a tasting!
Mountain honey - ‘Mel do Parque de Montesinho’ - ‘Liquid Gold’
The Parque de Montesinho is one of four nature parks in Trás-Os-Montes and one of the largest in Portugal. This ancient park is situated in the far north-east of the region, forming a natural border with Spain and it is rich in fragrant flowers and fertile moorland.
A group of honey producers formed in 1994, following the certification of honey produced in the Parque de Montesinho as ‘Protected Designation of Origin’ (PDO) and since then, they have been responsible for marketing ‘Mel (honey) do Parque de Montesinho DOP’. Since 2005 ‘Mel do Parque’ honey has also been certified as organic.
The Parque de Montesinho bees and honey
The bee hives are all in the Parque de Montesinho and we were lucky enough to be taken to visit some of the hives. The bees are very close to the famous ‘manuka’ bees in terms of their therapeutic properties.
The honey produced here is darker than other honeys - slightly salty and less sweet. The wide variety of wild and cultivated flora in the Parque de Montesinho defines its colour and its flavour. This is a mountainous area and the Atlantic is not far away - also there are lots of chestnut trees in the park, as well as different heathers and mushrooms, all which combine to influence the end-product.
Other organic bee products, rich in healthy and therapeutic properties are also produced, including Beeswax, Pollen and a product called Propolis.
We had the opportunity to taste these wonderful organic honey products, whilst visiting the beautiful Parque de Montesinho and were really impressed, not just by the flavour, but also by the passion with which these wonderful natural products are created.
Transmontano cheese
We were fortunate enough to spend a few hours in a small, artisan cheese dairy in the village of Macedo de Cavaleiros, south of Bragança, close to Vila Flor. The company, Quinta Vila dos Reis, produces a range of ‘Transmontano’ cheese, mainly from sheep milk, sourced exclusively from its own free grazing flock.
Milk is collected each day and sent straight to the dairy, where it undergoes a meticulously controlled and traditional process to be transformed into a range of cheeses, sold under the brand ‘Bornes’.
Currently the range of cheeses include a natural sheep’s cheese as well as flavoured varieties, some cow and sheep’s cheeses as well as curd cheese.
We had the opportunity to witness and get involved in each stage of the cheesemaking process, making the cheese the traditional way by squeezing it through muslim cloths, pressing it into rounds, soaking the cheeses in brine, storing them in huge refrigerators, cleaning off the mould, then packaging and labelling the cheeses.
It was a fascinating experience and the tasting session at the end was most rewarding! Our favourites were the spicy, extra-spicy and the oregano flavoured cheeses!
Traditional Portuguese pastries
The most famous Portuguese pastry is ‘Pastéis de nata’ - a classic Portuguese custard tart, made with buttery pastry, a custard filling and a hint of cinnamon and lemon. We’ve eaten many of these delightful tarts before, both at home and in Portugal - including in Belém, Lisbon, said to be the best place of all to sample them!
However, we had never made them before!
Well, we had the chance to do this during a visit to Vipani in the town of Mirandela - a family business, dating back to 1994, making and selling pastry products and ingredients to bakeries, restaurants and hotels.
As well as getting to make - and taste - the wonderful Pastéis de nata, we got to taste a range of other scrumptious Portuguese pastry products including, ‘Pão de Ló’ - an incredibly light sponge cake, Pão de Ló de Castanhas - chestnut sponge cake, ‘Folar Transmontano’ - meat cake and (my favourite) ‘Bolo Rei’- King cake - pastry cake full of candied fruit, dried fruit and nuts!
Where to stay in Trás-os-Montes
For our wonderful gastronomic tour of the Trás-Os-Montes region, we were based in the capital of Bragança in the ‘Pousada de Bragança’ - and we can highly recommend it.
The most impressive feature of this hotel is the spectacular view to the Castle of Bragança and citadel - wow what a view!! All of the 28 rooms are large, comfortable and well-furnished, there is an outdoor swimming pool, a light and airy breakfast room and lovely bar area.
We enjoyed a superb buffet breakfast with a great selection of traditional Portuguese and regional dishes, as well as the standard international breakfast fayre.
An incredible dining experience at Restaurant G
Another key feature of the Pousada de Bragança is its ‘G’ Restaurant - a Michelin star restaurant offering contemporary Portuguese cuisine and gastronomy, based on a reinterpretation of traditional dishes and local flavours.
We had the great fortune to enjoy an incredible dinner at ‘G’, which provided a wonderful opportunity to sample all of the gastronomic delights of the Trás-Os-Montes region, prepared by Executive Chef Óscar Gonçalves.
Óscar’s brother, front of house and host sommelier, António Gonçalves, presented each course to us, serving a superb range of wines to perfectly match each course.
We enjoyed the following delights:
Sparkling ‘espumante’ wine from Douro
4 different local breads and 3 different olive oils
Appetisers - Baby calamari, smoked eel and foie gras in a toasted brioche, ham and a Portuguese bola de berlim with cheese
Turbot with rice and razor shell fish - matched with local white wine (a regional vinho transmontano)
Veal with peas and veal tongue - matched with local red wine (a regional vinho transmontano)
Passion fruit cream - matched with a dessert wine (Riesling - regional vinho transmontano)
Bornes sheep cheese
Sweet pastries and almonds
It all finished at past midnight - all I can say is took a while to digest!!
Useful tips for exploring Trás-os-Montes and North Portugal
We have included tips for exploring the beautiful region of Trás-Os-Montes here.
We would really recommend staying in Bragança at the ‘Pousada de Bragança’ - all of the places to visit and the producers covered in this article are within easy reach from here - and Bragança is a ‘must’ to visit anyway!
Trás-os-Montes is within easy reach of Porto and we would highly recommend spending some time exploring the whole of northern Portugal. Visitors to Portugal tend to either head straight to the Algarve and the sandy beaches, or look to spend a weekend in the capital, Lisbon. Increasingly more people however, are starting to discover the beauty and opportunities offered by the central and northern regions of Portugal. We have already covered, through our blogs, Porto and the wine regions of the Douro and Dão - and we will shortly be adding articles about the beautiful Vinho Verde region.
Porto is an amazing city to visit, not just famous for its history and its central role in the Port wine industry, but known now as an incredibly vibrant and ‘cool’ place to spend time in! Use Porto as your base to head north and explore the Douro, Vinho Verde and Trás-os-Montes wine regions - you won’t be disappointed!
We really got the impression whilst travelling there that northern Portugal is a real up and coming tourism and wine tourism hot spot - you heard it first here!
Beautiful Azibo Ecopark - Trás-os-Monte - Source: Wine Keller
Conclusion and personal highlights
Through sharing with you our experiences of our gastronomic tour of Trás-os-Montes, we hope we have given you a good introduction to this beautiful Portuguese wine region. We were so bowled over by the quality of the products, the beauty of the region and the warmth and hospitality of its people. We hope we’ve inspired you to include Trás-os-Montes in your future wine travel plans!
We loved discovering the wonderful foods and wines of Trás-os-Montes, but also the scenery, the ancient traditions and especially, the people and their incredible warmth and hospitality.
Thank you to NERBA for inviting us to discover the delights of Trás-os-Montes and for enabling us to share them, to inspire others to visit this beautiful part of Portugal.
