Your local WATA contact : SAGA VIAGENS

Alentejo is considered Portugal's most authentic and picturesque region. In the spring the Alentejo is carpeted in wildflowers; in the summer, wheat, oats, and sunflowers blanket the fields; in the autumn, grapes and olives ripen.

It is in this peaceful country setting we found Refúgio da Vila Rural Hotel and its Cooking School. Located in Portel, a small town outside Évora, the hotel is housed in an old Manor with pool and patios.

Between cooking lessons in a kitchen that opens to a courtyard and tours of the unspoiled countryside, guests can relax in simple, but elegantly appointed rooms and benefit from a nice swimming-pool.

Cooking School:

Portuguese cuisine is simple, characterized by a rich variety of regional dishes gathering herbs and produce from Refugio da Vila's own gardens and local markets and pairing them with the timeless recipes.

Each cooking class is a gastronomic and cultural experience, allowing one to feel closer to the traditions and flavours of Alentejo.
 
Cooks of all levels roll up their sleeves in the Vila kitchen to prepare a variety of succulent Mediterranean dishes influenced by this historic region.

Program :

Sunday
Arrival in Lisbon, transfer to hotel by taxi. Enjoy free time before a Welcome Reception and Dinner this evening. Overnight: Hotel Avenida Palace or Similar.

Monday
This morning, we drive to the small Alentejo town of Portel and Refugio da Vila, our base for the week. After an orientation walk around Portel to discover the 13th century castle and Baroque Church, we will have lunch and then enter a Portuguese kitchen to get our first Cooking Class: Introduction to Portuguese Gastronomy, a study in influences and seasonings. Dinner at Adega do Refugio, the hotel’s restaurant. Overnight at Refugio da Vila hotel.

Tuesday
After breakfast our second Cooking Class begins: The Importance of fish and Olive Oil in Portuguese Cuisine. Lunch is a chance to sample your own cooking! Non-cooking partners join at the table. This afternoon you'll visit the Esporão Wine State, blending ancient and modern winemaking techniques. The grapes of this wine region include Periquita, Trincadeira, Tinta Roriz and Moreto for red wines and Roupeiro, Manteudo, Perrum, Rabo de Ovelha for the whites - all Portuguese varieties, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Shyraz. The nearby Arts & Crafts Center of Reguengos displays a wonderful collection of Alentejo wares. The road winds past megalithic sites to the thousand-year-old village of Monsaraz. Here we'll dine under the shadow of the 13th century castle built by King Afonso III.

Wednesday
Today's focus is on local produce for our third Cooking Class: The Abundance from Local “Quintas” (farms) and Ranches. This afternoon, we'll tour nearby Évora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Cultural Center of the Alentejo and a beautiful white town with a wealth of monuments, from Roman times to the 19th century.  After a walking tour, you'll have free time to explore and shop on your own. Dinner at Adega do Refugio.

Thursday
Cooks, this is your day off! Today we’ll drive into the northen Alentejo, and before lunch at Vila Viçosa, we visit its Renaissance Ducal Palace. Passing through the marble area we visit the historical and white town of Estremoz, enclosed within its ramparts overlooking a vast plain of gnarled olive trees and wheat fields. After driving through Estremoz, we return to Portel on time for dinner.

Friday
This region is known for its Aromatic Herbs and wild flowers, theme of our fourth Cooking Class. This morning we’ll use them in dishes that the locals have passed on through the generations. Enjoy an afternoon excursion to several traditional peculiar villages. This evening, sit down to a Farewell Dinner at the Adega do Refugio.

Saturday
Today's fifth and last Cooking Class focuses on: The Flavors of the South. After lunch, enjoy a siesta and a free afternoon to stroll, ride out on horseback or on a bicycle, or simply lounge by the pool. This evening, dinner includes entertainment from a local folklore group.

Sunday
After breakfast transfer back to Lisbon.

The program can easily accommodate non-cooking partners.
On Individual basis it is possible to get only one cooking lesson for 4 people minimum during a short stay.

Your local WATA contact : SAGA VIAGENS