Alentejo wine and food explored on a local tasting tour

Alentejo wine is excellent. The food's extraordinary. And Alentejo itself is peaceful and good value. It may be Portugal's largest region, but it's also undiscovered. Join Neil McQuillian on a foodie tour of underrated Alentejo. The information in this article is taken from The Rough Guide to Portugal, your essential guide for visiting Portugal.

Alentejo is worth a little extra effort

Alentejo plays hard to get. Beja regional airport is small. Public transport isn't up to much. And area attractions need some marketing.

Get over all this. You're on to a good thing.

Fly into Lisbon. Then ramble along Alentejo's coast. Explore walled towns like Marvão and Monsaraz. Discover Elvas and Évora. Wander Alentejo beaches. Or even go stargazing. Alqueva in Alentejo is an award winning dark sky reserve.

There isn't a single experience that doesn't pair with local food and wine.

Book Évora Olive Hotel. It's a good pitstop on an Alentejo foodie tour.

Seasonal and local is the Alentejo way

Alentejo gastronomy is diverse and seasonal.

Goose barnacle (percibe) are harvested on wild southern Alentejo beaches. The Lagoa de Santo André is known for eel stew. And Nisa, Serpa and Évora all produce DOP (denominação de origem protegida) cheese.

Season wise, you'll only eat cardo (thistle) soup between winter and spring. Fresh pork is a winter treat. And wild asparagus, truffles, black bass and game are all specific to certain times of year.

Seasonality is trending in Europe now. In Alentejo it's a traditional way of life.

Naturally things overlap. Nisa cheese can be found elsewhere. Fresh game can be frozen. But the principles of local and seasonal are respected. And a compelling reason to travel round Alentejo in search of new tastes.

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No two Alentejo olive oils are quite the same

Produce diversity is central to Alentejo culture. Take the second day of my tour, at Padaria Joana Roque bakery in Vidigueira. As we're leaving, Joana, asks where we're headed. Our guide Olga, says to an olive oil tasting nearby.

Joana’s disdain is immediate. “Why? The oil's so much better here!”

Small scale Alentejo production promotes diversity. And Joana's bakery is a classic example. It's a two-woman operation, attached to Joana’s home. It looks like a charming, rustic film set. But the daily graft's clear. And Joana also proves her oil point. She douses warm bread in sugar and Vidigueira olive oil and hands it to us as we leave. It's like the world's best doughnut.

The Great Convent Bake Off in Beja

A visit to Beja gave us a taste of Doces Conventuais. Traditionally made by nuns, these cakes are a Baja specialty. “Some days I break 3000 eggs," pastry shop owner Francisca Casteleiro told us. She works without machines. “Just two pans, and my hands.”

Doces Conventuais are rich and delicious. My favourite contained over 50 egg yolks. Apparently the original nun/bakers competed with each other to create the richest cakes. Many were from wealthy homes. They'd been forced into convents to avoid poor marriages. And extravagant Doces Conventuais let them to show off a little.

Stay at Pousada Convento de Beja. It's a luxurious restoration of a 13th century convent. And you'll find it in Beja's historic quarter.

Top to tail integrity in local Presunto

Both Joana and Francisca do things the right way. There's no shirking or shortcuts. And the same's true at Casa de Porco Preto in Barrancos.

Here the lesson in provenance is top to tail. We saw black pigs snuffling for acorns. Then half an hour later, we stood under rows of maturing hams.

One pig eats a tree's worth of acorns a day. They take 30 to 60 days to fatten. Then another three to five years for the ham to be cured.

Presunto (cured ham) isn't cheap. But it's outstanding. I was sure I could taste acorns. And it pairs beautifully with Alentejo wine.

Alentejo wine appeals to wealthy palettes

For many, Alentejo wine is reason alone to visit the region. Olga told us wealthy Brazilians now take wine holidays here. Both Sarkozy and Mourinho have houses in the region. And new developments are a sign the world is taking notice of Alentejo.

So visit soon. While it’s still quiet. Travel slowly and eat well.

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