When we first told friends we were going to make Portugal our home base in Europe, many would talk about whether or not they liked port wine. Having been to Portugal (once, at that point), we kind of laughed because Portugal’s wines are so much more than port. Some of the more Portuguese-wine-knowledgeable of them spoke of the Douro Valley or a few who had been here talked about the Vinho Verde which comes from the far north. But for us, while we like Douro and love a glass of Vinho Verde, the best wine region of Portugal is Alentejo.
The landscape sweeps like an African savanna dotted with groves of cork and almond trees and rolling, seemingly infinite, lines of grapes across its vineyards, the golden and green hues contrast under sparkling (and hot) blue skies in summer and fall, punctuated with wildflowers in spring and coated by morning mists in winter.
When we first moved here, aided by Melissa’s meticulous research and a sprinkle of luck, we landed at Herdade do Sobroso on New Year’s Day of 2020, with all of the wild optimism and hopefulness that comes with the ushering in of a New Year (if we’d only known what lay in wait…). It was our first “wine hotel”, it would not be our last.
We’ve stayed at several across Portugal, most of them in Alentejo. They are all vineyards which supplement the working farm and wine production operations with guest lodging, restaurants and varying tourist activities. Here is our recap, to which we will continue to add as we explore more:
Herdade dos Grous, Beja. One of the larger-production vineyards on this list (they produce and export about 1,000,000 bottles per year as of this writing in 2025). Herdade dos Grous is owned by the same German company which owns Vila Vita Parc in the Algarve, which is on our list of its coastal resorts. With traditional Portuguese style (albeit built in the 1990s and 2000s) and Bavarian decorative touches, Herdade dos Grous is a huge property with an impressive usage of every square inch for farming, livestock and irrigation. Storks nest and sweep over the fields and marshes, horses graze in fenced pastures, cattle roam to the northwest end, an impressive man-made lake offers recreation, views and irrigation, chickens, ducks and an ostrich share an abode. The wines are incredible, the service top notch, and the restaurant is the best of those listed here (and one of the best ones we’ve eaten at in all of Portugal).
São Lourenço do Barrocal, Monsaraz. In the shadows of the castle of Monsaraz amidst glacier-deposited clusters of rocks (barrocal) you can visit the exclusive luxury wine hotel of São Lourenço do Barrocal. We visited with friends in the offseason and felt we had the place nearly to ourselves, though the staff told us that in the high season the clusters of buildings, activities and expanse of the property permits you to feel the same way. Loads of activities: star gazing in dark sky country, organized visits to nearby Évora and Monsaraz, horseback riding, visits to Alqueva Lake and, of course, wine tasting. We chose both the vertical wine tasting (ascending the samples of reserva wines) and the bee-keeping, a unique experience which we wrote about here.
Torre de Palma, Elvas. Near Elvas and just outside of Monforte, Torre de Palma dates back to 1338, this hotel opened in 2014 after the property had been abandoned by its wealthy owners following Portugal’s 1974 carnation revolution (many of the wealthy Portuguese did the same when the dictatorship was overthrown). It is interestingly decorated with a modern art flair which doesn’t seem to match the vibe of the hacienda-like grounds however, the food and service is excellent and the grounds stunning. They offer a “welcome drink” nightly to watch the sunset from the tower whether you’ve just arrived or they are welcoming you back from a day exploring Alentejo or sitting by their pool. Plenty of available amenities too, which you can read about here. (It is also a Marriott property so you might be able to use Bonvoy points to stay).
Casa do Governador, Évora. We stayed in November of 2025. It was rainy and cold, and we were the only guests mid-week in the off-season. Take that with a grain of salt, as you read our review. Once the home of the governor of Évora and a 19th-century infirmary and place of quarantine for the friars of the Convento do Espinheiro, the 28-acre property houses vineyards, pools, horse grounds and three buildings with lodging. It is (or was for us anyway), less expensive with fewer frills and is just outside of the city of Évora, if you want a more rural place from which to visit.
The 1-bedroom house has a private kitchen and was once the home of the property caretakers. The cozy main house was the house of the governor, but we stayed in the 6-bedroom villa (occupying 2 of them, one by a friend) and made use of the whole villa, its living room and kitchen, making for a relaxing place to dry out during some pretty horrible, rainy weather.
There are fewer services (the only activity is horse carriage rides available in the on-season), and no chef was on during the evenings of our stay, but we ended up quite liking the villa and its easy-going, felt-like-home charm and style. Would definitely recommend renting out the whole villa if you have a big group so you can have the run of the place. Oh, and their wine is pretty good too.
Herdade do Sobroso, Pedrógão. Last on this list but absolutely not least, Herdade do Sobroso is our favorite and made our list of favorite hotels we’ve stayed in (to date) which we published at the end of 2024. Perhaps it was because we came so early on in our residency, perhaps it was the memories of its roaring fireplace and little crocks of wild boar or duck rice which welcomed us to our first meals there, or perhaps it was and continues to be that they make us feel like family from the moment we arrive and quaff our welcome drink. Whatever the reason, Herdade do Sobroso feels like our home in Alentejo. We’ve returned many times both just us together and with visiting friends and will continue to do so. If home is where the heart is, then Sobroso is at least one of our homes.
Activities include: wine tasting (of course), a wildlife viewing of deer and wild boar safari via jeep, a cruise on nearby Algueva Lake at sunset, star gazing, canoeing on the on-lake property, hot air ballooning or just lounging by the pool.
The Traveling Ridleys 
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