traveldk.com

Made exclusively from the Alentejo’s top white grape variety, antão vaz, to produce a wine of citrus colour with fragrant toast and vanilla spice aromas. Superb with fish dishes.

This esteemed red is produced here by Jorge d’Avillez and is smooth, soft and rounded. Perfect with roasted pork.

Chunky pentagonal bastions, thick walls and gaping moats surround this busy frontier town near the Spanish border. The 17th-century fortifications resemble a multifaceted star and are very well preserved – they are best viewed from the castle. Within the walls are the excellent Museu Municipal and Biblioteca and the tiny 16th-century church of Nossa Senhora dos Aflitos. The mighty Aqueduto da Amoreira stretches between Elvas and a spring some 5 miles (8 km) away at Amoreira.

Complex wine showing ripe fruit and well-integrated oak characters with rich, textured tannins, superb balance and long, flavoursome aftertaste. A perfect match with hearty, Alentejan fare.

Has typical violet and dark berry fruit aromas with toasty oak complexity. Palate is firm with rich spicy fruit characters. Complements pastas and red meat.

Dominating this graceful town is the Torre das Três Coroas, the Tower of the Three Crowns, named in honour of kings Sancho II, Afonso III and Dinis. You can gain free access to the tower via the adjoining castle and palace. The nearby Museu Municipal is housed in a 17th-century almshouse. Among the exhibits are some wonderful examples ofbonecos , pottery figurines typical of the region.

The historic centre of Évora, capital of the Alentejo, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stunning examples of Roman, Moorish, medieval and 17th-century architecture abound in the narrow streets and breezy squares. The central Praça do Giraldo has a wonderful 16th-century fountain. A walk from the square up the lively Rua 5 de Outubro leads to the grandiose Sé (cathedral). An adjacent 16th-century palace houses the Museu de Évora. The nearby Roman temple is the best preserved monument of its kind in Portugal. See The Alentejo.

Dramatic views reward those who make it to Évoramonte’s castle walls which are embellished with curious stone “ropes”. Dom Miguel ceded the throne in Évoramonte on 26 May 1834.

A delicious wine with ripe, aromatic peach and melon fruits. Rich, full palate with creamy texture and soft finish. Wonderful with baked fish, salad or chicken.