Herdade da Calada

After enjoying a wonderful bottle of their wine at the Octant Evora, we called to arrange a tour. Pedro gave us a great tour and tasting at the winery. Amazing quality and experience.

The tasting alone was worth the €20: the head wine maker explained how the wines were made, and we tried them with bread, quince marmalade, cheese, and olives. The wines I bought afterward were very affordable, too. Getting there was a whole story. My Uber driver took a wrong turn on the way to the winery, and we got caught in flash flooding. The staff spent ages on the phone helping the driver, then came to pick me up themselves. Even though it was after closing, they still gave me the tour. The head wine maker and tourism manager showed me the vineyard, olive groves, facilities, how they make the wine, and the storage rooms. Their passion for wine and for this diverse winery really came through. They also keep animals such as sheep on site to provide natural fertilizer and help maintain a diverse vineyard. They went so far out of their way for me today, and I’m grateful to them both. The winery has great wine and a lovely tasting experience. If I’m back in Evora, I’d stay at their accommodation, which has a pool.

The property felt so peaceful and relaxing that, if we hadn’t already booked a hotel in Evora, we would have loved to stay there. Maria Inês showed us around the accommodation as well as the property. We came for the wine tour and had a great visit. She was kind, funny, easygoing, and knew a lot about the winemaking process. She welcomed all our questions with enthusiasm, and because she was so easy to talk to, the tasting was even more enjoyable.

We had a little trouble finding the place because Google Maps gave us wrong directions. The person who answered the phone was reassuring and gave us clear instructions. Once we arrived, Maria/Malia was a delight: sweet, helpful, and full of knowledge. She was really patient while we translated what she was saying for someone in our group. She’s amazing! Herdade da Calada is a great choice for a fun, affordable wine tasting.