Just an hour from Lisbon, this little village is a great daytrip for wine lovers.
Fernando Pó origin story
The village of Fernando Pó is named after Fernão do Po, a 15th century Portuguese explorer who was the first European to set foot on the island of Bioco, Equatorial Guinea, which he originally arrogantly named Fernão Pó island.
Fernando Pó is part of the municipality of Palmela, about 30 minutes from that city. In rural Portugal, and an agricultural community. It’s not unusual to see farm equipment driving down the road.
Wineries to visit in Fernando Pó
For such a small village, there are lots and lots of wineries and you can visit several of them. Some require reservations for a visit, others allow walk-ins, though they may not always be available for tastings or to show you around.
The sandy soil and hot summers of Fernando Pó create excellent conditions for growing grapes. Red wines, mostly made with the local Castelão grape, are the focus. Some white wines are made as well, mostly using the Fernão Pires variety.
Casa Ermelinda Freitas
Casa Ermelinda Freitas (est. 1920) is probably the best-known of the wineries in Fernando Pó. That’s because they have won many awards including The Best Red Wine in the World at the Vinalies Internationales contest in 2008 for their 2005 Syrah.
Today, the winery occupies 550 hectares (almost 1,400 acres) of land, growing mostly the Castelão grape which thrives in the sandy soil of the region. But, Casa Ermelinda Freitas had more humble beginning, starting with a small fraction of the land where they grew grapes for bulk production and for blending with finer wines in more respected wine regions in Portugal. Back then, locals would come to the winery with large jugs and fill them to take home.
That all changed when Leonor Freitas inherited the winery after her father died. She left her job with the Ministry of Health and set out to expand and modernize Casa Ermelinda Freitas. It was only in 1997 that they finally began bottling their own wine!
You can tour the winery (appointment needed) and see the modern winemaking facility, the vineyards, and the museum, located in the old wine cellar.
Casa Dupó
Casa Dupó is a well-respected winery with a recently remodeled cellar that is available for tours by appointment. Do yourself a favor and book a tour. Manuel, the owner of the vineyard and winery will likely be your host and he is a delight! He’ll show you videos of the unique fermentation process while explaining how they make their delicious wine.
Then, it’s time to try the wines. The red reserva is among the best I’ve ever tasted!
JBFREITAS VINHOS – Casal Freitas
For a much more rustic experience, visit Casal Freitas. Yes, Freitas is the name of a lot of the wineries in this area. The family has been here for generations.
This branch of the Freitas family tree has been making wine for over 75 years. Today, Amelia runs the winery. Her dogs with greet you upon arrival. There’s no formal wine tasting, but you can send a message over the website to set one up. We just walked up, unannounced, and Amelia showed us the vineyard and winemaking operation she called “very small.”
The wines, made from indigenous grape varieties (mostly Castelão) are very tasty and reasonably priced. We got a bottle of Reserva for 5€.
A quick note about the Castelão grape. When young, it can be a little overly tannic. I, personally, prefer it aged; that’s when it begins to mellow. Castelão is often blended with locally grown Syrah grapes, resulting in excellent wines.
Marcolino Freitas
A small winery on just 30 hectares (75 acres), Marcolino Freitas grows the grapes of the region (Castelão for red, Fernão Pires for white) along with several other varieties. You can schedule a visit or just stop by the store and buy a bottle.
Fernão Pó
Named for the famous Portuguese navigator, Fernão Pó winery has been around since the 50’s. Though they don’t have Freitas in the name, members of the Freitas family own and work at the winery and on the 150 acres of vineyards under cultivation.
They have several tastings and experiences available on site, including a harvest day in the fall.
Humus Farm
A small, organic farm right in Fernando Pó. In addition to the fruits and veggies grown on the farm, there is also an event space and guest houses. Bruno and Ana, the delightful owners, also host wine tastings, cooking classes, and even an outdoor cinema.
You can even book a group meal, which I highly recommend. Ana and her staff are excellent cooks and the food, made with ingredients from the farm, is superb!
Getting to Fernando Pó
You can drive to Fernando Pó from Lisbon in about an hour. Remember, if you’re driving, don’t drink!
Getting to Fernando Pó by train is easy, if inconvenient. There’s only one train scheduled per day there and back. It leaves Lisbon early in the morning on weekdays and a little later on the weekends. Coming back, there’s only one train, leaving from the makeshift station (just a concrete slab, really). Currently, it is scheduled at 5:38pm daily. Don’t miss it or you’ll have to grab an Uber/Bolt or stay overnight (which, come to think of it, isn’t a bad idea at all).
About the Author
Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel “Truffle Hunt” (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection “That Bird.” He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides to cities around the world on Destination Eat Drink, including in-depth eating and drinking guides in Portugal for Lisbon, Porto, Sintra, Évora, Braga, Loulé, Almada, Monsaraz, and Batalha. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms.
