Adega Mayor
A bold modern winery near Campo Maior designed by architect Souto de Moura, on the eastern Alentejo border — making a broad range of accessible reds, whites and a notable Bairrada-influenced set; one of the region's most striking buildings.
A Pritzker-architect-designed winery and accessible Alentejo wines near the Spanish border.
For a Pritzker-architect-designed winery and accessible Alentejo wines near the Spanish border.
What's in the glass
The wines favor a modern, polished aesthetic with vibrant fruit profiles and smooth, accessible tannins. They balance the intensity of the eastern plains with a refined winemaking touch that emphasizes freshness and immediate drinkability.
How it came to be
Conceived by the Nabeiro family and brought to life by Pritzker-winning architect Eduardo Souto de Moura, this estate stands as a beacon of contemporary design in the Alentejo. It emerged to anchor the wine production of the Campo Maior area in a bold architectural statement. Over the years, it has transformed into a cultural hub that marries agricultural production with high-concept aesthetics.
Best for, and who should skip
Travelers who appreciate the marriage of modern architectural design and high-production-value wine tourism.
Less ideal for: Travelers seeking a rustic, traditional farmhouse wine experience or those based in the western or central Alentejo wine regions who wish to minimize time spent in the car.
Skip if: Those seeking the rustic charm of ancient, crumbling estates might find this contemporary structure too sterile.
Tours, tastings & getting there
Visitors are invited to tour the striking, minimalist architecture of the main facility which offers panoramic views over the surrounding olive groves. Guided tastings focus on the breadth of the portfolio and are available by appointment throughout the week.
Getting there: 2.5 hr from Lisbon; near Campo Maior.
Getting around: The site is easily navigated on foot, with paved paths connecting the main winery building to the surrounding garden spaces.
Advance booking via the website is recommended, especially for groups, and allow extra time for the drive to this remote border location.
When to go
April–October.
Year-round.
Allow: Half a day
Beyond the tasting room
Tour the architecture and tasting room; combine with Elvas as a base.
Pair with
Açorda Alentejana
A bread, garlic and olive oil mash with a poached egg — the Alentejo's defining humble dish.
Carne de Porco à Alentejana
Pork and clams together — the Alentejo's most famous surf-and-turf, despite debate over its origin.
Ensopado de Borrego
Lamb braised in bread broth — a festive Alentejo stew of the interior hills.
Other wines to explore
Alentejo
The great warm-climate red region of the south — Aragonez, Trincadeira and Alicante Bouschet across eight sub-regions from the granite of Portalegre to the heat of Vidigueira. Generous, approachable, and the gateway wine for most newcomers to Portugal.
Herdade da Calada
A 19th-century Alentejo estate near Borba, relaunched as a modern boutique winery making structured reds and crisp whites from the Évora sub-region; stylish on-site accommodation in a renovated farmhouse.
Herdade de Coelheiros
A long-established Évora estate with integrated olive groves, walnut orchards and vineyards, known for balanced Alentejo reds and the white 'Taboadella' range; a quieter, more rural alternative to Esporão.
Nearby
Vila Nova de Milfontes
The main town of the Alentejo coast, at the mouth of the Mira river.
Évora
A walled university city in the Alentejo plain — Roman temple, bone chapel, whitewashed streets, and the regional capital of slow, serious food and wine.
Where it sits
