VV Stop 3: Monverde Wine Experience Hotel

Where do I even start with this place? The name really says it all: Monverde Wine Experience Hotel. From delicious local food and stunning hotel rooms to winemaking experiences and an on-property spa, this place really does have it all. I only got to stay here for 1 night, but given the choice, I probably would’ve wanted to stay one more night to really take in the whole experience. 

Arriving closer to the evening, dinner was pretty much served right after checking in. I had a gorgeous room with breathtaking views of the vineyard and sunset, and my own private patio. A short walk away from my room was the main dining hall which was beautifully designed and decorated. The group of us enjoyed a wine experience dinner - where at the end of dinner, there were a grand total of 166 wine glasses between 12 of us! Wild, I know! 

The property itself is a self-sustaining hotel, winery and vineyard. There are only 2 hotels in Portugal with a green stamp and this is one of them. They’re planet and community focused - and it shows. One of their values really is to provide their young staff an exceptional work experience so they choose to continue working on the property. And fun fact, this property is still a family owned company, and that family is originally from the very same town! Love this connection to local that has been a recurring theme in Vinho Verde.

The next morning, I took part in a “be-a-winemaker-for-a-day” experience. It was only about an hour - but it was very cool. We had fresh, young wines at our fingertips that we blended together to our liking. Once we created a blend we wanted to take home, we bottled, corked and sealed it - and of course, designed a label for it. Such a cool experience!

Sadly there was no time to enjoy the spa on this visit, but Monverde is definitely a property I’d return to visit. I feel like I only scratched the surface of experience here.