The region now counts 50 producers, when in 2010, there were only 16, spread over four regions producing wine with denomination of origin: Lagos, Portimão, Lagoa and Tavira.

The number of wine producers in the Algarve has tripled in the last decade, and the sector now wants to invest in the wine tourism segment, taking advantage of the hotel and restaurant channels, said this Thursday the president of the Algarve Wine Commission (CVA).

Presenting the Algarve Wine Tourism project, Sara Silva said that the objective is to strengthen the connection with those who work directly with tourists to publicise the wine tourism offer in the region.

“This route will work as a network with partners, namely hotels, restaurants, and others. It will enable us to reach not only the tourist, the end customer, but also work with operators, with partners on the tourism side so that they can integrate wine tourism into their visit offer packages”, she stressed.

According to the official, the Algarve Wine Tourism route combines wine tourism with gastronomic and leisure experiences and heritage to promote the diversity of the Algarve. The region now counts 50 producers, when in 2010, there were only 16, spread over four regions producing wines with denomination of origin: Lagos, Portimão, Lagoa and Tavira.

“The wineries are full and keep receiving tourists, even at this time, which is still the low season. Visits are taking place continuously, and there are more and more specific times for people to visit them, when before it was by appointment. However, for some experiences, it is still necessary to make reservations”, she said.

According to Sara Silva, the Lagoa and Silves area is where most producers with wine tourism are concentrated, and the activities aimed at visitors range from basic wine tasting to corporate events. There are also more radical experiences, such as safaris in the vineyard.

Another of the project’s objectives for disseminating the wine tourism offer, in addition to the intensification of institutional partnerships, is to create training for winery staff to receive tourists by creating synergies with hotel schools and the university, she noted.

In this initial phase, the Algarve Wine Tourism project brings together more than 20 wine producers, from the Barrocal to the coast, under the motto “The perfect pairing for your visit to the Algarve”.

Under the project’s scope, the bilingual site www.algarvewinetourism.pt was launched, which contains a constantly updated map with participating wineries and where existing experiences can be consulted.

The Algarve currently produces 1.5 million bottles of wine per year in the 1,400 hectares of vineyards in the region, half of which have geographical indication and designation of origin production.