Wine festival in the highest city in Portugal

Summer celebrations will begin in the highest city in Portugal, with the fourth edition of the Guarda Wine Fest taking place from July 11 to 13, at Alameda de Santo André.

Trás-os-Montes is the guest region of the event, which announces a three-day program full of good music, excellent cuisine, and new wines from the three Denominations of Origin that coexist in the district — Beira Interior, Douro and Dão.

Organized by the City Council of Guarda in partnership with the Regional Wine Commission of Beira Interior (CVRBI) and produced by Essência Company, the festival encourages visitors to explore the richness of the region by sampling some of Portugal’s most promising wines.

The program, created to showcase local products and offer unforgettable experiences, centres around wine and is complemented by gastronomy, music, and regional culture. The event kicks off on Friday, July 11, with an official opening at 6:00 p.m., followed by the first session of “Conversations with Flavour and Identity.” In this session, sommelier and wine critic Manuel Moreira will explore wine pairings featuring cream cheese and pumpkin jam. The evening will also feature a live jazz performance by the French group Lehmanns Brothers, culminating in the Wine Party, hosted by DJ Pedro Simões from RFM.

On Saturday, July 12, the program will begin at 5:00 p.m. with traditional music by Rondalla III Columnas, followed by gastronomic moments with show cooking by chef Mário Rui Ramos, from Geocakes, and several sessions of “Conversations about Wine,” led by Manuel Moreira, sommelier, and wine critic, focusing on wine pairings with Trás-os-Montes folar and, later, with blueberry jam. The public will also be invited to watch the presentation of the book “Beira Interior – The Coolest Wine Region of Portugal”, with Virgílio Loureiro and Constança Vieira de Andrade, and have fun listening to the show by the Big Band da Nazaré, “Elas e o Jazz cantam Andrew Sisters”, ending the night at the Wine Party with DJ Pedro Simões, from RFM.

On the last day of the festival, Sunday the 13th, the event opens its doors at 5 pm with a talk about “White Wines, from the Interior to the World” led by winemaker Tiago Macena. The afternoon's entertainment will be guaranteed with a performance by Lana Gasparøtti and, to end with a lot of flavour, the public will be challenged to accompany chef Luís Américo, from Time Out Porto's “Sala de Prova”, in the show cooking, at 7:30 pm.

PROGRAM 2025

July 11 (Friday)

6:00 pm - Opening of the Event and Official Inauguration of the Event

7:30 pm - Talks about Wine: “Talks with flavour and identity: “Vinho, Requeijão e Doce de Abóbora” with Manuel Moreira, Sommelier and Wine Critic

9:30 pm - Guarda In Jazz – presentation by Lehmanns Brothers

11:00 pm - Wine Party, with DJ Pedro Simões, from RFM

July 12 (Saturday)

5:00 pm - Opening of the Event

5:00 pm - Musical Presentation by Rondalla III Columnas

6:00 pm - Showcooking with Chef Mário Rui Ramos, from Geocakes

7:00 pm - Talks about Wine: “Talks with flavour and identity: Wine and Folar from Trás-os-Montes”, with Manuel Moreira, Sommelier and Wine Critic

19:30 - Presentation of the book “Beira Interior The Coolest Wine Region of Portugal”, with Virgílio Loureiro and Constança Vieira de Andrade