• A place where ten years ago in 2015 they put 

       sustainability to work across the entire region

• Today it is a kind of 'living laboratory' you can visit
• Where being sustainable is not a tax on life
• But a proven tool for prosperity
  

Many of us fly over this region on our way to the Algarve in Portugal, but more and more people are "discovering" the Alentejo in central southern Portugal. They have heard about how WASP, its sustainability programme has really taken off. But it is the results that people are excited about, how the region, whilst keeping its rural charm has become sophisticated  with a definite feel of luxury.

Precision Irrigation

It is a hot dry region in summer and water has to be managed and it is expensive.

The vineyards worked out a way to save between 20 and 30% of consumption in the vineyards by using precision irrigation and soil moisture sensors.  By working together as a sustainable region they  has learned that sustainability offers gains that would have otherwise have been inaccessible. Innovation in the use of drones to monitor soil health, energy savings using solar driven pumps to distribute water to their precision irrigation systems and recycling cork into fashion items are just some of the gains that have, quite simply replaced a lot of pains. 

The result is high quality wine at a fraction of the price of competitors across Europe. Alentejo wine exports are booming in major global markets, whilst other wine growing regions are suffering from the global downturn in red wine sales. 

Evora - A UNESCO CITY

Roughly one third larger than Wales, Alentejo is a sparsely populated region of white washed, red roofed towns and villages scattered around its hilltop castles, huge lakes, rolling hills and plains and within its two national parks. 

Everywhere in this huge space are vast rolling plains of cork oaks, vineyards and wheat fields. The region has a sophisticated network of wineries offering vineyard tours with winetasting, a growing number provide restaurant facilities with sommelier expertise matching different wines with food. Several vineyards provide high quality accommodation offering an authentic, soulful experience for those who are seeking how the ancient heritage of Roman times has evolved into the sustainable viticulture of today.