Vidigueira, Portugal, Dec. 4, 2025 (Lusa) - Amphora (Talha) wine, an ancient tradition, will be in the spotlight at an event in Vila de Frades, in the municipality of Vidigueira, this weekend, with a programme that includes a colloquium, a competition and a tour of the wineries.
"This is a festival that celebrates the culture and tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation since Roman times, without interruption, and which has been preserved for over 2,000 years," Ricardo Bonito, president of Vitifrades - Associação de Desenvolvimento Local (Local Development Association), told the Lusa news agency today.
Organised by the entity, with the support of the Parish Council of Vila de Frades and the Vidigueira Town Council, in the district of Beja, the 26th edition of the Festas Báquicas - Vitifrades will take place between Friday and Sunday in Vila de Frades, constituting "the great festival of talha wine".
For Ricardo Bonito, also mayor of Vidigueira, expectations for this year's edition are high, as the event "is a well-established activity" and "a festival where people book their hotel rooms [and] restaurants in advance, year after year".
"This year we have an added obligation to improve the conditions of the venue [and] because we have the Regional Tourism Authority as a partner, which understands that Vitifrades is a good showcase to promote our Alentejo region," he said.
From the programme, the president highlighted the TT Meeting, the colloquium "Talha wine and wine tourism", the Wine Cellar Route, the Alentejo singing shows and the 26th "Best Talha Wines - Professor Francisco Colaço do Rosário" competition.
"It is an extremely important competition, [because] it is also proof of the preservation of talha wine and the wine sub-region of Vidigueira, Cuba and Alvito, where talha wine producers enter their wines into the competition," he explained.
According to Ricardo Bonito, this year, the competition has "around 100 talha wines in the competition," which is a sign of the "vitality" of the product in the region.
The musical line-up features performances by Brinde (Friday at 10:15 p.m.), Bandidos do Cante (Friday at 11:30 p.m.), Martinho Caeiro (Saturday at 8:00 p.m.), Descendentes (Saturday at 10:00 p.m.), Sonido Andaluz (Saturday, 11:00 pm) and Improvisos do Sul (Sunday, 6:30 pm).
The official opening is scheduled for Friday, 5 December, at 6:30 p.m. with the Philharmonic Band of the Humanitarian Association of Volunteer Firefighters of Vidigueira and the Bands of Cante Aevid - Vila de Frades centre.
In addition to workshops, a walking tour and a book presentation, the programme also includes show cooking with wine pairings and parallel events in local wineries.
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Lusa
