What menu to choose for a wedding in Portugal

Food and beverages are a crucial part of Portuguese life. When one thinks about Portugal what is the first thing that comes to mind? Extraordinary food and wine.

The Portuguese people just love a delicious meal and that’s shown everywhere, especially at weddings and other types of celebrations. When planning a winery wedding in Portugal, the menu options are numerous – having to pick one or several options is difficult.

Choosing a Wedding Menu

For couples seeking a more personalised touch to their menu and wine list, wedding caterer experts suggest that it is always a good idea to incorporate both their and their partner’s favourite dishes into the menu. Whatever a couple’s wish might be, it’s been proven that it is always smart to work with their caterer first to craft a wedding menu. That way they can never go wrong.

Most winery wedding venues in Portugal have a team of experts that will help you choose and tailor a unique menu. One of the most popular ones is Quinta dos Vales, in Algarve, with a full catering team dedicated to realising any requirement. With award-winning wine and a chance for the newlyweds to make their own barrel, this venue has won the title of being the most popular choice of couples due to providing an incredible wedding experience.

When tailoring the wedding menu in this venue, couples also have the chance to sample a plethora of culinary delights. They can schedule a sampling session in the Tasting Room – the place where the caterer and his staff will meticulously plate the menu they have chosen. It is next to the Panoramic Terrace which can easily seat up to 120 guests to enjoy the meals prepared on the day of the wedding. The roof of this terrace is only supported by columns, which still keeps that outdoor feel while sheltering the guests from heat or any weather changes. That sets the tone for an elevated guest experience – they can enjoy the meticulously prepared dishes in comfort, not needing to compromise gazing upon the slopes of the vineyards and lush greenery around. Food and wine are savoured completely when all conditions for comfort are met, that is why the venue offers the Quinta package!

The Quinta package is the basis for the reception menu which includes everything to turn any event into a success – from space rental to food, drinks, and catering service. Of course, couples may choose to include their special wishes and upgrade their package with the help of the venue’s catering team. The venue offers many service options that ensure a truly bespoke experience. The best part is that every dish is meticulously prepared from locally sourced ingredients with the option to be tailored to any dietary requirements. Quinta dos Vales seeks to provide the ultimate package options by enabling couples to separately upgrade every element according to their wishes.

Sample Wedding Menu

Hosting a winery wedding means that besides wine, delicious food plus a richness of flavours and colours should be served on the plates. The wedding food usually incorporates some appetisers, entree options (typically a few variants that will give their guest a chance to pick from) and a last, but not least, a dessert. Naturally, couples don’t have to follow this order.

Wedding experts suggest that if couples want to have a wedding reception in an extravagant cocktail style, then they should definitely go for that. Portugal is all about choosing different flavours and thinking outside the box. When making a decision, couples should keep in mind to also buy menu cards for each place setting.

Welcome Cocktail Drinks menu

This type of menu may include beverages such as white and sparkling wine, Martini, Dry Port, freshly squeezed juices with seasonal fruits as well as mineral water and soft drinks.

Welcome Cocktail – Food menu

A wedding reception food menu may include some delicious food such as smoked salmon mousse with toasts, Crudités, regional sausages patés, Veal croquettes, Brie au gratin with quince jam, Shrimp pastries, Prosciutto and pineapple rolls, Vegetarian samosas, Codfish fritters, etc.

Portugal wedding menus

 Portuguese Weddings exuberate in the richness of flavours and colours. So, the culinary options for their winery wedding menu are just endless. Caterers suggest that couples can opt for a more sea-based food menu and have seafood flan with green salad, roast leg of lamb in mint sauce with a vegetable bundle, and sweet potato crisp on the side.

Also, they can have cold or hot soups, puff pastry of chevre with honey and walnuts served with arugula salad, monkfish with sautéed clams, and prawns served with vegetables. Everything goes well with wine cooked at low temperature, rice “carqueja”, cherry tomatoes, red onions, and celery.

A charcuterie and a grazing board

Some new ways to enrich the wedding tables are to incorporate some delicious charcuterie or grazing board. It’s one of the most certain manners to seamlessly contrast each bite with a curated array of flavour profiles. Besides all kinds of cheese, a grazing board full of dips of hipped Feta, avocado Cilantro Dip or Hummus are usually added in small dip bowls. Grapes, olives and bite-size fruits like berries also are a perfect suit for the table.

Experts agree that other sliced fruits like apples and pears, dipped in some freshly squeezed lemon juice also can be considered. Another great addition to these rich grazing boars is crackers, sliced baguettes or pita bread. Delicious, chic and fancy in every sense of the word.

Organic produce

One of the best things at a winery wedding is the whole another level of “homemade” experience. That means fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade bread, a delicious selection of cheese like the queijo de Azeitão, smooth Serra da Estrela, and spicy queijo de São Jorge from the Azores; home-produced smoked meat, roasted meat specialities and, of course, wine.

Couples who wish to enjoy a vineyard wedding, accompanied by the most exquisite wedding food and wine menu, can find more information about the services of the world-renowned winery Quinta dos Vales in their wedding section.

This text was originally published in: https://www.portugalresident.com/best-menu-ideas-for-a-winery-wedding-in-portugal/