The South is served at the new Rotas da Insulana Wine Dinner

BALCONY Restaurant once again hosts one of the most anticipated evenings of the year: the Rotas da Insulana Wine Dinner. On November 8th, the ninth edition of the event promises a wine and gastronomic journey through the “Farlands of Al-Gharb to Alen-Tejo,” with an exclusive menu entirely dedicated to the flavours of the south of the country.

The big news is the debut of chef Rui Prado, who will create a creation designed to surprise even the most discerning palates. Wine pairings will be paired with each dish by head waiter Acácio Oliveira, who will be adding Herdade dos Grous labels to the table this year.

This edition of the Rotas da Insulana Wine Dinner pays homage to the Algarve and Alentejo. The menu, created by chef Rui Prado, reflects a tasting journey that explores the history, culture, and rich gastronomy of these regions. Each dish was designed to pair perfectly with a selection of excellent wines from Herdade dos Grous, a wine project that stands out in the Alentejo landscape for its quality and tradition.

The tour begins in the village of Albernoa. It begins with beetroot stuffed with partridge and sunflower seeds, paired with a Quinta do Valbom White wine. The journey then continues to the village of Mértola, with a beef croquette accompanied by red onion compote and aioli, and a Quinta do Valbom red wine. In Vila Nova de Mil Fontes, the coastal experience is honoured with tiger prawns in a warm stew broth, seaweed salad, samphire, and coriander gel, served with a Herdade dos Grous Reserva White. The route continues to the village of Castro Marim, where travellers can enjoy a corn-textured roosterfish, regional vegetable pickles, and passion fruit foam, the perfect match for the next wine selection: Herdade do Grous Concrete White. The Entre Prados section highlights a Mertolenga entrecôte colored in rapeseed oil with ginger-scented yellow carrot purée, paired with Herdade dos Grous Reserva Red. The journey concludes in the Barrocal and A Planície region, with Monchique fig cheese and Alentejo sericá with Rainha D. Amélia plum, accompanied by a Herdade dos Grous Late Harvest.

“The menu we prepared for the Rotas da Insulana Wine Dinner is more than just a meal. It’s a true journey through the flavours of Southern Portugal, a passionate tribute to the gastronomy of the Algarve and Alentejo, regions that are so dear to my heart,” explains Rui Prado, from the Algarve, about to embrace his first major event, the Rotas da Insulana Wine Dinner, at the helm of BALCONY Restaurant.

The journey of celebration and wine and gastronomic discovery, with the five-star hospitality of the Grand Hotel Açores Atlântico, will begin on November 8th at one of Bensaude Hotels’ most prestigious restaurants. Overlooking the Ponta Delgada marina, BALCONY Restaurant was recently awarded Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best 2025 in the “Fine Dining” category, the platform’s highest recognition. A distinction that positions it among the best in the world, and one that Rui Prado promises to honour.

FAR AWAY FROM AL-GHARB TO ALENTÉJO

The Villages and Towns

Amuse-Bouche

• THE VILLAGE OF ALBERNOA
  Roasted beetroot stuffed with partridge and sunflower seeds
  FAZENDA VALBON WHITE
• THE VILLAGE OF MÉRTOLA
  Beef croquette, red onion jelly, and aioli
  QUINTA DO VALBON RED
• THE VILLAGE OF NOVA DE MIL FONTES
  Tiger shrimp in warm stew broth, seaweed salad, samphire, and coriander gel
  FAZENDA DOS GROUS RESERVA WHITE
• THE VILLAGE OF CASTRO MARIM
  Roosterfish with a corn texture, pickled regional vegetables, and passion fruit foam
  FAZENDA DO GROUS CONCRETE WHITE
• BETWEEN THE MEADOWS
  Mertole entrecôte browned in rapeseed oil with purée of yellow carrot with a ginger aroma
  FAZENDA DOS GROUS RESERVA RED

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Publicado em 2025.10.20

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Published on 2025.10.27