Vinhos & Sabores will host more than 30 foreign buyers at its 2026 fair.

Alentejo will be the featured region at the 2026 Vinhos & Sabores fair, which is scheduled to run from Oct. 17 to Oct. 19 at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa in Lisbon’s Parque das Nações, as organizers put a stronger focus this year on export contacts and professional meetings for Portugal’s wine sector.

The event, organized by Grandes Escolhas and centered on Portuguese wine, is expected to bring together producers from across the country with more than 30 international buyers, journalists, importers, distributors and other industry representatives. Organizers said the 2026 edition is designed to respond to pressure on the wine business by moving beyond tastings and consumer promotion and placing more emphasis on commercial opportunities and access to foreign markets.

Alentejo’s role as the guest region will be developed in partnership with the Alentejo Regional Wine Commission, known as CVRA. Organizers said the regional program will combine wine, food, tourism and culture, making Alentejo the main thematic focus of the fair. The choice also reflects the region’s weight in Portuguese wine production and its growing role in wine tourism.

According to Grandes Escolhas, the business strategy builds on outreach work carried out in 2024 and 2025, when buyers from 14 markets were brought to the fair for meetings with Portuguese producers. This year, the list of invited markets is broader and includes Germany, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Japan, Macau, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Switzerland and Türkiye.

A central part of that plan is a Business Lounge created for professional meetings during the event. Organizers said the space is intended to host direct conversations between Portuguese wineries and potential international partners, with the aim of opening distribution channels, establishing new commercial relationships and increasing the visibility of Portuguese wine abroad. The initiative is being supported by Turismo de Portugal, AICEP, ViniPortugal, the Institute of Vine and Wine and CVRA.

Ana Ruivo, executive director of Grandes Escolhas, said the fair is trying to adapt to a changing market. “At a time when the sector faces new challenges, we believe that a wine event can no longer be limited to a space for exhibiting and tasting,” she said in a statement released by the organizers. “It must generate business, open up markets and bring Portuguese producers closer to those who buy and recommend wine around the world.”

Alongside the professional program, the fair will keep a broad public schedule built around tastings, presentations and food events. The Special Tastings program, which requires separate advance tickets, will take place on Oct. 17 and Oct. 18 and will include guided one-hour sessions on rare wines, older vintages and region-specific themes. Organizers said some of the bottles featured are no longer commercially available.

The tasting schedule includes sessions dedicated to Madeira producer Justino’s, Bucelas Arinto, Douro label Poeira and Australia’s Penfolds. Other presentations will focus on lesser-known grape varieties from Dão, a 10-vintage vertical tasting from Tapada de Coelheiros in Alentejo, Madeira wines from Henriques & Henriques, Alvarinho from Monção and Melgaço, and a lineup of notable Portuguese red wines from the 2016 vintage. The program also includes a session on Vinhos de Talha, the traditional Alentejo wines made in clay vessels, a presentation on Napa Valley and a tasting focused on wines from the Azores.

For general visitors, exhibitors will also take part in the Prove Connosco, or Taste with Us, sessions, where producers are expected to present wines in a more informal format. Those talks and tastings are planned in a small amphitheater and are intended to create direct exchanges between wineries and consumers.

Food will remain a major part of the fair. Organizers said nine chefs connected to wine tourism projects in Alentejo have been invited to prepare dishes using ingredients from the region and to propose pairings with different wine styles. Three chefs are scheduled to appear each day. The aim, according to the organizers, is to show the range of Alentejo cuisine and its links to local wine production.

One of the additions for 2026 will be a dedicated art space for artist Ekaterina Zavodun. Organizers said she will present an exhibition titled “If Wine had a Face” and hold a live painting session exploring wine as both a subject and a material for artistic work.

The fair will also host the announcement of the Press Choice Awards on Oct. 17. The awards bring together media professionals to taste and recognize a selection of Portuguese wines, according to the event organizers.

Vinhos & Sabores will be held in Pavilion 1 at FIL. Organizers said the fair will run from 3pm to 9pm on Oct. 17 and Oct. 18, and from 11am to 6pm on Oct. 19 for professionals. Daily admission with a tasting glass is priced at €20, and a two-day pass with a tasting glass costs €30. Special Tasting tickets are being sold separately and have limited capacity.