Palmela was chosen to be the “City of Wine 2009”, and has carried out a vast variety of annual events dedicated to the culture of wine. One of the high points, and which also marks the closing of the “City of Wine 2009” programme, will be the Muscatel Festival, which takes place on the 8th of November in the Largo de S. João square and in the premises of the Rota de Vinhos association in Palmela. This festival – which marks the European Enotourism Day – takes place between 10 am and 10 pm, and is based on tasting and selling Setúbal Muscatel wine. The relationship between Muscatel and chocolate will be one of the other aspects explored during the event, with the presence of several products and the holding of a mini wine competition on the subject.

Snacks, Azeitão Cheese and local sweets will also be present at the festival, which will promote a competition involving sweet delicacies made using Muscatel wine and the creation of Muscatel-based cocktails.

Wine tours by horse-drawn carriage, a meal in a wine cellar, tasting sessions and entertainment are further reasons for interest in the festival, which is organized by the Palmela Municipal Council in partnership with the Setúbal Peninsula/ Costa Azul Wine Route Association.
As a celebration of European Enotourism Day the organization will also be promoting a colloquium which will discuss some issues related to Enotourism in the region.

A Year under the Sign of Wine
Through the distinction of being “City of Wine 2009”, Palmela Municipal Council has found another form of promoting the work carried out every year on several different areas and with different partners in relation to wine production in the borough. Thus the council has carried out several different events over the year involving promoting wine, with a special note for: the Cheese, Bread and Wine Festival, the Wine Exhibition of the civil parishes of Poceirão and Marateca, the Poceirão Commerce and Agricultural Fair, Wine Day, the Grape Harvest Festival and the World Tourism Day.

Palmela Municipal Council | Communication Division | Tel 21 233 69 00 | http://www.cm-palmela.pt