The city of Lisbon is an alluring sight; clear and bright, it has captivated, delighted and attracted people from all over the world for centuries. To the notes of a melancholic fado, a yellow tram ticket in pocket, visitors wander through its narrow, cobbled lanes, their eyes drawn to its richly azulejos-tiled façades. However, Lisbon is also a region, the smallest and most populous in all Portugal, and it is here that we Explorers have ventured. Abandoning the well-trodden paths to lose ourselves in lengthy stretches of emptiness, we find ourselves in a bucolic valley, whipped by a wind laden with heady scents and sensations and full of expectation for our visit to the Arinto vineyards. Cultivated since Roman times, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and Lord Byron were all great admirers; we feel humbled, and it is just the beginning of an amazing discovery.