Arrival at the manor house at around 5 or 6 pm. There'll be welcome drinks on the terrace or at the beautifully renovated ’adega’ of the hotel which will be followed by a light supper in the restaurant. A leisurely breakfast. At around 11am we visit the farm of a cheese maker in the midst of beautiful rolling hills. Quality ewe’s milk cheeses are made here, not dissimilar to the pecorino’s from Southern Tuscany. We have a tour of the farm and see how the cheese is made. Next a tasting of cheeses at various stages of maturation. Following the cheese-tasting it is a short drive to a modern local wine producer. We tour the beautiful quinta of this excellent small scale wine producer. The visit concludes with a tasting of their signature wines, accompanied by various local delicacies, including chorizos, cheese and pastries, as a light lunch. Then its back to the hotel where there's time to relax and have a swim in the large outdoor pool. The first cooking class begins around 6.00pm and is taught by our young enthusiatic chef, Rui. Rui has added new techniques to his repertoire of Portuguese cooking following his experiences cheffing in various restaurants throughout Portugal. Dinner is in the atmospheric restaurant with the dishes you've made paired with wines. A leisurely breakfast. You'll be picked-up at 11am for a trip to the Saturday Estremoz market. This is one of the largest markets in the region, in the heart of a beautiful historical town. Chef Rui will be there to pick out some of the best delicacies. After, we depart for a private tour of a second winery. It's a lovely historic place, thought by some to be the most beautiful manor house of the Alentejo region. The 17th and 18th century buildings, while preserving the original baroque features, also house an excellent modern wine making operation. Our tour of the quinta will be followed by a wine tasting of their signature wines, accompanied by some delicious local food as a light lunch. After the tasting it's back to our hotel to unwind. The late afternoon cooking class will begin around 6.00pm at the hotel. This cooking class, also taught by Rui, may focus on modern Portuguese cooking, with an emphasis on fish dishes. Lightness, freshness and colour will predominate. Dinner with matching wines to follow. Breakfast at leisure. Depart during morning or afternoon. 2008: 10April, 8 May, 5 June, 25 September, 23 October