DOURO: WSET LEVEL 2, UNESCO WINE & 1 MICHELIN KEY

NOMAD HOME WINE SERIES

NOMAD HOME: WINE SERIES

Nomad Home is ecstatic to introduce our new retreat series, where we partner with WSET Wine Awards instructors, sommeliers, and winemakers at the top of their craft to curate education, bespoke, and unforgettable culinary experiences.

Our WSET Wine Education Retreat invites you to the heart of Douro Valley, Portugal, a UNESCO region and one of the most celebrated wine capitals in the world, making it the perfect destination for a 4 night immersion to the world of wine.

Guided by an acclaimed WSET instructor and Wine Ambassador to Portugal, this retreat is organised by APP Plansel International Wine School and offers the perfect blend of vacation and immersion, culminating in the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines, a globally recognized certification from the esteemed Wine & Spirit Education Trust, celebrated for setting the gold standard in wine education worldwide.

While indulging in a 1 Michelin Key stay at a 5 Star Winery Hotel, you’ll be led through guided tastings, vineyard tours, and will indulge in curated dining experiences in the company of a handpicked group of entrepreneurs and creatives.

Master Wine in the Heart of the Douro

The Douro Valley is the soul of Portuguese winemaking, famed for its dramatic landscapes and centuries of viticultural history carved into the hillsides.
This legendary region, stretching along the serpentine curves of the Douro River in northern Portugal, is the birthplace of Port wine and now home to some of the country’s most elegant still wines. For more than two thousand years, steep schist terraces have been hand-built and tended here, shaping powerful yet nuanced wines that reflect the toughness and beauty of the land itself.
The landscape is unforgettable: vertiginous slopes lined with perfectly ordered vines, whitewashed quintas perched above the river, and winding roads with breathtaking viewpoints.
Just as iconic is the region’s culinary tradition, rooted in hearty, rustic dishes that honour local produce, often paired with olive oil from nearby groves.
The Wine House Hotel – Quinta da Pacheca is a 5-star wine hotel set in the heart of the Douro Valley, surrounded by terraced vineyards and sweeping river views. Rooted in an 18th-century manor house and expanded with contemporary architecture and its iconic barrel suites, it blends historic charm, design and immersive wine experiences in one of Portugal’s most celebrated wine estates.
A stay here is all about Douro living: waking up among the vines, tasting award-winning wines on site, and enjoying the quiet of a working estate that has become a benchmark for innovative wine tourism.
Quinta da Pacheca has earned its place among the best in hospitality and wine tourism, with accolades such as:
- 1 MICHELIN Key – The Wine House Hotel – Quinta da Pacheca, in the official MICHELIN hotel selection for Portugal
- Global Winner, Architecture & Landscape – Best Of Wine Tourism Awards 2020, for its iconic wine barrel suites and design
- Winner “Wine Hotel” – Publituris Portugal Travel Awards 2019
- Featured in Boa Cama Boa Mesa 2025, one of Portugal’s leading hotel and restaurant guides
The WSET Level 2 Award in Wines is an internationally recognised intermediate certification from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, one of the most respected wine education bodies in the world. It’s designed for people who already enjoy wine and want to move beyond the basics into a deeper, more structured understanding of styles, regions, and quality.
Level 2 explores the major grape varieties and key wine regions, how climate, soil, and winemaking choices shape a wine, and how to read labels and navigate wine lists with confidence. You’ll also sharpen your palate using WSET’s Systematic Approach to Tasting, learning to describe wines clearly and understand why they taste the way they do. It’s ideal for enthusiastic wine lovers, entrepreneurs in hospitality or events, and anyone who wants a serious but approachable foundation.
If you already have some knowledge, you can often start directly at Level 2 without completing Level 1.
On this Nomad Home retreat, you’ll study under an accredited WSET instructor and Wine Ambassador to Portugal, tasting your way through benchmark wines while surrounded by a small group of like-minded guests. At the end of the course, you’ll sit a multiple-choice exam and have the chance to earn your WSET Level 2 Award in Wines in one of the world’s most inspiring wine settings.

Ilona Akulova: Wine Ambassador & WSET Instructor

Ilona Akulova: WSET Wine Educator

Ilona is a leading Portuguese wine specialist and educator with over a decade of experience dedicated to showcasing the wines of Portugal.

She is a WSET Wine Educator and Certified Port Educator, as well as an officially recognised Ambassador of Wines of Portugal, reflecting her deep expertise in the country’s wine regions and styles.

Ilona’s serves as a wine judge and critic at major national and international competitions, including Concurso Vinhos de Portugal, Berliner Wine Trophy, Portugal Wine Trophy, Mondial des Vins Extremes and others, cementing her reputation as a respected voice in the wine world.

WSET Level 2 Award in Wines

Over 5 days in the heart of Douro, immerse yourself in the world of wine with the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines. This intermediate course is designed to deepen your understanding of grape varieties, wine styles, winemaking processes, and how regional factors influence quality and character.

Guided by our expert WSET instructor, lessons will take place both in our resort, where Portugal’s rich winemaking traditions will come to life.

The retreat concludes with a multiple-choice exam, and successful participants will leave with the internationally recognized WSET Level 2 certification—a respected credential for wine enthusiasts and professionals alike.

*You do not need WSET 1 before taking WSET 2. But for those who want a full foundation, please join our WSET 1 Retreat beforehand.

WSET 1 RETREAT

Mar 26th - Mar 29th, 2026

4 Days
Douro, Portugal

Apply Now

WSET 2 RETREAT

Jun 30th - Jul 4th, 2026

5 Days
Douro, Portugal

WSET 1

What to Expect: All Inclusive Experience

4 Nights at the 5 Star, 1 Michelin Key, Quinta da Pacheca Winery Hotel, that is one of the longest standing wineries in Portugal
A privately held WSET Course for our Nomad Home group by the Wine Ambassador of Portugal and WSET accredited instructor
Hands on lessons alongside visits to a one of the most iconic wineries in Portugal to understand wine production, pairing, and tasting first-hand.
When we’re not tasting the day away with beautiful wines, we’ll be sampling the best Portuguese dishes, walking through vineyards, and exploring the twists and turns of the region.
Each guest is handpicked after an interview with the Nomad Home Founder. They are selected based on their fit to our entrepreneur, remote work and creative community.
Guests come from around the world but are connected through a shared love of travel, food, connection and an unconventional (often location agnostic) life.
They are the “yes people”. The fun, kind, and passionate about personal and professional growth.
Private transportation on the first and last day of the retreat from Porto Airport.
Private transport to all bespoke and meticulously crafted tours.

Day 1: Arrival & Welcome Dinner

Welcome home! After the Porto airport pick-up, we will let you settle into your luxurious room and kick off the night with a welcome dinner.
You’ll start your first night with a multi-course meal, sampling the best and most traditional Portuguese flavors, savor iconic wines, and get to know your new family!
Meals Included: Dinner & Wine
Day 2: WSET 2 Class & Traditional Portuguese

Start your day with a delicious breakfast and prepare to begin a full day of WSET classes led by our instructor, with an al-fresco lunch in between.
Enjoy golden hour by the pool or walk through the vineyards before we head to a nearby town for a dinner of Portuguese traditional specialties.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3: WSET 2 Class & Winery Tour

After a delicious breakfast, we will have a full day of WSET 2 classes with lunch.
In the afternoon, we’ll be guided through a winery and cellar tour, finishing with a tasting of Quinta da Pacheca’s best wines, paired perfectly along with dinner.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: WSET 2 Exam & Celebration

Waking up to a beautiful breakfast, we’ll have our final day of WSET 2 classes leading up to the exam.
You’ll then sit the official WSET Level 2 multiple choice exam, where if successful, you will earn the internationally recognized certification.
That evening, we will celebrate with a final dinner with your Nomad Home family and cheers to a very well-earned award!
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: WSET 3 or See you soon!

For those who are only with us for the WSET 2 Retreat - we love you and we will miss you!
Savour the last moments (for now) with your Nomad Home family as you continue on to your next adventure. We will drop you back off at the Porto airport and count down the days until we see you again.
We hope to see you back at WSET 3.
Meals Included: Breakfast

Pricing & Accommodation

Hotel Room

Main Wing in Winery Hotel

1 King Bed
Ensuite Bathroom
3950€ Double Occupancy
4750€ Single Occupancy

Wine Barrel Room

Barrel in Vineyard

1 Round Bed
Ensuite Bathroom
Open Balcony Facing Vineyard
*Private Plunge Pool where Available
5750€ Double Occupancy
7250€ Single Occupancy

Apply Now

How It Works

Our experiences are intimate for likeminded entrepreneurs, creatives and remote leaders.

We’re selective so everyone is fun, young at heart, and building something they care about.

Submit the application form and schedule a time for a 30 minute interview with our Founder, Kella, to see if we are a perfect fit.
If you are selected, you'll receive an acceptance email and can book your first retreat right away.
‍ For those planning multiple journeys, our Multi-Journey Packages offer retreat credits, priority upgrades, complimentary event tickets and extended membership.
Once you're in, you can browse and book any upcoming retreat or member event.
When you see something you'd like to join, email our team with your preference and we'll send you a payment link and all the details.

Apply Now

Hear From Our Nomad Home Members

Connection is why we exist. Nomad Home is on a mission to redefine solo travel and create a community of adventurous entrepreneurs, remote workers, and creatives.

We are setting the table to lifelong relationships by curating the finest bespoke travel experiences in the world.

Our family is carefully selected to be made up of vibrant, charismatic, and open-minded individuals with a location-agnostic lifestyle.

We’d love to meet you to see if we’d be the perfect fit.

Charlotte

CO-FOUNDER of HANDS London
My favourite thing about Nomad Home is being able to connect with a large group of people from all over the world. I usually make friends slowly but when you spend so much time with a group of people, you become extremely close very quickly. That has been rare in my adult life and something I’ll always treasure. I’ve made friendships that will last a lifetime - we have already planned a few meetups since.
Laurie

FOUNDER of Outsourceful
Running my own business can get lonely and repetitive at times so it was refreshing to be able to travel, cowork, and bounce ideas with a group of founders. Although many of us were from different countries, it was surprising how much we had in common. I’ve been to multiple Nomad Home events now and the London events were a great way to meet people in my home city. There are 4 of us that met that have already set up monthly dinners; we really left as a family.
Andrea

PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER and CONTENT CREATOR
I’ve remote worked for 5 years and found that it’s been difficult to find people that love luxury travel and have a flexible lifestyle. Nomad Home has given me a community to grow together personally and professionally with, when I honestly didn’t realize I could make these deep of connections of my adult life. What’s better is I got to do it while wine tasting and dinner partying.
Jesse

CO-FOUNDER of BLA Design Group and FOUNDER of Adessa Visuals
I work a lot, which means I don’t have much time to get away, socialize, or plan travel itineraries. Nomad Home has made it easy for me to just show up, enjoy unique activities and dinner parties that are off the beaten path, and connect with interesting people working on cool projects I would have never met otherwise. It was even better that I got to do all of it while getting my work done.

FAQ

Lodging, transportation, daily breakfast, all activities and meals in the itinerary.
Flights are not included.
For our 8 day retreats, all guests will have free time during the day to work as they please as most activities are in the evening or weekend.
For our 4 day retreats, activities will be throughout the day so there will only be pockets of work time. Of course, you can participate as you prefer and if you have specific schedule accommodations, please email (admin@nomad-home.com)
Yes. Please send us an email and indicate what room you’d like, who you would like to be in the room with, and we will take it into consideration in the selection phase.
Yes. Please let us know your room preference and we will work to pair you with another guest if you both select a shared room.
Private pick-up and drop-off will be organized at the airport indicated in the itinerary.
Transportation is organized from that specific location, if you have a custom request, we will try our best to help coordinate; subject to additional cost.
Yes, the minimum age is 21 years old for all stays.
Please verify the entrance requirements for your respective country. Many countries are able to have a tourist visa issued at no charge upon arrival. When entering the country, we suggest selecting ‘vacation’ on the immigration form and using the villa’s address; provided at the time of booking.
All tours will have transportation included. If you wish to have your own transportation during weekdays, you can rent a car or bike for personal use.
We can always accommodate no-alcohol and will try our best to accommodate dietary restrictions, however, we require time to plan the options with food/tour providers.
Please send us an email with your requests and we will inquire on your behalf: admin@nomad-home.com
If cancelling a booking within 48 hours of placing your booking you will receive a full refund. Please note, the 24 hour period begins when you place your initial booking.

Cancellation after this period incurs cancellation fees, depending on how far in advance you cancel.

If cancelling within:

90 days of the retreat start date - the 1500€ deposit is non-refundable

Within 60 days of the retreat start date - 50% is non-refundable

45 days of the retreat start date - 100% non-refundable

Please email (admin@nomad-home.com) to request cancellation.
Yes. If chosen as a participant, a 1500€ deposit is required before the remainder of the payment 60 days before the retreat start date.
Yes. Payment plan below is available, please contact (admin@nomad-home.com) if you’d like to activate:
- 1500€ Deposit at time of booking
- 50% of remainder of payment at 90 days from retreat start date
- 50% of remainder of payment at 60 days from retreat start date