Lisbon is Portugal’s sunlit capital with an electric energy. Set against a river, the hillside neighbourhoods tumble down to the water, yellow trams curve through cobbled streets, and old stone lanes dotted with chic coffee to wine bars. It feels both historic and trendy, with grand squares, colourful façades, and a late-night culture built around long social dinners.

Portugal itself is a quiet powerhouse in the wine world. Beyond Port and Vinho Verde, the country is full of characterful regions and native grapes: elegant reds from the Douro and Dão, textured whites from Vinho Verde and Bucelas, coastal wines shaped by Atlantic breezes, and rich, layered bottles from the Alentejo sun. Lisbon is one of the best places to taste that whole spectrum in one city, from tiny neighbourhood tascas pouring simple house wine to serious bars and Michelin-starred restaurants with deep lists of Portuguese producers that rarely make it onto international menus.

Our home will be a private villa on the Lisbon coast with beautiful glass and light. Your days will be spent moving easily from tastings and workshops at the dining table straight out to the pool, perfect for the balmy Portuguese days in late September.

Outside, a heated pool, jacuzzi, barbecue, and undulating garden create a private little resort, with space for long private chef lunches, late-night conversations, and open-air sessions. With multiple en-suite bedrooms, a separate studio, and projection equipment for classes or film nights, it’s perfectly set up as a beachside base for studying, connecting, and unwinding between sessions, with golden sand and Lisbon’s energy only a short drive away.

The WSET Level 3 Award in Wines is an advanced qualification from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, one of the most respected wine education bodies in the world. It’s designed for people who already have a solid foundation in wine (usually WSET 2 or equivalent knowledge) and want to move into serious, professional-level understanding of regions, styles, and quality.

Level 3 takes you far deeper into classic and emerging wine regions, grape varieties, and production methods, with a strong focus on why wines taste the way they do and how to assess quality. You’ll refine your skills using the WSET Level 3 Systematic Approach to Tasting, learning to analyse structure, balance, and development in far more detail. The course covers advanced theory on viticulture, winemaking, maturation, and global styles, and is ideal for entrepreneurs in hospitality, wine and spirits, events, or anyone who wants their wine knowledge to match the level of their career and lifestyle.

On this Nomad Home retreat, you’ll study under an accredited WSET instructor and Wine Ambassador to Portugal, tasting your way through benchmark wines in an immersive, small-group setting. At the end of the course, you’ll sit both a written theory exam and a blind tasting exam, with the opportunity to earn your WSET Level 3 Award in Wines while living steps from the ocean, in the company of like-minded founders and creatives.