"In 10 years, we have put oxheart tomatoes and traditional products on the agenda," said Celeste Pereira, of the organizing company Greengrape.

She emphasizes that the "enthusiastic involvement of the Douro's main wine producers, the impact and organic growth of this project prove that it is possible to diversify and increase the attractiveness of this wine region using other excellent products, in addition to grapes."

The festival takes place in August, the peak production month, and includes a competition to choose the best tomato, a market, and tastings. Restaurants prepare menus around this product, which is increasingly cultivated in the Douro Demarcated Region and also attracts visitors to the region.


This annual event celebrates the indigenous and traditional products of the wine region, a World Heritage Site, and also of Trás-os-Montes. It was originally an initiative of Celeste Pereira, owner of the events and communications company Greengrape, Edgardo Pacheco, a journalist, and wine producer Abílio Tavares da Silva.

The competition to choose the best Douro tomato of the 2025 season takes place on August 29th at Quinta da Pacheca in Lamego and features a jury comprised of chefs, winemakers, journalists, and other gastronomic experts.

"A star of summer, the bull's heart tomato deserves a competition to make it famous, especially since it has the merits of the Douro Valley. Abundant light and wide temperature ranges typical of the region enhance the textural, flavorful, and succulent qualities of this fleshy, seedless fruit," the organizers stated in a statement.

The competition is informal, itinerant, and features the participation of Douro wine producers.

Before the best bull's heart tomato is chosen, there will be a discussion with Edouard Cointreau, president of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, and Miguel Poiares Maduro, a university professor and specialist in regional development.

Recently, the book "Tomate Coração de Boi do Douro – A outra riqueza do vale mágico" (Tomato Heart of the Douro – The Other Wealth of the Magic Valley), released last year, won the Gourmand World Cookbook award in the fruit book category.

This publication is an initiative of the Douro development associations (Beira Douro, Douro Histórico, and Douro Superior).

Twenty-four restaurants across the Douro region have joined the "Tomate à Mesa (a)gusto todo" (Tomato à Mesa) initiative this year, and they will feature tomato-inspired dishes on their menus, either in salads or in special dishes designed for this month.