A new chapter will bring different, innovative and creative experiences to Baptista Supermarket
When it opened in March 2026, the Baptista Wine Experience was presented as an extension of Supermercado Baptista’s identity and a new venture for the company, with a concept designed to showcase its wine selection and create a dedicated space for discovery, sharing and bringing customers and producers together.
Now, the project is coming to an end after several months of positive feedback, events and memorable moments with the local community.
For Beatriz Batista, current manager of Supermercado Baptista and granddaughter of its founders, the Wine Experience grew out of the opportunity to create a team and structure that would allow new ideas to be developed within the family business.
“With the new management and internal organisation, we were able to be creative and bring the project to life,” she explains.
The ambition was to create a unique experience around wine. More than simply offering a specialised selection, the idea was to host tastings, events and food and wine pairings, giving customers the opportunity to discover more about the products and the people behind them.
According to Beatriz Batista, the decision to close the Wine Experience stems from a lack of consensus within the family and ownership structure over the project’s future.
Although the decision was met with sadness by everyone involved, she looks back positively on this chapter, saying that the original goals were not only achieved but exceeded, both in terms of service and the range of premium products on offer. She also highlights the team’s commitment and the response from customers, particularly recalling the events that transformed the space into a lively meeting point for the community.
“Looking back at the Baptista Wine Experience, some of the highlights were our tasting events with full tables, the sense of community and the experiences we shared,” she recalls.
The end of the Wine Experience does not, however, mean that wine will become any less important at Supermercado Baptista. In fact, it remains one of the store’s key focus points, and the team intends to bring some of the energy created by the project into the supermarket itself.
“We’ll adapt to this new reality and do our very best to keep creating new experiences and bringing customers closer to us, this time focusing on Supermercado Baptista itself,” says Beatriz Batista.
This new chapter will mean adapting events to the supermarket setting, but it will also open the door to different, innovative and creative experiences. Plans include new product tastings, sampling sessions and themed fairs, with a particular focus on cheese and wine.
The closure also offers an opportunity to reflect on what the team has built over recent months and on the challenges of developing a project within a family business. “The closure of this space is an important moment to recognise the potential we have and reflect on the things that, unfortunately, are beyond our control,” says Beatriz Batista, also highlighting the team spirit that has defined the experience.
To the customers who have supported the project since its inception, she expresses her gratitude “for their support and trust”, as well as for the “experiences and lessons” they have shared with the team.
The Wine Experience may be coming to an end, but in Praia da Luz, the Baptista story continues to be shaped by the people, the products and the close relationship that has connected the supermarket to its community for decades.
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