The vineyards of Alentejo
If we believe the remains of the Roman era, there has always been wine in Alentejo. In the ruins of São Cucufate, near Vidigueira, Roman wine presses have been discovered and even... grape seeds have been found! It is true that the vineyard takes advantage of the very high sunshine of the region and its Mediterranean climate, hot and dry. The vineyard and olive trees occupy the poorest lands, the others being reserved for the breeding and the culture of cereals. Apart from the São Mamede mountain range (1,025 m) and, to a lesser extent, the Portel and Ossa mountains, the Alentejo is above all a large southern plain with no relief, where the huge estates of the quintas (farms) are spread out. In the wine-growing regions, it is also often a question of herdade and monte (estates), and of course of adega (wine cellar, wine cellar...). The rise and success of Alentejo wines are relatively recent: until recently, wine growing was dominated by large cooperative wineries, but the country's entry into the European Community (January 1986) and the gradual use of modern techniques for making and preserving wine have enabled the Alentejo vineyards to conquer the hearts and palates of wine lovers around the world.
The Alentejano Denomination of Origin (DOC) includes eight sub-regions: Portalegre, Borba, Évora, Granja-Amareleja, Redondo, Reguengos, Vidigueira and Moura. The Portalegre vineyard, the most northerly and perhaps the most original, is made up of multiple plots of old vines that cling to the slopes of the Serra de São Mamede. The Borba area covers 3,500 hectares, along an axis connecting Estremoz to Terrugem, and produces fresh and elegant wines. Borba, Redondo, Evora and Reguengos form the heart of the Alentejano vineyard, a land that produces balanced wines, between sweetness and power. Adega de Redondo is a powerful cooperative that was born more than 60 years ago, with nearly 200 producers and 2,000 hectares of vineyards, producing 9 to 12 million liters of wine each year! Its best-known brand, Porta da Ravessa, with an excellent quality-price ratio, was created at the end of the 1980s and remains one of the most consumed wines in Portugal. Further south, the sub-regions of Granja-Amareleja, Moura and Vidigueira, with their arid and poorer soils, give rise to sweeter and more ardent wines. The Lezíria do Tejo is home to vineyards that existed even before the birth of the Portuguese state. The whites are very fruity and the reds have a sweeter flavor than in the rest of the Alentejo. It is the region that produces the most white wines and the best rosé in Portugal. With the exception of these wines from the Tagus and the Vidigueira area, Alentejo is above all the kingdom of red wines. In addition to the well-known Cabernet Sauvignon, the appellation uses indigenous grape varieties called trincadeira, touriga nacional, tempranillo or castelão... Ruby or garnet colored wines, intense, most often full-bodied and slightly astringent, which can remind us of the Languedoc wines and are perfect for meat and cheese. The whites are aromatic, light and fresh, and go well with grilled fish, which the Portuguese are very fond of. Bom apetite!
The wine of amphora
History tells us that the Tagus River was once the dividing line between the civilization of the barrel in the north (the wood of the forests) and that of the amphora in the south (the clay of the soil). Thus, 2,000 years ago, the Romans introduced to Portugal - and in particular to Alentejo - the technique of "vinho de talha", a wine aged not in barrels, but inside clay jars. Surprising as it may seem, the principles of vinification in clay containers have changed little since the first century AD. Probably because they are natural and therefore relatively simple! Here, there is no need for a press: after the harvest, which has been previously crushed, the grapes are stored in large jars (800 to 1,200 liters), where fermentation starts between 24 and 48 hours later. It lasts about fifteen days, during which the must is stirred daily with a kind of T-shaped wooden shovel, so that the skin and the pips, immersed, release aromas, colors and flavours. Taking advantage of the natural porosity of the jars, we take care to water them very regularly, or to wrap them in a burlap or a damp cloth, which allows to control the temperature inside the jar. The opening of the jars is joyfully celebrated throughout the Alentejo, around November 11, during the Festas de São Martinho. On this occasion, the cork stopper placed near the bottom of the jar is removed and replaced with a tap: the wine is good to drink! In the taverns, people simply place their glasses under the tap while crunching chestnuts; in the cellars, they fill clean jars before bottling, which takes place at the beginning of the following year. In the past, the farmers who owned a vineyard, even a tiny one, all had a clay pot reserved for their personal consumption..
The vinho de talha, once on the verge of disappearing, is today the object of all the attention of the Alentejo winemakers, who invent new processes and refine the methods, according to the tastes and local tradition. It is a natural wine, which does not undergo any chemical intervention during its production. Its market is growing rapidly, especially in Brazil and the United States. In France, some winemakers are even starting to test the technique on their own harvests! It is a wine with a simple structure, aromatic, where the fruit dominates and which accompanies with happiness game, quince and nuts. Little acidity, roundness and a low alcohol level, which may be surprising in a Mediterranean climate. It can be drunk young, but its oxidative process promises an interesting capacity for aging. The main grape varieties used to create amphora wine are aragonês, alicante bouschet and trincadeira, while the whites mainly use antão vaz, diagalves, and manteúdo. Vinho de talha is now the pride of the Alentejo, especially in the Vidigueira region, and has been declared a candidate for the UNESCO list of Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
Organize your visits
Visiting the Alentejo wineries allows you to approach the magic that transforms in a few months of work by nature and men, a juicy fruit into the nectar of the gods... It is an opportunity to taste the local wines, to understand the production techniques and sometimes to witness the bottling and the human interventions. But it can also be the pretext for long walks between the vines, on foot or by bike, with a picnic basket in hand. During the harvest period (between August and October), it is also possible to participate in the grape harvest and even to help with the crushing. Most of the wineries that are open to visitors offer tastings, others can accommodate you for the night, some even have a restaurant. The website of Rotas dos vinhos do Alentejo(www.vinhosdoalentejo.pt) allows you to make an informed choice. In any case, it is advisable to get information beforehand and to make reservations: arriving at a winery without notice means risking not being invited to a tasting and leaving without having been able to buy a bottle. The best thing to do is to contact the Alentejo wine promotion service, Rotas dos vinhos do Alentejo (Evora), which will help you organize a tailor-made wine route and offer you an initial tasting (€5). The organization has a unique "wine tourism" space in Portugal, where visitors are invited to travel through the history of wine in the region. They talk (in French, on request) about soils and grape varieties, sustainable development efforts and of course the local star: vinho de talha and its ancestral traditions. But there are other ways to discover the secrets of wine, for example by visiting Redondo, where the Museu do Vinho serves as a tourist office, as well as the Enoteca, which has a splendid dining room, all brick and stone from floor to ceiling... You can also participate in the celebrations that mark the end of the grape harvest, such as the Wine and Vine Festival in Borba, in November. A special tour is organized for this occasion, supervised by the Alentejo Oenophile Brotherhood. If you are visiting in winter, Vila de Frades is the place to be: this village near Vidigueira is considered the capital of vinho de talha and organizes competitions among winemakers. In Cabeção, every year in December, more than sixty producers offer their wines and tastings of new wine are organized in all the streets of the village, in a very friendly atmosphere..
Alentejo Wine Route, Joaquim António de Aguiar Square, nº 20-21, Article 2146, 7001-901 Évora - Portugal. Tel: (+351) 266 746 498 or 266 746 609. [email protected] www.vinhosdoalentejo.pt
Wine in Portugal
Of course, Alentejo is not the only wine region in the country: Portugal is the eleventh largest wine producer in the world and is in the top ten in terms of production area! If you have the opportunity to sit at the counter of a wine bar, if you want to offer a bottle or if you want to shine in a conversation with a wine lover (Portuguese or not), here are some things you should know about the Lusitanian vineyard. From the north to the south and from the ocean to the mountains, the country is home to many vineyards producing very different wines. Portugal's wine culture is rich and unexpected: it is here that port wine, vinho verde, vinho de talha, aged in earthenware jars in Alentejo... It is here, too, that the greatest variety of indigenous grape varieties can be found. So much so that the winegrowers themselves do not always know what is planted on their plots!
When the other major wine countries in Europe rely on a dozen local varieties to ensure the bulk of their production, when the vineyards of the New World favor a handful of international varieties (malbec, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay ...), Portugal proudly claims nearly 400 indigenous varieties! They are called tempranillo, touriga nacional, trincadeira, alicante bouschet, fernão pires, castelão... They are blended according to local tastes and tradition. The Portuguese appellation system is comparable to ours: 15 regions have the D.O.C. (Denominaçao de Origem Controlada), the others have the right to the appellation I.P.R. (Indicacao de Provenienca Regulamentada). The "vinhos regionais" designate the country wines, the "vinhos de mesa" the table wines. Considering their average quality, which has been steadily increasing for years, Portuguese wines are still accessible at very reasonable prices. You will quickly get used to distinguishing the main ones:
Port. Port wine was born on the banks of the Douro. It is the pride of Portuguese viticulture: a magnificent showcase for the country and the city whose name it bears. It is a "mutated" wine: brandy is added to it during the fermentation process. The story goes that it was an English merchant, John Beardsley, who in the 18th century had the idea of adding pure wine brandy to the wines he was transporting to England, in order to increase their alcohol content and enable them to better withstand the journey by boat! There are two types of red port wine: tawny and ruby, with several levels of quality.
Vinho verde. The other star of the country. Contrary to what its name suggests, it is not necessarily a green wine. Vinho verde is a denomination of controlled origin found from the Douro Valley to Minho, in the northwest of the country. These are red, white or rosé wines that have the characteristic of being slightly sparkling: they are sometimes said to "curl" on the tongue. These are wines to be consumed chilled, which are a delight for summer aperitifs and a nice accompaniment to salads, fish dishes and seafood.
The Dão wines. The Dão is a river and an area south of the Douro, in north-central Portugal. The area is protected from the Atlantic winds by a crown of mountains; the vineyards are spread out on the slopes, between 400 and 700 m of altitude. Some of the country's most famous reds come from this region: they are reputed to be full-bodied, velvety, with an intense and balanced flavor. The Dão also produces white, rosé and sparkling wines.
The wines of the Lezíria do Tejo. Near the Tagus River, the land is fertile and the climate is Mediterranean. Some vineyards here existed even before the birth of the Portuguese state. The Tagus wines use traditional grape varieties, such as castelão, with non-native varieties such as merlot. The whites are very fruity and the reds stand out from the full-bodied wines, such as those of the Alentejo, with a sweeter flavor. It is the region that produces the most white wines and the best rosé in Portugal!
