Location
Alentejo is a region located in the south of Portugal. It has a hot and dry climate, which makes it perfect for growing grapes. The Alentejo plains are covered with cork oak groves while the eastern hillsides are characterized by olive groves and vineyards. While its neighbor, Porto, is known for sweet wines, you can find a variety of whites and reds in Alentejo.
The first step to understanding wine is knowing where it comes from. The more you know about a region’s history, culture and geography, the better you’ll be able to make sense of its wine offerings. Luckily for us, Alentejo is one of the most important wine regions in Portugal (the largest), so there’s plenty to talk about!
History
The region of Alentejo, at the very southern part of Portugal, is a large one. It spans one-third of the country and has been historically important as well. In Roman times, it was called Felicitas Julia Olisipo, and was taken over by barbarian tribes in the fifth century. By the eighth century, various Visigoths had divided it into multiple kingdoms. In 1166, it became part of Portugal as a duchy in its own right within that country’s larger kingdom. As with many other Portuguese wine regions, Alentejo grew grapes and made wine for centuries before the twentieth century rolled around—and yet much of its modern history is tied to events since then!
In 1903, grape phylloxera destroyed more than 80% of Portugal’s total vineyards (including those in Alentejo). But thanks to efforts to plant resistant American vines and replant other varietals after this disaster was contained in 1915, most vineyards were restored within a few decades. However, it wasn’t until recently that high-quality winemaking returned to Alentejo! During much of the twentieth century (particularly between 1950 and 1990), mass production was prioritized over quality: wines were generally high in alcohol content with few distinguishing characteristics from grape variety to grape variety; they were also often exported to France where they would be used for blending (or “bulk wines”). Today less than 1% of wine produced here is blended with French wine—while almost all of what remain are higher quality wines being sold locally or throughout Europe!
Grape varieties and wines
“The Portuguese are famous for their excellent wine, and it’s true. In fact, this country has to be one of the best places in the world for wine lovers. It all began in 1515, when Prince Henry the Navigator took a group of sailors across the Atlantic Ocean on his first voyage and landed on the South American coast. They brought back with them vines, which they planted and cultivated in the area that is now called Portugal. The Prince was set on creating a vineyard fit for Bacchus himself. He wanted good wine from grapes grown near water—the perfect place for grapevines.”
“By 1560 he had been successful at producing wine every bit as good as any you’ll find in France or Italy, but he didn’t stop there: He also made sure that his country became a fine winemaking center itself by importing some vine cuttings from other regions of Europe and planting them here. The best came from what is now known as Alentejo, which is located in the south of Portugal just below where Lisbon lies.”
Appellations
Portugal is home to more than 500 wine regions. These are the most important ones:
- Ribatejo: Verdelho and Malvasia Fina
- Douro: Port, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, and Vinho Verde
- Beiras: Bairrada, Castelão, Cacharel, Castelão (Bacia do Alentejo), Vinho Verde (Bacia do Alentejo)
- Beira Baixa: Touriga Nacional and Trincadeira
Winemaking in Portugal dates back some 3,000 years. This region in the north of the country is known for producing a wide array of wines from white to red varieties. The combination of climate and soil produces many distinct types of grapes grown here such as Touriga Nacional or Muscatel.
Famous wines
Portugal’s strong geographical diversity is reflected in its wine regions, each with its own unique characteristics. To kick off our guide, we’ll take a look at the best wine region in Portugal: Alentejo.
Portuguese wines are produced from all three of the country’s ancient grape varieties: Touriga Nacional (Tavarn), Tinta Roriz (Tinto) and Aragonez (Viognier). While native to the north of Portugal and the northwest, these grapes became more common in the south, especially Alentejo. The climate here is similar to that found along Southern France, which makes for an optimal growing environment. The combination of clay and sand soil provides plenty of nutrition for plants, allowing them to thrive under high temperatures and low humidity conditions without pulling nutrients out of the ground like other crops might. Combined with lack of rain throughout most of the year—only around 300 days annually—this combination allows grapes to produce fruit at higher levels than they otherwise would have been able to. This means that Portuguese wines have a distinct character that can be attributed directly to the region they’re produced in.
Alentejo is a great place to grow grapes and to visit.
It’s the best place to visit in Portugal, and you should go there. Just try not to get drunk.
Alentejo is a region of Portugal that encompasses most of the country’s southern coast from the Minho River eastward around Africa, then north into Spain. That means Alentejo starts in northern Portugal and goes all the way down to the tip of Morocco, which for some reason I find fascinating.
And it is a lovely place to visit, too: A sunny landscape dotted with scrubby vegetation, rolling hills with plowed pastures for grazing sheep and cows, pretty little villages nestled between cliffsides or along little riverside coves. It feels like an idyllic part of Europe—if Europe were more laid-back and relaxed than it currently is.