Alentejo

It is a region that arouses passions, that awakens our soul and makes us want to know more and better. Alentejo is one of the most beautiful regions of the country, requires a long narrative, with a continued presence and attentive in time and space, something that cannot be revealed here at all. The region breathes a history steeped in periods of turmoil and peace. A land where culture and tradition go hand in hand. There is something profoundly reinvigorating and redeemer in Alentejo, in the endless space, the vastness of the plains with large oak trees, the wide sky in a spotless blue, the infinite horizon and, obviously, in its people, the quiet people, honest and proud of Alentejo.

Its history is vast as the landscapes, there are many places where we can find traces of the Phoenician civilization, for over 3000 years. Also the Celts and, specially, the Romans, who left an important legacy through their writings, mosaics, teachings, cities and monuments. Deeply specialized in major farmer techniques, they turned to the culture of wine and vineyard in Alentejo.

It is likely that the production in Alentejo has provided the first export of Portuguese wines to Rome. The Roman influence was so crucial to the development of viticulture in Alentejo that today, two thousand years after the annexation of the territory, the marks of Roman civilization are still noticeable in everyday tasks, visible through tools used intensively until a few years, such as the trimmer or clay jars for the fermentation of musts and later storage of wine, used still today.

After the Romans and Visigoths, the Arabs came to this land, before the reconquest. They built numerous castles - some built on Muslim mosques - and walls to protect the cities.

From that time until today, Alentejo has continued to grow, a growth based on agriculture, livestock, fisheries, industry (where cork has special relevance) and, more recently, on tourism, presenting a wide range of quality for wine tourism.

The region occupies more than one third of the mainland area, is one of the largest wine regions of Portugal, enjoying a warm and dry climate, with an excellent "terroir", that propelled numerous investments in the wine sector, resulting in the production of some of the best Portuguese wines and, consequently, in the international recognition of Alentejo wines.

Demarcated region in 1988, it is divided into eight sub-regions: Reguengos, Borba, Redondo, Vidigueira, Évora, Granja-Amareleja, Portalegre and Moura.

The most important white grape varieties in the region are the Roupeiro, Antão Vaz and Arinto. Regarding the red varieties, stresses the importance of Trincadeira, Aragonez, Castelão and Alicante Bouschet (French variety).

White wines from Alentejo DOC are generally mild, slightly acid and with aromas of tropical fruits. The reds are full-bodied, rich in tannins and with aromas of wild and red berries.

In short, the Alentejo wines offer tremendous pleasure, be they white, rosé or red wine. They are full of strong aromatic exuberance, round and smooth, with a unique ability to be drunk while young, but knowing how to age with distinction.