ALENTEJO – PORTUGAL
The undulating Alentejo region, in southern Portugal, covers approximately 33 per cent of the mainland, and is considered the beard basket of the country.
Portuguese love pastries and bread and Alentejo’s farmers happily provide the wheat for the flour. The region also grows cork trees and is home to many olive groves. In the last two decades, several large wineries were established with capital from Portuguese industrialists and abroad. These farms are large ranging from 400 – 900 hectares devoted to vineyards and olive trees.
For centuries, Alentejo’s main link with wine was cork, and still plays it plays an important role in the economy of the region, although huge quantities of wine are now becoming important contributors to the economic well being of the region.
Before 1980’s, Alentejo was home to co-operative wineries in Portalegre, Borba, Redondo, Reguengos de Monsaraz, and Vidigueira where quantity mattered more than quality. Many of the red wines were aged for too long and bottled oxidized.
Now with the help of new technology, wines taste much better, are brilliant in colour, offer a lot for much less than wine produced elsewhere in the country.
Alentejo is hot, rains rarely amount to 600 millimetres annually and hardly sufficient. Therefore irrigation is an absolute must, but caring wineries exercise strict controls in an attempt to obtain flavourful fruit.
Red wines are produced using both indigenous and imported grape varieties – touriga nacional, trincadeira, moreto, aragonez ( a.k.a trempranillo), castelao frances, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, and alicate bouchet.
For white wines, antao vaz, roupeiro, verdelho and a few experimental grape varieties are planted.
Many modern wineries grow grapes on their scientifically laid out, planted, and managed vineyards. The fruit is processed successfully to appealing and flavourful wines marketed at reasonable prices.
Recently, even large corporations from northern Portugal started acquiring land and planting vineyards in an attempt to take advantage of low land prices and abundant labour.
Sogrape, the biggest winery of Portugal, Joao Portugal Ramos, Esporao, Herdade Malhadinha, Nova, Herdade Paco de Conde, Cortes de Cima, Quinta do Moro, Cartuxa and Monchao are well managed wineries noted for their fruity, robust, deeply flavoured wines.
Recently I had an opportunity to taste of the modern Alentejo wines such as:
Whites wines:
Albernoas (antao vaz, arinto, roupeiro) is light, fragrant and easy to enjoy with or without food.
Herdade Paco do Conde smells of citrus, is fresh on the palate and balanced with medium weight.
Vila Santa Reserva, beautifully balanced, fruity, and medium weight. Light and enjoyable on its own or with all types of seafood. (1 See footnote)
Marques de Borba White Pale straw yellow in colour with aromas of citrus and mineral undertones. Light and crisp. (1)
Red wines
Herdade Paco do Conde blended using aragonez, trincadeira, alicante bouchet and cabernet sauvignon. It is full bodied, exudes berry aromas, intense and complex.
Herdade Paco do Conde Reserva is powerful, brilliant red, full bodied, exudes aromas of ripe berries and stone fruits and is intense. Highly recommended with beef stews, roasted game, and hard cheeses.
Aragonez, 2007, Vila Santa Aromas of cherries and plums dominate. In the mouth mild spices and full body become noticeable. Full bodied and well balanced. (1)
Syrah. 2007, Vila Santa Ripe stone fruit aromas are evident. Full bodied and intense with a pronounced finish (1)
Esporao Reserva, 2008, Herdade Esporao Made from a blend of aragonez, cabernet sauvingon, and trincadeira this wine is made in a “modern” fruit forward style. Pronounced flavours of ripe berries new leather, coconut and spice flavours dominate. Excellent vale Avaialble in the Vintages Essentials catalogue and throughout the year.
(1) For more information and orders log on to FWP Trading fwp@winesofportugal.ca