Alentejo 101: Get to Know an Important Wine Region of Portugal

Alentejo is one of the few wine regions in the world where the past truly meets the present in the bottle. Producers there are making rustic, vibrant wines using the same vessels and methods that vintners 4,000 years ago deployed, while simultaneously producing world-class modern, elegant wines that grace the world’s most sophisticated tables, and earn rave reviews from the likes of Robert Parker.

The History of Winemaking in Alentejo

Vineyard with flowers — "vineyard with wildflowers" by Cortes de Cima is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

It would take decades of research and perhaps a PhD or two to fully understand this delicious dichotomy, but the broad consensus is that the disruptions in the region’s winemaking timeline seem to have made an allegiance to the old, and eagerness to greet the new, part of the Alentejo’s DNA.

The rulers that streamed into and out of Portugal, drastically transforming the economy and wine industry in the process, it is thought, are largely responsible. A bare bones primer on the major players: the Tartessians in 2000 BC came into Portugal and domesticated vineyards and introducing winemaking; the Romans introduced fermentation in talhas de barro, or clay vessels, and vines of Mediterranean origins when they occupied the country from the 3rd century BC to the 4th century ACE; the Moors suppressed wine culture after their conquest of Portugal from 711-1093; the dictator Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, who ruled from 1932-1968, and ripped out vineyards and turned the land into the country’s breadbasket; the Carnation Revolution of 1974, which turned over expansive wine estates in Portugal to workers.

Amazingly, after every long pause in wine production, it began again. The people who returned to wine after generational breaks likely wanted to do what they could do honor the generations before them, using the same vessels, grapes and farming techniques the people who came before them did. But that allegiance to traditional wine ways was also, probably, a matter of practicality and money. Clay vessels last for centuries, basically until they break. Why re-invent the wheel?

In 1986 Portugal entered the European Union and thereafter serious commercial winemaking returned to Alentejo, and the contemporary era began. In 1988, the first Alentejo DOCs (Protected Designations of Origin) were launched. Between the mid-90s and 2010, the number of estates more than quintupled, from around 45 to 260. Today, there are around 300 companies producing wine.

The Land of Alentejo

Alentejo is flanked by Beira Baixa in the north, Spain in the east, Algarve in the south and the Atlantic and land to the west. The southern Portuguese region is about the size of Israel—or about 10,530 square miles. Alentejo occupies almost one-third of the country, but only has about 57,000 acres of grapes under vine. Still, that number represents an increase of 21% in the past decade.

Portugal is famous for its cork production, and nearly half of the world’s corks are grown on oak trees that dot the Mediterranean landscape. In Alentejo, the summers are hot and dry, broken by breezes and crisp nights during the growing season.

The Wine Regions of Alentejo

There are eight PDO sub-regions in Alentejo, each of which features their own distinct microclimate.

Portalegre: This is the most distinct of the subregions. Most of the region’s vineyards are nestled in the foothills of the Serra de Sao Mamede, with some reaching almost 3,330 feet in elevation. That means lower temperatures, which shapes the freshness and flavor of the grapes. Grand Noir dominates the plantings, some of which are 70+ years old. The soil is primarily granitic, with some schist.

Borba: The second-largest subregion in the Alentejo, the landscape is dotted with marble outcroppings that influence the character of the wines. There is also red schist. Borba enjoys a higher-than-usual rainfall here, and a little less sun. All together, the wines emerging from the region are elegant and fresh.

Redondo: The Serra da Ossa hill range exceeds 2,000 feet in altitude here, and helps define and demarcate Redondo. The cold, dry winters are offset by hot, sunny summers. The soils are very heterogenous, but granite and schist is frequently seen along the south-facing slopes.

Reguengos: This is the largest of the subregions, with dramatic vista, poor stony soil and an array of rocky outcroppings. The shist soil has a strong influence on the wine, producing full-bodies, ageable wines. The vineyards here are smaller in comparison the other vineyards in the region.

Évora: This is where magic happens. Home to some of Alentejo’s most prized wines for centuries, in the 1980s it began to return to its glory. The hot and dry landscape is dominated by brown Mediterranean soil.

Vidigueira: The region is named for the Vidiguira fault, a landmark that separates the Alto (upper) Alentejo from the Baixo (lower part. It is mild, and the soil is poor, a blend of granite and schist. Tinta Gross thrives here.

Granja-Amareleja: This subregion surrounds the town of Mourao, near Spain to the east. Arid and inhospitable, the soils are clay and schist, with a thin layer of topsoil. Grapes ripen here early, and Moreto is widely planted.

Moura: This is a land of extremes, with harsh winters and long, hot summers. The soils are dominated by clay and limestone, with a thin layer of topsoil. The Castelao grape dominates the plantings. Wines here are warm and soft, and high in alcohol.

The Diverse Grapes of Alentejo

More than 250 native grape varieties thrive in Alentejo, the highest number of native grapes in the world, save Georgia. There are also plenty of international varieties in Alentejo, including syrah and cabernet sauvignon. The production is about 73% red, with about 25% white and 2% rosé making up the balance. The vast majority of Alentejo wine is blended, but single variety and single vineyard wines worth serious sipping are on the rise.

Variety is the name of the game in Alentejo, but there are a handful of red and white grapes particularly prized for their terroir-driven excellence and character here.

Key Red Grapes

alfrocheiro

Fertile and productive, alfrcocheiro possesses an extraordinary ability to retain natural acidity in the face of the hot climate. That, paired with its unusual balance between alcohol, tannins and acidity, has made the rich-colored grape a favorite among vintners and wine lovers. Look for notes of blackberries, strawberries and fine tannins.

alicante bouschet: Originally from France (a cross between Petit Bouschet and Grenache), it has both red flesh and juice. Alicante Bouschet delivers serious structure, power and color. Look for notes of bramble berries, cocoa and olives.

trincadeira

Not the easiest grape to grow, it thrives in hot and dry Alentejo. The yields can be unpredictable, but it produces aromatic and fruity wines, with floral characteristic.

Key White Grapes

antao vaz

Complex and aromatic, antao vaz is a premium grape that is highly resistant to drought and disease. The high-yielding grape presents ripe tropical fruit, tangerines, mineralic heft, with strong acidity when harvested early, and higher alcoholic content and more of a perfumed aroma when left to hang.

arinto

Wines made from arinto are crisp and vibrant, with strong acidity and a mineral profile. Arinto has excellent aging potential. Look for notes of green apples, lemon and lime, vegetal and mineral characteristics.

fernão pires

This is the most widely planted white grape, beloved for its high productivity, versatility and profuse aromas. This grape is best consumed young, when it bristles with citrus flavors, lemon-grass, basil, roses and orange blossoms.

3 Wineries Elevating Alentejo & Wines to Try

Very few wineries in Alentejo “just” grow grapes. They are frequently biodiverse mosaics, brimming with wildflowers, wildlife (wild boar, mongoose and hundreds of bird species, Iberian linx and the occasional deer are frequently sighted), sheep, bee hives, cork trees, fruit orchards and olive trees. Many wineries offer local, estate-grown cuisine alongside their tasting experiences.

Sustainability—environmental, economic and cultural—has become increasingly important for the most visible wineries in the region, no surprise considering the serious effects of climate change there. In 2013, Wines of Alentejo launched a Sustainability Program known as WASP. In 2020, WASP began certifying wineries that comply with 86% or more of the 171 WASP criteria, which cover viticulture, vinification, social responsibility—for employees and the surrounding community.

There are 483 members of WASP, out of Alentejo’s 1,800 growers and 260 wineries; members represent about 50% of the wine-growing region.

Herdade do Esporão in Évora

The 1,235-acre certified organic estate produces olive oil, wine and even beer (though that is only available in Portugal as of now).

“We want to honor Alentejo’s heritage, and find a way to ensure its future,” says Esporão’s white winemaker, Teresa Gaspar.

As part of Esporão’s mission, a 25-acre plot of 189 grape varieties—about two-thirds of which are indigenous—were planted in 2010, to see which ones adapt best to the climate under dry-farming and other conditions.

The estate also features bat boxes, so that the winged wonders will do the dirty work of chemicals and eat up all of the pests that plague the grapes. There are also chickens, whose copious compost fertilizes the land naturally. Plus, they have sheep in the vineyards during certain times of the year, to weed and fertilize the soil.

“We also have an organic vegetable garden, which completely supplies our restaurant,” Gaspar says. “We only use products from the surrounding area in the restaurant, and have worked with suppliers to cut down on their number of deliveries, and to reuse and recycle all delivery material. We also use the restaurant to feed about 200 staff members a day, which, I have to admit, is a very nice perk of working here.”

The delicious farm-fresh nose-to-tail classic Portuguese cuisine, and the Restaurant’s eco-efforts earned it a Michelin Star and a Green Star.

Bottle to try: Herdade do Esporão Reserva White

A blend of antao vaz, arinto and roupeiro, and aged oak. Orchard fruit, grapefruit, peaches, a touch of spice and toast. $20.

Pair it with: Serra da Estrela Cheese, a fantastic raw milk cheese made from grassfed sheep high in the mountains. The cheese is curdled with thistle flower. It’s soft and buttery, with medium funk, and can be spooned and spread onto crusty artisanal bread.

Herdade do Mouchão, in Portalegre

This is the oldest continually operating winery in the region. The first vineyard of alicante bouschet was planted in 1880s. While the family was ousted during the Carnation Revolution, Iain Reynolds Richardson reports that when his grandfather was allowed to return, he was welcomed with open arms by the workers. Several staff members’ families there, including the cellar master, have been working there for three or four generations, and bring, Reynolds Richardson explains, “incredible insight and knowledge to the growing and production practices here.”

Currently, the winery grows about 1,750 acres worth of cork trees, 135 acres worth of olive trees and 112 acres of wine vineyards; there are also vegetable gardens, 1,000 sheep and numerous beehives.

Dubbed the “Petrus of Portugal,” Mouchão offers wines that range in price from $10-$200, with the 2011 Herdade do Mouchão Tinto Tonel No.3-4 earning 97 points from Robert Parker. Reviewer Mark Squires described the wine as “quite brilliant.”

All of the wines are footrodden and fermented from start to finish in Mouchão’s nine legares.

“Everything is very traditional here,” Reynolds Richardson says. “We operate in our own way. Unlike most producers who do the opposite, we age all of our entry level wines in barrel, and put the high-end premium wines in old tonels, built from Portuguese chestnut and oak, with heads of Brazilian mahogany and monkeypod wood.”

While some of the tonels have been repaired, or had staves replaced, many have wood that is, at least in part, 120 years old.

Bottle to try: Mouchão Alicante Bouschet, the older the better. A 2014 is still extraordinarily young, with muscular tannins and bright acidity. Black fruits, rich, opulent, wonderful now, and a lifespan of at least 20 years ahead. $75.

Pair it with: Local Black Pork Sausage, a bite of delicious piggy essence, smokey, paprika-laced, rich, plus estate-brined olives, lush, salinic, fleshy and spiced.

Herdade do Rocim, in Vidigueira

This winery was founded in 2000, and it almost immediately made a splash. The primarily organic estate has 170 acres under vine, many of which are historic with vines that are 60-70 years old.

“Our vision here is to grow traditional varieties, and allow them to express themselves through both modern and traditional winemaking methods,” says winemaker Vânia Guibarra. “We are also deeply committed to sustainability, and have switched to organic farming and are doing everything we can to reduce our water usage. We want to be here making wine for many years to come, and with the climate here getting drier and hotter, we have to take steps as a region to ensure that it will be viable.”

They ferment some wines in marble tank lagares (where workers stomp to the sounds of a traditional music called Cante, a form of polyphonic singing that is so distinct it is protected as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO), other in traditional talhas de barro, still more in stainless steel or concrete. The wine is often fermented in French oak barrels.

“The amphora wine is becoming increasingly important to us,” Guibarra says. “We see it as wine without winemakers. There are no additions, and the yeast is wild.”

Currently, about 10% of the production is made in amphora—an increase from 3% in 2014—where skin and seed contact happens for three months, until the amphora is slowly drained. The wines are bottled and aged for six months, then they trot out to market.

Bottle to try: Sadly, the Jupiter Code 01 is sold out. But it shows how bold Rocim is. About 800 bottles of the wine was made. Aged for five years in Amphora, from an block of century-old vines, it sold out in a week, at $1,000 a pop. (And yes, it is the most expensive wine made yet in Portugal). A more practical choice would be Amphora Tinto made with moreto, tinta grossa, trincadeira and aragonez. Expressive, juicy and bright, with crushed raspberries, purple plums, earth, leather. $20.

Pair it with: A classic Portuguese dessert, like pao de rala, an almond cake made with egg yolks, lemon zest and more sugar and butter than anyone wants to think about. Rich and lush, it is a treat that will keep your engines revved for more wine-tasting ahead.

Alentejo 101:Get to Know an Important Wine Region of Portugal