Years ago, I was a judge in wine contests in Portugal, tasting some 100 wines a week. Later, I visited some 90 wine yards all over the country. Later, I wrote about wines in an E-zine in Brazil and a luxury magazine in Sweden.
I led wine tours to Nordics and a few others. Now I write on gastronomy & wines and arrange wine-tastings in the Algarve for businessmen, directors and opinion-leaders, charity to Banco Alimentar Algarve.
Two weeks ago I visited producers in Setubal. Some selling 200,000 litres, other 25 million litres per year. Due to the fertile soil, rains and strong temperature variations the same day, the proximity to Lisbon's market and the tourists, the region has seen strong development. The bay is home to many dolphins and beautiful beaches. The Serra da Arrábida is a beautiful nature reserve. Castles, old monasteries and painted tiles in public buildings are worth visiting.
DuPo is a family-run quinta treating the must in an old way. After a few days it heats up and rises, where it mixes, and the upper part flows down into oak barrels. Its best and cheapest wines: Arinto white, and the red Castelão/Syrah/Alicante Bouschet 2017.
Filipe Palhoça sells 1.5million litres per year, a lot of it bag-in-box for restaurants. The soil is clay-sandy. He sells mostly Castelão matured for 8-12 months. in oak barrels and 6-9 months in bottles. Its white Chardonnay goes well with prawns and other fruits du-mer. A Grande Reserva, Castelão/ Alicante Bouschet/ Syrah/ Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 goes well with grilled meat. Its Castelão vines are 70 years old, other vines are 30-50 years old.
Ermelinda Freitas is the largest producer in the region, with 25 million litres per year, 30% exported. When her husband died, against tradition, she had taken on in a typically male industry. Her children helped, her daughter Leonor took over and her granddaughter Joana is now slowly taking over. Their best are Leo D'honor 2008, Castelão, aged 18 months in French oak barrels, and Ermelinda Reserva 2017, Castelão, aged 12 months in oak barrels. They grow 30 different grape varieties and buy grapes from nearby producers.
Adega Palmela melts 300 cooperative producers and sells 8 million litres per year. With all the cork, one of them creates beautiful paintings. It is an important social-economic activity in Palmela. Its best is Palmela Reserva Tinto 2013 with Syrah, Castelão and Aragonês and Vinha Velha Reserva Tinto, with Castelão.
Venâncio Costa Lima is a family business, founded in 1914 at Quinta do Anjo. The sandy soil throughout the area (it has been a sea) and the strong daily temperature change is suitable for Castelão and Moscatel. Their best are Foral Palmela Reserva, old Castelão, matured in French oak for 1 year and 1 year in bottle. As well as Moscatel Roxo Reserva, sweet.
Header photo courtesy of Depositphotos.com
