Alentejo (wine)
The Alentejo wine region is one of the largest and most important in terms of area in Portugal . Viticulture is practiced almost exclusively in the north and northeast of the Alentejo ; the south is only sparsely populated and more forested.
organization
In 1989, the Comissão Vitivinícola Regional Alentejana (CVRA), based in the city of Évora , created a denomination ( DOC Alentejo ), compliance with which is monitored by the same organization. There are now two denominations that cover a total wine-growing area of around 22,000 hectares:
- Core area Alentejo : municipalities of Borba , Évora , Granja / Amareleja , Moura , Portalegre , Redondo , Reguengos , Vidigueira
- Peripheral zone Regional Alentejano : numerous municipalities in the surrounding area
Soils and Climate
The wines of the Alentejo denomination mostly grow on rocky surfaces ( granite , slate ) at medium altitudes of around 200 m . The soils in the peripheral zones are much deeper. Because of the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean , the climate in the Alentejo is frost-free.
Types of wine
- Red wines : Alfrocheiro , Alicante Bouschet , Aragonez , Cabernet Sauvignon , Castelão , Syrah , Touriga Nacional
- White wines : Antão Vaz , Arinto , Fernão Pires , Manteudo , Perrum , Rabo de Ovelha , Siria (Roupeiro), Tamarez