My wife and I will be traveling to Portugal for the first time in November. We’ll be splitting a week between Lisbon and the Alentejo. We’re very excited but we have no experience traveling in the area. I have some general knowledge about Portuguese wine, but I’m looking forward to getting more context and specific details.
I’m particularly excited about locating ageworthy (and possibly mature) whites from varietals like Arinto and Encruzado, digging through bins in backstreet Garrafeiras looking for drinkable old Colares and Bairrada, geeking out over amphora-aged wine from the Alentejo, and discovering things that I don’t even know to be fascinated about yet. Finally, we’ll be bringing along a shipper case to take the most interesting finds back home.
Some questions:
What sort of (food and) wine-related spots in should we visit Lisbon? Where have you drunk or tasted wine that shouldn’t be missed? What have you eaten that you can’t forget?
What wineries should we visit in the Alentejo? What have been your favorite experiences?
In Lisbon, I’m a fan of the Time Out Food Market Stalls in the Mercado da Ribeira. Look around, see what’s good and eat. There’s a branch of Garrafeira Nacional there, but the old Colares and the like are in their main shop in the Baixa. By the Wine is JM Fonseca’s wine bar in Lisbon. It’s in the Chiado district. Good food but you can also get their great Setubal by the glass. I love the 20 year old Roxo.
I love Encruzado, but it’s a Dao grape. I don’t know if I’ve seen it in the Alentejo. Some of my favorites are made by Quinta da Pellada. I also love their tinto Carrosel.
In the Alentejo, Heradade de Cartuxa is an iconic winery close to the city of Evora. Their Perimanca is sort of the Barca Velha of the Alentejo. Very good, but very, very expensive; at least the tinto. The Branco Perimanca is also excellent, but not nearly as expensive. Their bargain is the Cartuxa Tinto Reserva at a fifth the price of the Perimanca. Quinta do Mouro and Quinta do Monte Branco are fine estates in Estremoz. Mouro is run by Miguel Louro and Monte Branco by his son, Luis a couple of klicks away. I like the Mouro tintos and the Monte Branco whites. Here’s a good source of Arinto. I think my favorite Alentejo winery is Herdade do Mouchao. It has almost a cult status in Portugal. Mainly Alicante Bouchet with a touch of Touriga Nacional. If you didn’t think Alicante Bouchet could make world class wines, this will change your mind. Their methods are primal. I don’t want to say primitive since the results are so sophisticated. Full grape clusters dumped into a granite lagar, foot tread, then into large oak and satinwood tonels. Press wine is added. Their press is a hand operated basket press from 1902. Their best wines are aged in large, old tonels. Their least expensive in the smallest, newest casks. This is real iron fist in velvet glove stuff and needs aging. They also make an excellent Vinhos Liquoroso and their own arguadente.
You’ll have a great time, enjoy the exploration.
I am looking forward to visiting Mouchao. I ran across my first bottle at random about eight years ago, and have since then run across it twice more. In one case, a 20 year old bottle that was doing quite well. Their methods of production sound fascinating.
Thanks for the other pointers, too! I’ll be sure to report back when it’s all said and done!
These are all over Portugal, but my favorites are next door to the original monastery in the Belem neighborhood. They are called Pastéis de Belem there. There are two lines, one for take out, the other for eating in the building. The eating in place line is usually shorter.
The main Garrafeira Nacional have a couple of Ramisco from the 50’s and 60’s. I picked up a couple last time I was there, but haven’t opened one yet. I need to, thanks for reminding me!