The narrow Lisbon Wine Region (formerly called Estremadura), the easiest to access due to its proximity to the capital, runs along – next to the Atlantic Ocean – part of the Tagus River and is of great and varied quality.
Not only because it has the largest number of wine designations of origin, but also because its attractive wine tourism offer is complemented by the pleasure of its beaches and fresh fish and seafood cuisine. And – in addition to the essential visit to the capital of Portugal – it allows you to stroll through the historic villages of Sintra, Cascais, Óbidos and explore the wonderful world heritage monasteries of Batalha and Alcobaça, among others. For all this and much more, wine can be an excellent excuse to start telling and showing. Let's go!
The Lisbon Wine Region has no less than 9 Denominations of Origin: Alenquer, Arruda, Bucelas, Carcavelos, Colares, Encostas d'Aire, Lourinhã, Óbidos and Torres Vedras. Each of them is unique, such as, for example, the almost extinct and now revalued Bucelas, Carcavelos and Colares, as well as the only denomination exclusively of brandy, Lourinhã (a condition shared worldwide with the French Cognac and Armagnac).
We begin with a brief general introduction to the region, heard several times by the great speaker and President of CVR Vinhos de Lisboa, Francisco Toscano Rico.
Region with 10,000 hectares of certified vineyards and 2,000 winegrowers, with vineyard cultivation being the main agricultural activity in this area, with terroir marked by its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and differentiated between locations closer to the sea or the mountains.
It has the main white grape varieties: Arinto, Fernão Pires, Malvasia (Colares), Rabo de Ovelha and Vital (the latter has lost prominence in recent decades, but is now being rescued in plots of old vines). And among the paints, Aragonez, Castelão, Ramisco (Colares), Tinta Miúda, Touriga Nacional, among others, stand out.
Climate change has favored this Atlantic region, providing very fresh white wines, but with balanced acidity, and red wines with better maturation and aging potential.
The Lisbon Wine region deserves more than a visit, but to begin with, let's go with the first one-day tour starting in the next subregion, from the famous Carnival, from Torres Vedras with fresh and refined white and red wines from Adega Mãe to include lunch in its excellent restaurant, to end by discovering the sweet jewels of Villa Oeiras' Carcavelos wines, with a guided tour of its Marquês de Pombal Palace. Come with us? Don't miss it!
