OUR GRAPE VARIETIES

A grape variety that, although not Portuguese, is part of the identity of the Alentejo region. It is thought that the variety was first planted in Alentejo between 1870-1890. Its greatest particularity is that it is a dye variety that adds a lot of color to wines. Another peculiarity is that this grape variety is a hybrid from Montpellier, a cross between Petit Bouschet and Grenache. Alicante Bouschet has been around for so long and is so well adapted to the region that nowadays it is considered the most Portuguese foreign grape variety and is considered one of the main grape varieties in Alentejo, although originally it is not.

The Alicante Boushet grape variety has been ignored, banned, abandoned and prohibited by almost every wine region in the world. And it was in Alentejo that he found the ideal conditions, producing impressive wines with enormous concentration and extracts of beautiful black fruits and balsamic notes.

A variety that finds greater expression in Alentejo, this Tinta Caiada, which represents less than 1% of the national grape variety, is present mainly in the region's oldest vines, indicating that the variety had greater recognition and expression in the past than it does today. There are even those who refer to it in Alentejo as the Bastardo variety, despite it not being the same variety that grows further north. Its official synonyms are Pau-Ferro and Tinta-Lameira (Ordinance No. 380/2012). In France it goes by the name Carcajolo and, in Australia, Bonvedro. It is, as a rule, a variety with high productivity and yield, requiring a hot and dry environment to ripen in the best conditions, which is why it appears to have very high potential and added value in a scenario of climate warming. Therefore, more study is required on its qualities and oenological potential. The wines show intense concentration and pleasant acidity, harmonious and elegant. Another example of a grape variety from the past that promises a bright future.

Trincadeira is a very temperamental variety, if it is very hot it tends to dry out and become raisiny, if it rains the berry bursts immediately and becomes rotten. So it's easy to imagine how much people like it. But it is an essential component for Alentejo blends, bringing a spicy and slightly herbaceous aroma, and also some earthy notes, which balance the blend and restrict the mixtures that normally tend to be ripe and fruity.

Widespread throughout the continent and islands, Touriga Nacional, the queen variety of Portugal, has only its virtues. With a thick skin and a bluish color, the Touriga Nacional berry can reach levels of color and total polyphenol content (IPT's) that no other Portuguese variety can achieve among non-dyeing varieties. Aromatically, it is undoubtedly a grape variety marked by the floral and red fruit component that makes it so famous for the production of rosés and aromatic reds. The aromas of violets and orange peel are also characteristic of Touriga Nacional when planted in warmer climates, while Touriga Nacional in colder climates can still show its balsamic side. Touriga Nacional is, without a doubt, a red variety of great nobility and oenological value that allows us to make floral roses, full-bodied reds and high-quality ports.

Tinta Miúda is a grape variety of Mediterranean origin. It exists in countries that formerly belonged to the Roman Empire, and it is suspected that it comes from this time. It was probably introduced to Portugal from Northern Spain and was first planted in Extremadura by a priest called António. For this reason, the popular name of this variety is “Tinta do Padre António”. It is a variety that is rarely planted, perhaps because it is very sensitive to diseases and requires high temperatures and long summers. The wines are intense in color and full-bodied. They have an astringency that diminishes with aging, becoming very pleasant wines, with emphasis on the bouquet they display. The quality of wine can be very high when there is some overripeness of the grapes with the presence of raisins. Medium alcoholic and have good aging capacity with suitability for aging in barrels.

Known in the past as Periquita, this grape tends to produce colorful, light, fruity wines that are typically pleasant and unpretentious. This variety is at its best in hot climates and sandy soils, but can adapt to a variety of conditions. Castelão wines are concentrated, aromatic, with well-marked tannins that give them good conditions for aging, more aggressive in youth, but becoming soft with age. It's almost impossible to talk to a true Portuguese wine lover who doesn't talk about an incredible experience with an old Castelão.

Arinto is one of the most common Portuguese white grape varieties in Portugal, being the backbone of most Portuguese white wines.

Known for its acidity, arinto produces wine styles that can be compared to the way a Chardonnay behaves in Chablis. It produces citrus and mineral wines, which can last for a long time.

Roupeiro is a variety that has many synonyms, resulting from the existence of this variety for a long time. Considered as the oldest white grape variety in Portugal, it is called Códega in the Douro, Syria in Dão and Bairrada, Roupeiro in Alentejo and Crato in the Algarve Region. Roupeiro is the most planted white grape variety in Alentejo, being the basis of the region's white wines.

Antão Vaz is the main white grape variety in Alentejo, very late in maturation and may contain some acidity in the vineyard, but it is for its body that it is known. Antão Vaz is a grape variety traditionally used for the production of wines aged in barrels, knowing that it has a high structure and density in the mouth.