The Region
The Colares Region Demarcated since 1908
It is the westernmost demarcated region in continental Europe and the smallest still wine producing region in the country. An original viticulture with unusual and ancestral cultural techniques!
Location
Bordered to the west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the south by the Serra de Sintra, 25 km northwest of Lisbon, the Colares Demarcated Region includes the former parishes of Colares, São João das Lampas and São Martinho, in the municipality of Sintra.
Our pride
Necklaces
Irrational viticulture? A paradox? Yes. Fortunately, not all of the wine-growing world is written in black and white!
Region
Necklaces
Altitude
50 m
Latitude
38° 48′ 21.0348″ N
Longitude
-9° 27′ 7.1094″ W
Grape varieties
Grapevines
Free-standing (non-grafted) and pre-phylloxera plantings
Soils
Deep sandy loams, no phylloxera tickles
Influence
Strong Atlantic influence, on the westernmost tip of the European continent!
Weather
Strong, salty winds that affect production!
Fog and mist
In a region with one of the lowest levels of summer sunshine in Portugal
Battle
A constant battle against the loss of land due to real estate speculation
The Real Atlantic, Mineral and Salty!
Weather
REGION...
Soils
The region is divided into two sub-regions corresponding to two different soil types.
Sand floor – Sand dune soils. Irrigated sandy soils resting on consolidated materials (clay). From these vineyards, above the sea, we get the grapes for our DOC Colares wines
Chão Rijo – Brown clay-limestone soils located in the region’s interior. Here we produce the grapes for our IGP Lisboa wines
NECKLACES, DIFFERENT WINES!
Grape varieties
As well as being produced in very special microclimate conditions, these wines come from indigenous grape varieties, i.e. those found exclusively in the Colares Demarcated Region. This is the region where they were born!
- Ramisco – the queen red grape variety of Colares, giving rise to red wines of enormous complexity and with recognized ageing potential;
- Malvasia de Colares – the white grape variety par excellence. Fresh, herbal, mineral and salty wines.
- João Santarém or Castelão – the traditional red grape variety from the “Chão Rijo” lands and common throughout the Lisbon region.
REGION...
Viticulture
The soils in which the vineyards of the designation of origin are located are dune sand, partly similar to beach sand. The whole planting process is very different from that in other regions, because we can’t plant directly in sand, as it’s poor soil that doesn’t retain the water and nutrients needed for the crop.
Man’s ingenuity found a way to overcome this limitation, allowing vines to be grown in a place that, at first glance, would not have been suitable for cultivation at all.
Planting requires that, initially, the sand is removed until the clay subsoil is reached, where the sticks will be “nailed”. It’s a very laborious plantation that requires moving huge amounts of sand, digging up to 2 to 3 meters deep.
After planting, and over the course of 3 or 4 years, the sand will be replenished, along with applications of manure, until the vineyard is on even ground and in production. The vines grow along the ground and are real living monuments, with arms made of old wood on which are poles, in some cases 10 per vine. The sand, which is responsible for this laborious planting, becomes the winegrower’s best friend because it radiates the heat needed for the berries to ripen, making it possible to balance out adverse climatic factors (lack of sunshine and temperature due to humidity and fog).
When they ripen, the branches are lifted off the ground by means of “pontoons”, small stretches of dry reed, and the bunches are covered with dried herbs from the previous cultivation operation, the “arrenda”, in order to avoid scalding.
The property is divided by loose stone walls that the winegrowers sometimes transport from their “hard ground” vineyards.
It is undoubtedly artisanal viticulture, which is at its best during ripening, a period that usually takes place between mid-August and mid-September.
A bit of history
Phylloxera, the plague that Colares doesn't know about!
Conquered from the Moors by King Afonso Henriques in 1147, the town of Colares already enjoyed great importance as it is mentioned as independent from Sintra.
Numerous documents attest to the presence of vineyards in the region at the time of the founding of Portugal (12th century), including Sintra’s charter.
It is thought that the introduction of the ‘Ramisco’ variety to the region is due to King Afonso III (13th century), who brought it from France. The great oenologist Ferreira Lapa says that “Colares is the most French wine we have”. King Dinis (13th-14th centuries) imposed a tribute on the Moors, who owned the land in Colares, which included a quarter of the region’s wine production. The first documented export of wine from Colares, took place during the reign of King Fernando I (14th century). D. João I (14th-15th centuries) offered this region to D. Nuno Alvares Pereira as a reward for the victory of Aljubarrota.
In the century. XVI the region’s wine production was sufficient to meet national consumption.
On trips to India (16th century) Colares wine was one of the favorites for its longevity.
The ‘Ramisco’ variety was first described in 1790.
In 1865, phylloxera entered the north of the country, a plague that wiped out a large part of Europe’s vineyards. In Colares, the grape varieties planted in sandy soil resisted this pest, which contributed greatly to the growth of the vineyard.
The reason: the insect cannot reach the roots of the vines due to the depth at which they are planted, i.e. the huge layer of sand between the surface and the clay.
Even today, Colares retains all the genetic originality of the
European
and its indigenous varieties, as we don’t need to use the rootstock of
American
rootstock to control the pest.
Our sand vines are not grafted, so they are all free-standing.
.
At the beginning of the 20th century (1908) King Manuel II distinguished the Colares wine region by granting it the status of Demarcated Region.
Download our information leaflet and general glossary here: PDF file