Growing Region Lisboa - Portugal

It is very windy on the coast – no wonder there are numerous windmills turning on the hills. The wind takes its toll on the vines. However, just a short distance inland, hills and mountain ranges offer some protection for the eastern parts of the region. Lisboa has more DOC areas than any other region in Portugal: a total of nine regions, including one DOC for brandy. Many excellent wines are also sold under the name Vinho Regional de Lisboa.

There is a growing number of private wineries. However, the majority of small farmers deliver their grapes to large cooperatives for further processing. The region also produces many inexpensive table wines. It is hardly surprising that little wine is still grown in the two traditional, once famous areas west of Lisbon, the DOC Colares and the DOC of Carcavelos. Today, there are far more lucrative uses for these areas than viticulture. For example, land prices on the south coast have skyrocketed since an expressway connecting the beaches and their posh suburbs to Lisbon was built.

In the southern DOC Carcavelos, long famous for its sweet wines, many vines have had to make way for new buildings. Very little wine is grown in the DOC Colares today either. In the subregion that begins at Cape Cascais beyond the spectacular surfing beach of Guincho, winemakers press acidic and tannic wines from the red Ramisco grape. It is rarely found in the rest of Portugal and is planted deep in the sand dunes, protected by windbreaks, which is why it is still ungrafted today. The Malvasia grape variety produces smooth, aromatic white wines.

Just 25 kilometers north of Lisbon's center lies the small, historic DOC Bucelas. Some of Portugal's finest white and sparkling wines are produced here. Bucelas wines are fresh, crisp, dry, mineral, and heavily based on Arinto. They taste excellent when young, but can also gain complexity and finesse with two to three years of aging.

A little further north of Bucelas, but still inland, lies the small DOC Arruda—an area straight out of a fairy tale: historic castle ruins, Roman roads, and windmills meet pretty vineyards where mainly red grapes are grown. Since 2002, international grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Chardonnay, as well as other Portuguese varieties such as Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional, have also been permitted for Arruda wines (this also applies to the DOC Alenquer, DOC Torres Vedras, and DOC Óbidos). In the mild climate of the DOC Arruda, the grapes ripen slowly and produce excellent quality wines, especially reds. North of Arruda is the DOC Alenquer, sheltered by the Serra de Montejunto mountains. Here it is warmer, less windy, and wetter. The grapes ripen well, producing concentrated red wines and white wines with fresh minerality. A number of highly motivated and quality-oriented winegrowers are based here. In the Torres Vedras DOC, located on the Atlantic side of the Serra de Montejunto, it is significantly cooler and windier. Wines from this region are light and dry. One well-known example is Vinho Leve, a dry white wine with low alcohol content. This DOC also produces some light, spicy red wines.

Further inland, north of Alenquer, lies the DOC Óbidos with the enchanting town of Óbidos, famous for its impressive medieval city walls. A cool climate provides ideal conditions for fresh wines. It is therefore no surprise that some of Portugal's best sparkling wines come from Óbidos. But the white and red wines from the region are also not to be sneezed at. The neighboring region of Lourinhã is the DOC for aguardentes, or brandies. It extends northeast to the bustling fishing port of Peniche and Cap Carvoeiro. Further north, where the pine forests of Pinhal de Leiria meet golden surfing beaches, lie the vineyards of Encostas de Aire, the largest DOC within the Lisbon wine region. Here, apple, pear, and fig trees grow on slopes and hillsides side by side with the vines. The terroir produces good, rich red wines and modern white wines.

Of interest to tourists are the pretty town of Leiria, the pilgrimage site of Fátima, and the monasteries in Batalha and Alcobaça, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The red and white wines produced here are light, fresh, and low in alcohol.

Main white grape varieties: Arinto, Fernão Pires, Malvasia, Seara-Nova, Vital.

Main red grape varieties: Alicante Bouschet, Aragonez, Castelão, Tinta Miúda, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira.