Alentejo
Hot, dry Mediterranean-continental
A hot, dry plain of cork oaks in southern Portugal, making ripe reds from Aragonez, Trincadeira and Alicante Bouschet, with an ancient tradition of clay-amphora wine.
Overview
About Alentejo
The Alentejo covers about a third of Portugal, and is a broad, gently rolling area of cork oaks and olive groves. Its wines are ripe and full, made from Aragonez (Tempranillo), Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet and Touriga Nacional, with Antão Vaz and Arinto for white.
In some villages, growers still make wine in large clay amphorae called talhas, a method that dates back to Roman times. There are eight sub-regions, including Borba, Reguengos and Vidigueira.
Alentejo is marked on the map.
Portugal
Shaded: Évora, Portalegre, Beja. Map units are states, provinces or départements, so a smaller place appears as the larger area that contains it.
The land
Climate & terroir
Climate
Hot, dry Mediterranean-continental
Very hot and dry summers, with little rain and a lot of sun. The north, near the mountains of Portalegre, is cooler.
Terroir & soils
What the vines grow in
Schist, granite and clay, with limestone in places, all in low, rolling country.
Go deeper
Rules, years & producers
Herdade do Esporão
Reguengos; one of the largest quality estates.
Cartuxa
Évora; the Eugénio de Almeida foundation's estate, known for Pêra-Manca.
Herdade do Mouchão
Portalegre; a historic estate famous for Alicante Bouschet.
José de Sousa
Reguengos; a producer of talha-fermented wines, now owned by José Maria da Fonseca.
What's grown here
Grapes
Each grape's page links back here.