Discover the Alentejo wine region with Sunvil Discovery

July 25, 2011 - PRLog -- What’s special about the Alentejo wine region? The unspoiled landscape of the Alentejo, occupying one third of Portugal, boasts 22,000 hectares of sun-drenched vineyards, eight separate DOC (Denominação de Origem Controlada - Registered Designation of Origin) accredited sub-regions and 250 independent wineries. Currently, one in every two bottles of wine consumed in Portugal is produced in the Alentejo; yet the region is relatively young - a major producer since as recently as the 1990s.

The eight DOC accredited sub-regions - Reguengos, Borba, Redondo, Vidigueira, Évora, Granja-Amareleja, Portalegre and Moura - stretch from north to south in the Alentejo and are identified according to varying soils and climate. In the north-east, find vineyards in the foothills of granite mountains; around Évora, grape cultivation occurs in red and chalky soils; near Estremoz, soils often contain marble chips and, in the southern regions, soils are predominantly of limestone.

Places to visit and stay in the Alentejo: the vast landscape of the Alentejo, with its fortified cities and tiny whitewashed villages, creates a scenic and seemingly never-ending expanse of space with a magical atmosphere. Visit Évora, a UNESCO World Heritage site, overflowing with religious architecture, marble fountains and former palaces. Stay at the five-star Convento do Espinheiro, a former monastery and national monument, where the restaurant is located in the 1570-built wine cellar vaults and the bar is what used to be the monks’ kitchen. All hotel guests are offered a complimentary wine tasting and are invited to help harvest the grapes in the grounds’ vineyards.

On the outskirts of Évora is the impressive Cartuxa Winery, a former Jesuit house and designated a national treasure in 1755. In the Cartuxa vineyards, Roupeiro, Antão vaz and Arinto grapes are cultivated to produce white wines, whilst Aragonze, Trincadeira and Tinta caiada grapes are used for making red wines. The renowned and rare Pera Manca tinto hails from this winery.

About an hour’s drive from Évora, Estremoz, strategically located on a hilltop, is an ancient city overlooked by a marble Keep in the upper town, with narrow winding cobbled streets leading down to the lower town, which has a fabulous bric-a-brac market and lots of small local restaurants serving typical regional cuisine. Visit the nearby hillside winery, Encostaz de Estremoz, from where Estremoz can be clearly seen. Enjoy a sumptuous lunch or dinner in the winery’s restaurant which has floor-to-ceiling windows allowing a fabulous view of the sun setting magnificently over the vineyards. As night falls and temperatures drop, join the harvesters and pick grapes when there is less risk of fermentation in the cooler air. Encostaz de Estremoz wines first entered the market in 2001 and have since won many awards.

In Albernoa, near Beja, stay at the Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, a family-run wine estate with ten deluxe rooms. Certain varieties of grape are sorted by hand here and the ancient method of treading grapes is still used. Upon arrival guests are presented with an aperitif and taken on a guided tour of the winery. To complement the wines, guests can expect excellent estate-reared black pork and Alentejo beef as well as traditional Alentejo dishes made from local produce in the gourmet restaurant.

Special offer prices:

Seven nights for the price of six at the Convento do Espinheiro for £639 pp (two sharing) including complimentary wine tasting and tour of the property, daily breakfast, return flights (Heathrow-Beja) and transfers.  Available until 9 October.

Seven nights for the price of six at the Herdade da Malhadinha Nova for £1039 pp (two sharing) including complimentary taster meal, daily breakfast, return flights (Heathrow-Beja) and transfers.  Available until 31 October.

Sunvil Discovery, tel: 020 8758 4722; http://www.sunvil.co.uk/alentejo


Recommended wineries

Herdade dos Coelheiros - Arraiolos
This 800-hectare family property is dedicated to the production of wine, olives and walnuts. The estate also breeds horses and features magnificent hunting grounds, thus keeping all the traditions of the Alentejo alive.
The property's four wines are created in the renovated winery where a fusion of old and new techniques is used. The white wines feature one of the few Chardonnay based wines produced in the Alentejo, while the red Tapada dos Coelheiros is a magnificent bottle. The top “garrafeira” label is something to be treasured for many years and saved for that special occasion.

Address: Monte dos Coelheiros, Igrejinha 7040-202 Arraiolos. Web: http://www.herdadecoelheiros.pt

Monte da Ravasqueira – Arraiolos
The Jose de Mello family has been producing wine, cork, olive oil and honey for many generations at Monte da Ravasquiera. The estate also breeds cattle and Lusitanian horses. Substantial investment has created the very best conditions for plant-health control and for the oenological team to work, making this winery one of the most progressive in the country.

Address: Monte da Ravasqueira 7040-121 Arraiolos. Web: http://www.ravasqueira.com

José de Sousa Winery – Reguengos de Monsaraz
This renowned cellar belongs to one of the most traditional wine producing companies in the country, José Maria da Fonseca, which has produced wines since 1878.  It still uses, to this day, the most ancient and traditional methods of winemaking, with two wine presses and 114 clay amphorae for the ageing process.  

Address: Rua de Mourão, 1 7200-291 Reguengos de Monsaraz. Web: http://www.jmf.pt

João Portugal Ramos Winery - Estremoz
J. P. Ramos planted his first five hectares of vines in the early 1990s.  Nowadays, the estate extends to 140 hectares, with another 200 hectares under contract. The winery is equipped with state-of-the-art technology; however, most of the wine is still trodden by foot in large marble lagares and is aged in oak barrels. Combining the best Portuguese wine-growing traditions, the wines are sophisticated and truly unforgettable; brands such as Marquês de Borba, Vila Santa or Quinta da Viçosa are worth every penny.

Address: Vila Santa 7100-149 Estremoz. Web: http://www.jportugalramos.com

Dona Maria Winery - Estremoz
This historic property is so-named in memory of King João V who bought the estate and offered it to the woman he loved - Dona Maria. It features a walled garden, 100-year-old palm trees and a delicately interwoven iron pergola; the 62 hectares of wines allow for the production of a white wine rich in body and character, a red with smooth tannins and fresh fruit flavours, and two red reserva wines, one dense with good acidity, rich structure and lovely length, and a second with firm tannins, lots of fruit and length, both aged in French oak.

Address: Quinta do Carmo 7100-055 Estremoz. Web: http://www.donamaria.pt

Further details about flights and accommodation in the Alentejo can be found on www.sunvil.co.uk - or call the Sunvil Discovery team on 020 8758 4722.

ENDS
25 July, 2011

Press / Press trip enquiries: Mika Bishop or Anthony Sebastian, Travel PR, tel: 020 8891 4440; email: m.bishop@travelpr.co.uk or a.sebastian@travelpr.co.uk

# # #

Travel PR is one of the leading travel PR agencies in the UK with over 30 clients covering trade associations, hotels, tour operators and tourist boards.