Colares Wine Region Guide

Geography and terroir

The vineyards of Portugal’s Atlantic coastline are among the prettiest in Europe. Flanked by whitewashed villages and cliffs, Colares is as much a seaside resort as it is a wine producer. The vines are only three kilometers east of the Atlantic, northwest of the capital Lisbon. At the spectacular Cabo de Roca vantage point (the westernmost place in continental Europe), you can watch the fishing fleets return to port every afternoon. The spirit of Cabo de Roca is timeless; Portugal’s leading poet, Luis de Camões, described it simply as a place “where the land ends and the sea begins.”

Colares’ signature red grape is Ramisco, rich in tannin and extract. A late-ripening variety, Ramisco needs plenty of sunlight to reach optimal phenolic ripeness; the mild climate of Colares necessitates a long growing season. However, while marine air from the Atlantic can be a godsend in August, torrential rains can be a real headache during the fall. In difficult years, an ill-timed deluge can wipe out the entire harvest in Colares due to the onset of rot. Meanwhile, the cooling winds that blow from the ocean come with a hidden cost: salt. Fortunately, winegrowers use dried-reed fences to protect their crops from the winds and salt.

The local terroir is famous across Portugal: free-draining and phylloxera-free sandy soils that support a population of ungrafted vines. Drainage is key here due to the inclement weather that defines spring and even early summer in Colares. However, cultivating vineyards in sandy terroir is a mixed blessing. On the plus side, these loose-grained soils allow excessive moisture to pass through very quickly; waterlogging can be a real issue in the porous (but not permeable) clay soils of St-Emilion, for example. Yet in dry years, sandy terrain will not store vital moisture – nutrients are thin on the ground as well. But underneath the sandy soils of Colares are the porous ‘chão rijo’ clays that make viticulture possible here. Without them, the region could not produce high-quality wine.

Winemaking and regional classifications

Demarcated in 1908, Colares DOC (Denominação de Origem Controlada) boasts the oldest wine co-operative in Portugal: the Adega Regional de Colares. Founded in 1931, it once counted over 500 different growers as members, cultivating 2,000 hectares of vines. Yet while the acreage – and the number of winegrowing families – has declined significantly, Corales is far from irrelevance today. Traditionally, the red and white grapes of the region were sent to the Adega Regional to be processed, as most farmers lacked even basic winemaking equipment. At the expansive premises of the co-operative, berries were crushed and foot-stomped in the Lagares (giant concrete baths) before they were fermented in wood. Stainless steel is a relatively modern part of Portugal’s winemaking industry – wines were classically fermented in gigantic oak vats, ranging from 500 to 10,000 liters.

However, at least one of the region’s producers uses temperature-controlled vinification to fashion a gentler style of Ramisco without the astringent tannin that once defined Colares reds. Nevertheless, wood still plays a vital role in wine maturation across the DOC, not least at the Adega Regional. The co-operative’s Malvasia whites, saline and pungent, are aged eight to ten months in large vats, although the barrels are not oak; mahogany and kambala are both favored. As a result, what emerges in your glass is waxy and intense, with garrigue, lychee, and citrus aromas. But red wines, aged for three years in this exotic wood, are also matured in smaller French barrique. This helps to soften the fierce tannins of Ramisco, enhancing complexity into the bargain. That way, you get the best of both worlds: an approachable wine that will age gracefully for many years.

The lowdown

It’s very hard to stand in a Colares vineyard, where the wind whistles around your ears and chills your fingers, and not marvel at the renaissance of this unique wine style. Investors such as José Beata (owner of Adega Viúva Gomes) and the late Baron Bodo von Bruemmer have pulled off a remarkable feat, rescuing the appellation from near extinction. Indeed, by the late-1990s, it appeared that every last acre would be sold to property magnates. Yet a few stubborn growers held out, joined by the region’s venerable Adega Regional. They believed that the burgeoning demand for authentic Portuguese wines would give Colares a new lease of life in the 21st century. They were right.

One reason for its resurgence is the abundance of ungrafted bush vines in the zone – wine geeks go crazy for these rare parcels of centenarian vines. In Colares, however, working with these delicate plants is deemed obligatory under the law. According to the DOC framework, growers must cultivate bush vines planted in sandy soils. This precious asset has been an important part of the campaign to entice sommeliers – and buyers – into finding room for Colares in their portfolios. Neither is the style’s moderate alcohol and beautiful freshness a hindrance when presenting the latest vintage to prospective clients. The marketing epithet “authentic,” a word overused by corporate publicists, is nonetheless entirely appropriate. Where else can you find such a unique flavor profile – a mosaic of salinity, minerals, citrus, and garrigue in the whites? Which other DOC habitually matures its wines in mahogany or rosewood?

The small volume of Malvasia whites are so attractive young that their keeping qualities are not often explored enough, albeit this is slowly changing. But the best Ramisco is a real keeper: everything from ten to fifty years. As a rule, in poor years, Colares reds can be astringent and sharp, but in the best years, like 2015, they can surpass every other Portuguese red for elegance, depth, and longevity. Exports, of course, are a mere drop in the ocean. But that’s no reason not to try these amazing wines.

Colares gastronomy

Traveling just a few kilometers west of Sintra, you’ll arrive at Lisbon’s biggest gastronomic secret. Colares is fortunate to host a number of excellent restaurants, and venues that have an advantageous relationship with the local fishermen; the best of the catch is always reserved for regulars. That fact, combined with the relative lack of tourists, has created a paradise for lovers of fresh seafood. Every dish will be cooked to perfection: locally sourced ingredients are prepared according to time-honored recipes. In Colares, molecular gastronomy has no place in the hearts and minds of local gastronomes. We suggest you join them.