Adega Viúva Gomes Collares Branco

Description

The wine region was demarcated in 1908, making it the country’s second oldest demarcated area. It lies on a dune zone along the coast of Sintra, between the Serra and the Atlantic Ocean, from Cabo da Roca to Magoito. Colares’ connection to wine is ancient, with evidence of Roman‑era production, and in 1230 King D. Afonso III granted lands to nobles on the condition that they would plant vines. The region gained notoriety in the late 19th century, specifically in 1865, when the world’s viticulture was threatened by phylloxera. This tiny American insect began arriving alive in Europe as steam‑powered ships cut voyage times. Remarkably, Colares’ vineyards were the only ones to survive, thanks to their deep roots—sometimes reaching 8 metres—preventing the microbe from spreading as it did in other soils. Across Europe, except in this region, growers began grafting American, insect‑resistant rootstocks onto European varieties. (Illustrative image only)