Adega Viúva Gomes Collares Tinto

Description

The wine region was demarcated in 1908, making it the country’s second oldest demarcated region. It lies in a dune zone on the coast of Sintra, between the Serra and the Atlantic Ocean, from Cabo da Roca to Magoito. Colares’ connection to wine dates back through time, with evidence that Romans were already producing wine there. Later, in 1230, King D. Afonso III granted lands to nobles on the condition that they cultivate vineyards. Colares became famous at the end of the 19th century, specifically in 1865, when the greatest threat to global viticulture – phylloxera – hit the region. This tiny insect, native to the Americas, began arriving alive in Europe as voyage durations shortened with the introduction of steam-powered ships. Interestingly, the vineyards of Colares were the only ones that survived phylloxera, thanks to the depth of their roots, sometimes reaching 8 metres, which prevented the pathogen from spreading as it did in other soil types. Across Europe, except in this region, American rootstocks (resistant to the insect) were grafted onto European varieties.