Adega Viúva Gomes Collares Tinto

Description

The wine region was demarcated in 1908, making it the second oldest demarcated region in the country. It lies in a dune area on the coast of the municipality of Sintra, between the Serra and the Atlantic Ocean, from Cabo da Roca to Magoito. The connection between Colares and wine has faded over time, but it is known that wine was already produced there during the Roman occupation; later, in 1230, King D. Afonso III granted lands to nobles on the condition that they cultivate vines. Colares gained notoriety at the end of the 19th century, specifically in 1865, when the world's viticulture was struck by its greatest threat, phylloxera. This tiny insect, originating from the Americas, began arriving alive in Europe when sea voyages were shortened by the introduction of steam engines. Remarkably, the vines in Colares were the only ones that survived phylloxera, thanks to their deep roots, sometimes up to 8 metres, which prevented the microbe from spreading as it did in other soil types. Across Europe, except in this region, American rootstocks (resistant to the insect) began to be grafted onto European grape varieties. (Illustrative image only)