Adega Viúva Gomes Collares Reserva Velho Tinto

Description

The wine region was demarcated in 1908, making it the country’s second oldest demarcated region. It lies in a dune area along the coast of the municipality of Sintra, between the Serra and the Atlantic Ocean, from Cabo da Roca to Magoito. Colares’ connection to wine dates back centuries, with evidence that wine was already produced there during Roman occupation; later, in 1230, King D. Afonso III granted lands to nobles on the condition that they cultivate vineyards. The Colares region became famous in the late 19th century, specifically in 1865, when the world’s viticulture was hit by its greatest threat, phylloxera. This tiny insect, native to the Americas, began arriving alive in Europe as voyages shortened with the introduction of steam-powered ships. Curiously, the vineyards of Colares were the only ones that survived phylloxera, thanks to the depth of their roots—sometimes up to 8 metres—preventing the pathogen from spreading, unlike other soil types. Across Europe, except in this region, American rootstocks (resistant to the insect) grafted onto European varieties were used.