Viúva Gomes Colares (Rótulo Branco) Tinto

Description

The wine region was demarcated in 1908, making it the second oldest demarcated region in the country. It is situated 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. Colares’ link to wine has faded over time, but records show that wine was already being produced here during the 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 at the end of the 19th century, specifically in 1865, when the greatest threat to global viticulture, phylloxera, struck. This tiny insect, native to the Americas, began arriving alive in Europe as voyage durations shortened thanks to the introduction of steam-powered ships. Interestingly, the vineyards in Colares were the only ones that survived phylloxera, thanks to the depth of their roots, which sometimes reach 8 m, preventing the pathogen from spreading as it did in other soils. Across Europe, except for this region, American rootstocks (resistant to the insect) were grafted onto European vines. (Illustrative image)