Alentejo Wine Tasting

During Covid Restrictions

We should have known better. While Covid cases remain relatively low, and thankfully hospitalizations and deaths even lower, in Portugal there are still restrictions. One relates to wine tasting. To control the crowds nearly every vintner is requiring appointments for wine tastings.

Arraiolos

We went back to Évora last weekend, this time with our Lisbon buds. We first stopped at Arraiolos, a town of under 4,000 inhabitants known for its castle and its embroidered wool rugs. We walked through the narrow streets marveling at the hand-crafted carpets which have been made here since the Middle Ages. We also stopped for lunch, where Denise made the “Don’t be a potato” faux pas. But more on that later this week.

Her cell phone seems out of place.

There was even a church where the ceiling was covered with the town’s handiwork.

I did a double-take, then asked someone just to be sure.

In Search of Wine

As it was now after lunch, we decided to hit a winery or two. We first stopped at Monte da Ravasqueira, a relatively new winery as the first grapes were not planted until 1998. Unfortunately, their lone employee was about to start a fully booked tour, and as such a tasting would not be possible for several hours. Had we called ahead we could have taken a tour which includes their private coach collection. We made a few phone calls and booked a time at another winery at 14h45.

Monte da Ravasqueira

We drove back a bumpy road to the main street and headed for Quinta São José de Peramanca. There we sat on a patio and spent time talking with a lovely woman, Manuela, that treated us like long-lost relatives. We were offered three reds. Each time we were provided a healthy pour as she explained the grapes used and the complexity we could expect. [Note: If you live outside of Portugal you may feel that the best Portuguese wines come from the Douro Valley. But if you are Portuguese, you know that this is a fallacy. Douro wines are better known because more are exported. But the best wines come from the Alentejo.] If we liked a particular wine, she offered to pour more. After a bit, she asked if we minded if she joined us. Of course…the more the merrier.

We tested three reds…of course, we liked the Reserve best.

She explained that Peramanca meant “swinging, unstable or unsafe stone”. They dotted the landscape and called to mind the Monoliths we planned to visit the next day. Unlike Ravasqueira, this winery has a long and distinguished history. In fact, there is evidence that vineyards were first cultivated here during the Middle Ages. King John II (1481-1495) insisted that their wines be served at his son’s wedding. It was provided to the Captains of ships headed for Brazil, and to this day their white is among the most favored by Brazilian wine drinkers.

We sat and chatted with Manuela for quite a while. She wanted to know why we had come to Portugal and our impressions so far. She told us that she wanted to visit the U.S. We all shook our heads when she said her desired first stop would be Disney World in Orlando. It was a leisurely afternoon…no rush, no hurry…very Portuguese. We left planning to buy one bottle of the Reserve, for special occasions, and one of the mid-range reds. As I was checking out I spotted a bottle of white and asked if I could possibly buy that as well. We enjoyed it that night before dining once again at Enoteca Cartuxa. I wished we had bought more.