WHY LISBOA OFFERS THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

The wine region surrounding Portugal’s capital combines local grapes with international varieties

With its pastel-coloured buildings topped with terracotta tiles, yellow-and-white trams climbing the city’s steep streets and its famous pastéis de nata custard tarts, Lisbon draws tourists from across Europe and beyond. Yet visitors stepping outside the Portuguese capital will be rewarded by discovering a winemaking region that brings together the best of the country’s high-quality indigenous varieties and carefully selected international partners.

Part of that successful marriage of domestic and foreign grapes is possible because of the broad range of soils and climatic conditions found in the Lisboa region. Stretching for 150km and reaching 40km at its widest point, the area extends from the beach at Leiria, north of the capital, down to the beach at Carcavelos, to the capital’s west.

The Atlantic’s strong influence fades as it reaches the chain of mountains that run along a north-south axis, with the coast’s sandier soils giving way to stonier, hilly sites inland. The area’s clay soils are punctuated with patches of almost-black clay, hinting at the ancient volcanic chimneys that lie below.

This patchwork of soils has led to nine areas within the region being awarded their own designations – denominação de origem protegida (DOP). Many wines use the wider regional indicação geográfica protegida (IGP) designation, which gives more room to experiment with grape varieties and winemaking techniques.

Vines are grown by around 2,000 growers, who harvest grapes spread across 10,000ha. The average area tended by each grower is 5ha, which is higher than the national average.

Local varieties such as Aragonez,

Arinto and Touriga Nacional (and the emblematic, but relatively rare, Vital, Ramisco and Tinta Miúda) rub shoulders with Chardonnay and Syrah.

Sales of the region’s wines have doubled during the past five years to 65 million bottles a year, and soared by 17% in 2020 alone. Drinkers in the US, the UK, Brazil, Canada, Australia and Poland have fallen in love with the region’s wines; around 80% of production is exported to about 100 markets.

Half of the region’s vineyards have been restructured over the past 15 years as Lisboa’s growers and winemakers continue to embrace new ideas and strategies. That quest to continually improve quality even further is reflected in the taste of the famous Lisboa blends.