The Alentejo, where beats the secret heart of the country

Talha, vinify like the Romans

The Alentejo is one of the great wine regions of Portugal. Of some 22,000 ha of vines, around half is classified as PDO in eight regions: Portalegre, Borba, Redondo, Reguengos, Vidigueira, Évora, Granja/Amareleja and Moura. The white wines are aromatic and beautifully fresh. The reds seduce with a garnet color, they are more intense, richer and yet relatively suave.

The Alentejo is more particularly known for still practicing winemaking as in Roman times. 2000 years later, many of its winemakers continue the tradition of making wine in amphorae, called talhas. It is in these sometimes gigantic terracotta amphorae (up to 2 tons) that the wine is left to ferment.

As these amphorae are porous, each winegrower has his little secret for sealing them (pine resin, beeswax, etc.), which gives different flavors to the wine. A two-thousand-year-old winemaking method that is applied even in modern cellars where techniques facilitate the work of winegrowers.

To better understand this vinification, a visit to the Interpretation Center in Vila de Frades on the wine route is a must. Videos, paintings show the manufacture of amphorae by potters, and the work in the cellar: the crushed grapes are put inside the amphoras.

During fermentation, the cap of marc rises. The winemaker then climbs a small ladder to break this solid hat. He dips a wooden squeegee to extract as many flavors and colors as possible. At the end of fermentation, the marc settles at the bottom. The wine passes through this marc which acts as a filter to come out clear through the tap placed in the lower part of the amphora.

After having followed all these explanations presented in a playful and educational way, it is time to taste a “vinho de talha” around a typical meal of the region!

We went to the Pais das Uvas which is both a restaurant and a wine cellar. It's not the cheapest, but the setting alone is worth a stop. The door opens into a long room. The tables are set along a row of jars.

More intimate, two small rooms, one of which allows you to see what is going on in the kitchen where several ladies prepare regional specialities.

Too bad, again the menu is only in Portuguese and no one seems to speak a foreign language. Regardless, the dishes served are tasty and plentiful.

From there, a door opens onto the large vault which, that day, welcomes a group of tourists to music.

Too bad, that day, it is not the famous cante alentejano, the polyphonic song of the Alejento inscribed on the list of intangible cultural heritage of Unesco. But we had a great time with typical dishes, good wine and folk music.