📍 Colares

Colares is a tiny wine appellation on the Atlantic coast of Portugal, near Sintra, north-west of Lisbon. It belongs to the Lisbon area. The vineyards grow in sand dunes that shelter them from the strong ocean wind.

The main feature of Colares is that the vine grows directly in sand and is not grafted onto American rootstocks. Phylloxera cannot live in sand, so the vines here stand on their own roots. To plant a vine, the sand is dug through to reach clay, so the roots go deep. These vines are among the oldest in Portugal.

Red wine (about 75% of production) is made from the Ramisco grape; it is very tannic and ages for a long time before going on sale. White is made from the local Malvasia de Colares and is not aged as long. Arinto, Galego Dourado and Jampal are also permitted.

Today Colares is a small zone, but it is interesting because it preserves one of the rare examples of old ungrafted vines in Europe. The area lies in the municipality of Sintra, famous for its palaces and parks on the UNESCO list.