Mar 7, 2024 · Colares, on Portugal's Atlantic coast, is famous as much for its sandy, phylloxera-free soils as its robust, tannic red wines. Cane-and-wicker fences protect the region's untrained, ungrafted Ramisco vines (some of which are more than a …

Aug 6, 2016 · The vineyards of Colares are quite simply, a bunch of sand dunes perched on a cliff edge above the Atlantic. One of only a few pure-sand terroirs in the world, Colares managed to completely avoid the ravages of phylloxera that wiped out more than 80% of Europe’s vineyards in the late 19th Century.

Aug 3, 2017 · COLARES, Portugal — The vineyards in this small wine region west of Lisbon on the Atlantic coast look like something that slithered up from the sea. Trained low to avoid the biting wind that blows...

Feb 12, 2025 · In the late 19th century, Colares became a key player in Portuguese winemaking, largely escaping the phylloxera devastation that afflicted much of Europe. Its sandy soils, which repelled the aphid responsible for the blight, allowed it to flourish as a wine-producing region. Ramilo winemaker Jorge Mata holds the Ramilo Ramisco Colares 2021.

Jun 17, 2021 · Colares Wines are unique for various reasons: They are some of the oldest wines in Portugal, dating back to year 1255; A large part of the vines grow deep in sand dunes – a detail that protected them from the 1865 phylloxera plague; They get their special taste from the harsh coastal climate (westernmost vineyards of continental Europe)

May 3, 2024 · Here, Malvasia de Colares and Ramisco, two indigenous grape varieties, grow ungrafted in beach sand, locally known as chão de areia, untouched by phylloxera. While the region has other soils and grapes, only the wines made primarily from these grapes, grown on the sand, can be labeled as Colares.

The unique characteristics of Colares wine come from its grape varieties, temperate and humid soil and summer climate, and also from the fact that 80 % of the vineyard is located on a "sand soil", respecting the traditional practice of grafting the …

Jul 24, 2020 · Vines growing in the sand? The unique ungrafted vines of DOP Colares snake their way down the sand by the ocean, producing rare grapes and ageworthy wines. It was a cold, drizzly November day when I set out from Lisbon for my rendezvous with the unique sand ‘wines’ of …

Jul 28, 2023 · Bruce Schoenfeld takes a trip to the Atlantic coast of Portugal and meets the small band of producers working to revive the historic Colares wine region where the vines grow in sand beside boutique hotels and luxury shops.

Jul 6, 2020 · Protected by sand, the vines of Colares escaped the bug’s voracity. These hard-working vines produce wines with exuberant tannins that need to be tamed. The reds age in barrels for almost a decade before bottling.