Alentejo Wine
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Alentejo (''Vinho do Alentejo'', Alentejo wines) is a
Portuguese wine Portuguese wine was mostly introduced by the Romans (wine), Romans and other ancient Mediterranean peoples who traded with local coastal populations, mainly in the South. In pre-Roman Gallaecia-Lusitania times, the native peoples only drank beer ...
region from the
Alentejo Alentejo ( , , ) is a geographical, historical, and cultural region of south–central and southern Portugal. In Portuguese, its name means "beyond the Tagus" (). Alentejo includes the regions of Alto Alentejo Province, Alto Alentejo and Bai ...
region. The entire region is entitled to use the '' Vinho Regional'' designation Alentejano VR, while some areas are also classified at the higher '' Denominação de Origem Controlada'' (DOC) level under the designation Alentejo DOC. VR is similar to the French '' vin de pays'' and DOC to the French AOC. In the southern half of Portugal, the Alentejo region covers about a third of the country and is sparsely populated. In 2005, South Oregon University scientist Gregory V. Jones identified Alentejo ("southern Portugal" in his words) as the world's most challenged wine region (out of 27 world wine regions) from a climate change perspective. The region is noted for it vast cork production but has in recent years garnered attention for its table
wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...
production.T. Stevenson ''"The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia"'' pg 329-333 Dorling Kindersley 2005 Some producers of this region still make wine in great pottery vessels, as in Roman times.


Subregions

There are eight subregions of the Alentejo region that are entitled to the Alentejo DOC designation. The names of the subregions may be indicated on the label together with the name Alentejo, for example as Alentejo-Borba. These subregions were initially created as separate '' Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada'' (IPR) wine regions, after which some were elevated to DOC status. In 2003, these separate DOCs and IPRs were put together as the Alentejo DOC.Official Journal of the European Union C 187/1, 8.8.2009: List of quality wines produced in specified regions
(reflects situation as of July 31, 2009) Listed from north to south the eight subregions are the following. * Portalegre (formerly a DOC) * Borba (formerly a DOC) * Redondo (formerly a DOC) * Evora (formerly an IPR) * Reguengos (formerly a DOC) * Granja-Amareleja (formerly an IPR) * Vidigueira (formerly a DOC) * Moura (formerly an IPR)


Grapes

The principal grapes of the Alentejo region includes Abundante, Alfrocheiro Preto, Alicante Bouschet, Antão Vaz, Arinto, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Chardonnay, Diagalves, Fernão Pires, Grand noir, Manteudo, Moreto, Palomino, Periquita, Rabo de Ovelha, Tempranillo, and Trincadeira.


See also

* List of Portuguese wine regions


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alentejo Wine Wine regions of Portugal