Is there anything that unites man and earth more than wine? From time immemorial the wine has made you dream, caress the palate and beat the heart almost to the rhythm of his own blood. Even before the pandemic – after, even more so – the need to promote wine tourism was raised, supported by the UNWTO (World Tourism Organization), that this 2021 has chosen Reguengos de Monsaraz, in the Portuguese region of Alentejo, to celebrate its fifth global conference (the previous one took place in Chile and the next one will be in Italy).
Experts in the field from around the world met for a few days to share projects in their quest to convert to wine tourism into something fundamental and sustainable in rural areas. International consensus is considered essential when analyzing data, managing destinations and emerging from the Covid-19 crisis. Part of the conference was wine tasting from the seven wine regions of Alentejo to then tour the region and check the bonanzas of the fusion between viticulture and tourism.
Whitewashed houses in Monsaraz.
THE MOUNT OF JARA
Small in size but big in history, Monsaraz – one of the most beautiful towns in Portugal – has not been chosen for nothing in vain to host the congress. The castle and the whiteness of its houses They stand on a hill surrounded by rockrose with views of the Alentejo landscape of vast fields carpeted by holm oaks, olive trees and cork oaks and watered by Lake Alqueva, on the Guadiana River. Its door, from the time of Pedro II, opens to an enclave inhabited since ancient times as testified by the menhirs that surround it.
Sarish (meaning jara) was the name given by the Arabs to this Monumental Village of Portugal , the same one who, by the way, has taken the Sharish Gin Distillery , in honor of the bushes that guard Monsaraz. Gin seasoned with local products, citrus and herb-prince, to which add that Alentejo sun that helps a privileged concentration of essential oils giving it a very special flavor and aroma that work wonders in gin tonics.
Returning to the cozy streets of Monsaraz, the Templar cross evidences the passage of this order through the town, like the House of the Holy Inquisition speaks of the Hebrew footprint. The fortress of the s. XVI has a tower from where to contemplate the horizon that is lost in the largest region of Portugal. There is also a bullring where bullfights are still held and serves as a concert and meeting room.
Among its churches, it is worth mentioning that of Nuestra Señora de la Laguna, which guards the tomb of the founder of Monsaraz, Don Gomes Martins, and among its streets stands out the narrow and welcoming street of Santiago, dotted with craft shops, Alentejo wine shops and that pastry shop from which aromas of cream cakes escape.
Harvest time.
TREAD THE GRAPE
It's time to harvest and tread the grapes as before. The place for this is none other than the Carmim wineries, where you can put into practice the treading of the grapes in the press to the sound of the Alentejo song (Unesco intangible heritage), that the workers of the winery themselves sing, bringing out the emotions of the visitors with their heartfelt song and deep voice.
Carmim is a living example of wine tourism since in July 2003 it opened its space to show visitors the secrets of how to produce a good wine and that viticultural world that goes from the tread of the grape to the anecdotes that arise before the bottle is opened and I savored the result of a lot of work and affection, either in an excellent Primitivo or in its latest bet, the Tarefa (clay pot), which accompanies the table full of Alentejo flavors, such as dogfish soup and the varied meats and sausages of the area.
Alentejo sky.
ALENTEJAN MIRAGES
During the transfer from one warehouse to another, through the window, Alentejo falls in love. Its beauty is shadeless lands. Vast plains where grapes grow, a solitary oak, a group of olive trees, and a field of cork oaks from which their precious cork comes out. The whiteness of its towns, framed in colors, makes the landscape even more joyful, which does not lose, but gains in beauty, when at dusk the stars illuminate it with all their strength and brilliance. In fact, Alqueva was the first tourist destination in the world to be certified by UNESCO under the title of Dark Sky Alqueva.
Although in the Alentejo orography it is difficult to hide something, unusual rooms like Montimerso suddenly appear camouflaged in the landscape and they are absolutely paradisiacal. An infinity pool to observe Lake Alqueva from the front, on one side an elegant and diaphanous construction such as its hotel (and its restaurant with products from Alentejo), above one of the clearest skies in the world From where to greet stars and planets almost within reach (even more so from the Alqueva Lake Observatory)... that's Montimerso.
An establishment for which sustainability –both in the construction of its building and in energy efficiency and even in the approach to food and its waste– has been a priority; as have been the taste and elegance when decorating this oasis on the banks of the Alqueva.
Montimerso Skyscape Countryhouse.
BEJA, ON THE GOLDEN PLAIN
It's time for sleep in a nice pousada from the city of Beja, the most important city of Bajo Alentejo, located in the middle of the plain, golden for the color that its wheat fields give it. Julius Caesar called her Pax-Julia while he made it the capital of Lusitania.
The Pousada Convento Beja occupies a former Franciscan convent from which it keeps its excellence and treasures with the addition of all the comforts of a 21st century hotel, swimming pool and first class gastronomy.
Beja is old and flirtatious. He has been able to adapt to the times as shown by modern works: the red trees of the famous sculptor jorge vieria or the hen of the artist Bordallo II found on the street walk. Nevertheless, their heritage reaches to the Iron Age and to the set of archaeological structures that appear on the ground of the Rúa do Sembrano Museum Center. As well as Visigothic art, it can be enjoyed in the museum that today occupies the old Church of San Amaro, a neighbor of the castle whose homage tower boasts of being the tallest in the Iberian Peninsula.
the cathedral of Santiago el Mayor is one of the oldest parishes in the city, while the old Convent of La Concepción today houses the Regional Museum of Beja-Museum of Queen Doña Leonor and a romantic story revealed in the little book Portuguese letters which appeared in Paris in 1669 and where the nun Mariana Alcaforado writes passionate letters to her secret love, a French gentleman whom she met in the so-called War of the Restoration against Spain.
Pousada Convento Beja.
FROM SURPRISE TO SURPRISE
The almost five hundred hectares of Herdade da Malhadinha Nova go a long way. A warehouse where there are, not only for the excellence of its wines, but also for the careful choice of details, from the French oak vats to the wooden table for the tastings. Needless to say, the hotel space - made up of houses lost in the countryside, each with its infinity pool, fireplace, the best linens on the beds and tablecloths and a first-class service – is another important plus.
It all started in the eighties when the marriage of María Antonia and Joao Soares founded the Garrafeira Soares chain for wine distribution. His sons João and Paulo decided to expand and modernize the business, delving fully in the wine world. And they did it in style and with a sustainability that is observed at every step of the estate.
Herdade da Malhadinha Nova Country House & Spa.
Eighty hectares are dedicated to organic vineyards, orchards and olive groves. Alentejo cows, Iberian black pigs and Merino sheep are raised freely in the forests, while on the stud farm, Lusitanian purebred horses are trained and ridden, among others, by the son of João and Rita, who at eleven years old has already obtained prizes for his horsemanship. And speaking of Rita Soares, wife of João, she has been and is an essential figure together with the architect Joana Raposo in the restoration of the villas that today belong to Relais & Châteaux and that are a true ecological luxury. In addition, Herdade da Malhadinha Nova already boasts the Condé Nast Traveler Spain award for the Best International Getaway Hotel 2021.
During dinner, cooked by the chef Joachim Koerper with tomatoes from the garden, meats from the farm and fruits from their trees, Margaret, Paulo's charming wife, tells how the two Soares couples raised that Alentejo paradise, where now their children run, who by the way are the authors of the funny drawings that label the bottles.
TALHA WINE (JAR)
The final scene of the tour through Alentejo lands takes place within the Vidigueira area, in the Vila de Frades population, where the Talha Wine Interpretation Center is located. In this center starring jars and with a minimalist and elegant decoration, In a short time and thanks to the virtual world, he becomes aware of what jar wine means.
Lunch at Casa Pipa, one of the so-called Casas de Pasto (for Meals) consisted of a rich scrambled eggs with cod and excellent meat. And the talha wine tasting was carried out by Vinho de Talha Natural | Honrado Vineyards, essential in the wine tourism project, since its centennial cellars entail the ancestral way of fermenting wine in clay pots making Talha Honrado one of the most coveted treasures in the Alentejo region.
Under a raging blue sky and with the aftertaste of tinaja wine an unparalleled wine tourism trip is coming to an end.