Colares wine comes from a tiny DOC on the Atlantic coast west of Sintra, about 30 minutes from Lisbon. The reds are made mainly from Ramisco and the whites from Malvasia de Colares, grown on ungrafted vines planted in deep sand. Expect high acidity, modest alcohol, a salty edge and wines that can age for decades.
It is the story we tell most often at the counter in Graça.
What is Colares wine?
Colares is a demarcated region squeezed between the Serra de Sintra and the ocean. It was demarcated in 1908, under King Manuel II, and people like to call it the westernmost wine region of continental Europe. The DOC covers the parishes of Colares, São Martinho and São João das Lampas.
It used to be much bigger. In the 1930s there were around 1,800 hectares of vines on sand. Today, according to Viúva Gomes, there are roughly 45 hectares, and only about 20 of them are suited to DOC Colares. Beach houses and holiday homes took the rest. What is left is small and stubborn, and we love it for that.
The classic vineyards sit on sand dunes (chão de areia); the others grow on harder clay and limestone (chão rijo). Colares as people know it comes from the sand.
Why are the vines in sand, and why are they ungrafted?
In the second half of the 19th century, phylloxera wiped out most of Europe's vineyards. Growers everywhere had to graft their vines onto American rootstocks. Colares did not. The insect cannot move through loose sand, so the vines kept their own roots. They still have them.
Planting here is brutal work. Growers dig a trench through one to four metres of sand until they hit the clay underneath. The vine goes into the clay and the hole is filled in slowly as it grows. Roots in the clay, trunk in the sand.
The vineyards look like nowhere else. Old vines are trained very low, their arms crawling over the sand, and fences of dried cane (canas) break the salty wind off the sea. Yields are tiny. Every bottle is a lot of digging.
Ramisco and Malvasia de Colares: what do they taste like?
Under the DOC rules, reds must be at least 80% Ramisco and whites are based on Malvasia de Colares. You will barely find either grape anywhere else.
| Ramisco (red) | Malvasia de Colares (white) | |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Firm tannins, sharp acidity, light to medium body | Dry, taut, fuller than you expect |
| Alcohol | Usually around 12% or lower | Moderate |
| Aromas | Red fruit, earth, a green, savoury edge | Citrus, green fruit, almond, wax, sea spray |
| Young | Austere, a bit rustic | Fresh and saline |
| With age | Softens and gets finer over many years | Nuttier, more texture |
Ramisco
Ramisco is the grape behind the long-lived Colares reds. Young, it is tight and almost severe, with plenty of tannin and acidity. A young Ramisco on its own can be a tough first date. Give it time. Bottles from the 1960s, and even the 1930s, are still opened today and can taste surprisingly fresh.
Malvasia de Colares
Despite the name, Malvasia de Colares is its own grape. It has nothing to do with the Malvasia of Madeira or Italy. It gives dry whites with high acidity and a briny finish. If you only try one Colares, start with the Viúva Gomes Colares White 2022: pale gold, orchard fruit and almond, firm and dry, with sea air at the end.
Who makes Colares wine?
A handful of cellars. The Adega Regional de Colares, the cooperative founded in 1931, still matters a lot. Until 1994 the law required Colares wine to be made through it, and much of the region's fruit still goes there.
Viúva Gomes was founded in 1808 in the village of Almoçageme. Today it is run by José and Diogo Baeta, father and son. They work about five hectares, buy grapes from local growers and keep Ramisco and Malvasia de Colares at the centre. They also make wines from plots off the sand. Their old vintages are the best proof we know that Colares can age for decades.
We have two of their wines in the shop:
- Viúva Gomes Colares White 2022 (50 cl), a DOC Colares from Malvasia de Colares, whole bunch pressed and aged a year in French oak. The half bottle is the right size for two.
- Viúva Gomes Viticultores Red 2022, a Vinho Regional Lisboa from Castelão, Ramisco and Touriga Nacional grown off the Colares sands. Not a DOC Colares, but a juicy, easy way into the house style.
You may also see Casca Wines, Ramilo and the cooperative's bottlings. If you spot a Colares on a shelf, pick it up.
How do you serve Colares wine?
Colares wants food, ideally something from the sea.
| White (Malvasia de Colares) | Red (Ramisco) | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 10 to 12 °C | 15 to 16 °C, never warm |
| Air | Pour and drink | An hour in a decanter when young |
| With | Grilled sea bass or dourada, clams à Bulhão Pato, cured fish, fresh goat cheese | Roast kid or lamb, game birds, mushrooms, aged cheese |
For the white, a fresh goat cheese like the Granja dos Moinhos Goat's Cheese Log works well. For the red, pick something aged from our Portuguese cheeses.
Old bottles can throw a deposit, so stand them up the day before and pour gently. A medium glass with room to swirl is enough. And be patient with young Ramisco. If it feels hard on the first night, put the cork back in and try it again the next day. It is often better.
What else from the Lisbon coast should you try?
Same Atlantic strip, different bottles:
- Villa Oeiras 7 Year Old Carcavelos, the fortified wine of another tiny historic appellation between Lisbon and Cascais. For more depth, go for the Villa Oeiras 15 Year Old Superior Carcavelos.
- Vale da Capucha Fóssil White 2022, an organic Arinto and Fernão Pires from limestone near Torres Vedras, about 10 km from the ocean.
- Murgas Arinto White, a crisp Lisbon region Arinto. Open it with sardines.
The rest is in our Portuguese wines collection.
Where can you taste Colares wine in Lisbon?
At POP, Rua da Senhora do Monte 38C, in Graça. We are open Sunday to Wednesday from 14:00 to 21:00 and Thursday to Saturday from 14:00 to 22:00. The Miradouro da Senhora do Monte is 30 metres from the door. Ask us at the bar which Colares we can open, and taste before you buy. Guided tastings run on our sister site, lisbon-wine-tasting.com, or you can write to us through the contact page.
Questions we get asked
What is Colares wine?
Colares is a DOC wine from the Sintra coast near Lisbon, made from Ramisco (red) and Malvasia de Colares (white) grown on ungrafted vines in sand. It is one of Portugal's smallest and oldest appellations, demarcated in 1908.
Why are Colares vines ungrafted?
Phylloxera, the insect that destroyed most European vineyards in the 19th century, cannot move through loose sand. The Colares vines were never attacked, so they still grow on their own roots.
What does Ramisco taste like?
Ramisco gives light to medium bodied reds with firm tannins, high acidity and modest alcohol, often around 12%. Young, it is austere and savoury. With years in bottle it becomes fine and elegant.
Is Colares wine sweet?
No. Colares reds and whites are dry table wines. The sweet fortified wine of the Lisbon coast is Carcavelos, a different appellation.
Where can I buy Colares wine in Lisbon?
We sell the Viúva Gomes Colares White at POP in Graça and in our online shop. The cellars in Colares can also be visited, usually by booking a tasting.