The Demarcated Region of Colares, created in 1908, small in area when compared to other wine-making regions in the country, achieved relevance at the turn of 20th century due to the high percentage of ramisco vines that were cultivated and occupied a large part of the surface area.
The Adega Regional de Colares (Colares Regional Cellar) was established in 1931, with the objective of ensuring the quality and origin of the region’s wine products.
Initially founded by 81 members, in the following years it registered a considerable increase in the number of associates and is the oldest cooperative winery in the country.
In 1934, by decree-law n. º 24 500, of September 19th – considered by many as the true Charter of Colares wine – the Adega Regional de Colares was granted the exclusive right to manufacture Colares wine, at the same time as an aging period of a minimum of two years was set so as to guarantee the quality of this wine product.
In the following decades, the high cost of labour, the difficult planting in the sandy soil, the crisis in wine production, the increase of pine forests in detriment of vineyards and the advance of urban areas have, among others factors, contributed towards the decrease in the production of ramisco.
Today, besides the Adega Regional de Colares, there are other wineries and individual producers of the Colares wine.
Baías e Enseadas’s wines were the fulfill of an old dream, which began to be accomplished in 2012, with the planting of the first vineyard.
Contacts
Rua Damião de Gois, nº 8ª Mercês
2725-482 Mem Martins
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W: https://www.facebook.com/baiaseenseadas/
Some of the oldest private wine cellars storing wine from the Colares denominated region were located in the village of Azenhas do Mar. We are familiar with those owned by Luís Augusto and Manuel José Collares, who have been producing and marketing this wine since 1848.
In 1899 João, António and Hermegildo Bernardino da Silva who became known locally as the Chitas family, acquired some of these cellars and established a company called Collares Chitas.
In about 1900, António Bernardino da Silva Chitas set up the Beira Mar cellars which markets Colares wine to this day and is the only one to export it internationally.
António Bernardino Paulo da Silva
Av. Luís Augusto Colares, 70 – 74, Azenhas do Mar,
2705-106 COLARES SINTRA
GPS: 38º 50’ 06,352” N, 9º 27’ 57,900” W
T: 219 292 036
F: 219 282 474
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Opening times
Monday to Friday - pre-bookable visits: 08h00-12h00 / 14h00-18h00
Closes at 17h00 on Fridays
Closed on weekends and public holidays
Resources and services
Guided Tours (pre-booked)
Shop
Car Park
Loja
Parque de Estacionamento
The history of this Quinta goes back to the beginning of the 18th century. The main house was built in 1720 and, surprisingly, managed to survive the 1755 earthquake due to the granitic structure of the Sintra Mountain.
In 1903, wine production was halted but, 100 years on, the “the westernmost vines of Europe” were replanted and the wine cellar modernized.
The Casal Sta. Maria wines result from an expression of Nature and the unique terroir surrounding the vines located on the west coast of the Sintra Mountain.
The Casal Sta. Maria, situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the Sintra Mountain, is influenced by the maritime climate, with cool nights and dense morning fogs accompanied by ocean breezes.
The soils, clay with a top layer of sand, have large granitic outcrops and are rich in organic matter due to the presence of the Coudelaria de Cavalos Árabes (Arabian Horse Farm) during the 1970s and 80s.
The wines resulting from this terroir remind us of the ocean; they are very aromatic, fresh, mineral, elegant and balanced, with a singular, strong salty touch. These are wines that present great aging potential, are complex and have character, clearly expressing the unique terroir of the Sintra Mountain.
Casal Santa Maria - Adraga Explorações,
2705-177 CASAS NOVAS, COLARES - SINTRA
GPS: 38º47'37'' N, 9º27'44'' W
T: 219 292 117
F: 219 235 202
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Opening times
Monday to Friday – 9h00 -18h00
Closed on weekends and public holidays
Resources and services
Guided tours and wine tasting (pre-booked)
Shop
Events
Car park
Casca Wines was founded by the winemaker Hélder Cunha in 2008 in his personal pursuit to create Portuguese wines that expressed the terroir of each of the demarcated regions of Portugal.
It all started in the was in the micro-region of Colares, the westernmost point of mainland Europe, that Hélder Cunha, against all the ocean winds, challenged himself to produce truly unique wines.
As a homage to Hélder's hometown – Cascais – several brands were created that represent not only the wine portfolio, but also reinforce the bonds of their own origin. Today, with more than 20 years of history; presence in more than 35 markets around the world; having received many national and international prizes and recognitions; and with wines produced in almost every Portuguese wine demarcated region, Casca Wines is Portugal's market leader in Organic and Vegan wines and producer of unique and unequaled wines.
At Casca Wines we search for each region’s best grape growers, with the finest grapes, to ensure the wine produced by us carries the essence of the region and vineyard where the grapes are grown.
We value the principles of sustainability and Casca Wines only works with grape growers who take care of their land with sustainable vision.
We respect traditions, working closely with the wine growers, learning from them, and combining the know-how of a modern winemaking company. Personality is cherished, as we believe that every wine should transmit the vineyard's character and its grape grower. We extract all flavors and intensity that the grapes can offer to create a unique wine.
The secret of Casca Wines' success is in our team. We are dedicated professionals, who work extremely hard in offering our clients the finest "terroir expression".
Contactos
DNA Cascais
Gabinete 6 - Rua Cruz de Popa
2645-449 Alcabideche
GPS: 38.727284, -9.412095
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Resources and Services
Online shop - https://heldercunha.com/loja-online/
Guided visits to the Colares Vineyards - pre-booking necessary
Events
The Colares Regional Wine Cellars were founded in 1931 and currently produce over 50% of the regions wines and are supplied by 90% of its producers.
This cooperative has played a hugely important social role in the region in the agricultural sector for over 80 years now. It produces wines from the Colares Protected Designation of Origin, regional Lisboa wines and table wines suited for any occasion.
The original building which is still in use looks grand from the outside and is striking inside due to its sheer size. The main building houses a vast number of huge vats where the cellars wines are left to mature.
Av. Coronel Linhares de Lima, n.º 32 Colares,
2705-351 SINTRA
GPS: 38º48'19.48'' N, 9º26'58.63'' W
T: 219 291 210
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Opening times
Monday to Saturday: 09h00-13h00 / 14h00-18h00
Closed on Sundays and public holidays
Resources and services
Guided tours including wine tasting
Shop
Car Park
Events
Located between Sintra mountain and the Atlantic Ocean, Colares region encloses the parishes of Colares, S. João das Lampas and S. Martinho, in Sintra district.
Colares has been a Demarcated Region since 1908, being the westernmost demarcated region of continental Europe and the smallest still-wine producing region in Portugal.
Vines are grown in sandy soil similar to beach sand. Due to the closeness of the sea, the climate is very specific, with agreeable temperatures, strong sea winds, and a high percentage of air moisture. Plants must be shielded from sea winds, which is accomplished through hand-made palisades of dried canes sewn with wicker.
The resulting landscape looks extraordinary; some authors compare it to a honeycomb.
For the planting of these vineyards, in the first step all the sand must be removed, down to the clay layer, where the plant material (rods) is set For the next 3 to 4 years, the sand is gradually put back, together with manure applications, till the vineyard is settled in level ground and ready for production.
These plants are living monuments, some of them more than 100 years old Traditional, the vines have one or more arms of old wood spread on the ground The arms hold the rods, sometimes more than 10 per vine. Just before ripening, the vines are propped up away from the sand, using 50 an-long pieces of cane. At this stage, grape clusters are often covered with dried weeds from the vineyard itself, to prevent sunburns.
Properties are generally small and bound by loose stone walls, stones being brought from vineyards planted in non-sandy soils, known locally as "hard soil”.
This is a wholly hand-made viticulture seen at its best during the ripening period, that is, between mid- August and mid-September.
Guided visits to the sandy soil vineyards available, pre-booked with the producers of the Colares DOC wine
Haja Cortezia Wines is the project of Luis and Teresa (family project), located in the northernmost area of the Colares Wine Region, more precisely in the village of Cortesia.
We are distinguished by the proximity to the sea and the weather conditions that come with it. The work we do in the vineyards is demanding, as we use ancestral methods and because we design our wines according to the vineyard itself, the so-called “field blend”. We believe this is the best way to honor the tradition and history of the true Atlantic Terroir.
In addition to the old vines that we inherited from our family, we planted Malvasia de Colares and Ramisco, on sandy soils and using “pé-franco” which means without grafts, and also Alvarinho and Pinot Noir.
Our ambition is to continue to develop the vineyards, winery and wine tourism, without loosing the identity of a small company that values the land, the sea and the tradition of wine culture. As our slogan indicates, “Tradition and soul by the sea” is what we believe in.
Contacts
Rua das Eiras nº 32ª - Cortesia
2705-576 São João das Lampas
GPS: 38.90229, -9.41703
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Resources and services
Guided visits to the cellar and vineyard (pre-booked)
Wine tasting (pre-booked)
Events
Parking
Owned by the Osório de Vasconcelos Jardim Gonçalves family, the Infinitude project was born in Quinta da Azenha, a bucolic location in the northern foothills of the Sintra Mountain, in Galamares.
The atmosphere of this place and the memory of previous generations of wine producers in Madeira and the Douro inspired the will to grow a serious wine project with consolidated roots in Sintra. Thus were born the Infinitude wines, inspired by the Sintra Mountain and the misty days when time seems to stand still.
It was the spring of 2000 when the first vineyard was planted among the beautiful gardens of Quinta da Azenha. Here, the soils are clayey, locally known as "hard soil". This plot, exposed to the north and "Sun-averse", but protected from the winds by the surrounding woods, is a safe haven for the grapes, which find here excellent conditions for maturing and retaining the freshness that so characterises them. The grape varieties have time to develop their interesting aromatic compounds, without the acidity dropping and the potential alcoholic degree shooting up. The project started with the planting of Pinot Noir and Merlot varieties. An original and unorthodox bet. The vineyards are extensively managed with minimal intervention.
The Infinitude project was being pondered, designed and finally formally presented with the launch of the first wines on the market in 2017. The excellent acceptance was an incentive to grow, in capacity and diversity. Thus, the project extended to new plots outside the walls of Quinta da
Azenha, including a 1 ha plot in "sandy soil" from which the DOC Colares Infinitude wines will come out.
The Infinitude wines are intended to be an image of the places where they were born. Elegant, complex wines that gain with the passage of time and reflect the emotion of the terroir.
Just like life, a wine is a living work, always evolving. Infinitude is a family's homage to its roots and an invitation to recollection or celebration.
Discover the project on a guided tour of Quinta da Azenha (prior booking required).
Contacts
Quinta da Azenha - Galamares
2710-210 Sintra
GPS: 38°48'10.6"N 9°25'44.6"W
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Resources and Services
Guided tours to the vineyards (pre-booked)
Events
Parking
Quinta de San Michel, in Janas - in the heart of the parish of S. Martinho, (today the union of parishes in Sintra), appears with the intention of giving a new life to the region.
Our vineyards are planted between the Atlantic Ocean and the Serra de Sintra. With the 2 hectares of our Quinta, we have a very well defined gold- to contribute to the rejuvenation of the region, producing the typical grape varieties of the past and, of course, to make and produce a good wine.
Our strategy was to produce Malvasia de Colares and Arinto grape varieties.
Estrada de Janas - Quinta de San Michel
2710-265 Sintra
GPS: 38°49'28.40"N 9°25'17.28"W
T: 919 354 610
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Opening times
Monday to Friday – 9h00 -16h00
Weekends – 9h00-12h00
Resources and services
Guided tours and wine tasting (pre-booked)
Car park
