Carcavelos DOC
Encyclopedia
Carcavelos is a Portuguese wine
region centered around the Carcavelos
municipality in Estremadura region and includes land near the cities of Cascais
and Oeiras. The region has Portugal
's highest wine
classification as a Denominação de Origem Controlada
(DOC). Located at the very southern tip of the Estremadura region, the region has a long winemaking
history dating back to the 18th century when Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, Marquis of Pombal owned vineyards here. The region is known for its fortified wine
production, creating off dry, topaz colored wines that have nutty aromas and flavors. While once a thriving wine region, world renown in the 19th century for its tawny colored fortified wine, in the modern era Carcavelos has been devastated by real estate development in the suburbs
of the capital city of Lisbon
and nearby coastal city of Estoril
.
While viticulture
has likely existed in this region since Roman times, it was not until the Marquis of Pombal established the region as a winemaking center in the 18th century that Carcavelos came to be associated with wine. Pombal's action were perhaps self-serving since he owned extensive vineyard lands on his country estate of Oeiras. Prior to this, Pombal would sell his grapes to Port wine
producers in the Douro, in violation of his own 1756 regulations establishing the Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro (General Company of Viticulture of the Upper Douro or C.G.A.V.A.D.) which aimed to guarantee the authenticity of Port by mandating that it be made completely from Douro grapes.
Pombal's estate eventually built a reputation for Carcavelos of fortified wine production. In the early 19th century, the wines were very popular with the British market in London
, particularly at the auction
houses. In 1908, the region was officially demarcated as Região Demarcada (an early precursor to the Denominação de Origem Controlada appellation
system). However the 20th century has seen a rapid decline in viticulture
in the region because of the urban sprawl
expansion of the capital city of Lisbon and the nearby city of Estoril. By the turn of the 21st century only 25 acres (10 hectares) of vines remain, consisting mostly of what is left of Pombal's estate and two independent vineyards. In a fate similar to the other principal regions of the Lisboa VR-the Colares DOC
and Bucelas DOC
-there has been some spark of interest on the part of small independent winemakers to revive the historic legacy and indigenous grapes of the region so Carcavelos' fortunes may change in the future.
that is moderated by its close proximity to the mouth of the Tagus
river.
, Boal, Galego Dourado, Negra Mole, Trincadeira and Torneiro . The wines are usually fermented completely dry with some fermenting must known as the vinho abafado containing some residual sugar set aside prior to the fermentation's completion. The wine is fortified
with a distilled
grape spirit to bring the wine up to an alcohol level of 18-20% and the vinho abafado is added back in to add sweetness
to the wine. Carcavelos wines are then aged in oak barrels for three to five years to give the wines a tawny
color and nutty flavor.
Portuguese wine
Portuguese wine is the result of traditions introduced to the region by ancient civilizations, such as the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, and mostly the Romans. Portugal started to export its wines to Rome during the Roman Empire. Modern exports developed with trade to England after the...
region centered around the Carcavelos
Carcavelos
Carcavelos is a parish in the Portuguese municipality of Cascais, about 12 km west of Lisbon. The village used to be known for the Carcavelos wine, but since the wine production is nowadays reduced, Carcavelos is better known among surfers because of the good surfing condition of the...
municipality in Estremadura region and includes land near the cities of Cascais
Cascais
Cascais is a coastal town in Cascais Municipality in Portugal, 30 kilometres west of Lisbon, with about 35,000 residents. It is a cosmopolitan suburb of the Portuguese capital and one of the richest municipalities in Portugal. The former fishing village gained fame as a resort for Portugal's royal...
and Oeiras. The region has Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
's highest wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
classification as a Denominação de Origem Controlada
Denominação de Origem Controlada
The Denominação de Origem Controlada is the system of protected designation of origin for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products from Portugal.-Wines:...
(DOC). Located at the very southern tip of the Estremadura region, the region has a long winemaking
Winemaking
Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...
history dating back to the 18th century when Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, Marquis of Pombal owned vineyards here. The region is known for its fortified wine
Fortified wine
Fortified wine is wine to which a distilled beverage has been added. Fortified wine is distinguished from spirits made from wine in that spirits are produced by means of distillation, while fortified wine is simply wine that has had a spirit added to it...
production, creating off dry, topaz colored wines that have nutty aromas and flavors. While once a thriving wine region, world renown in the 19th century for its tawny colored fortified wine, in the modern era Carcavelos has been devastated by real estate development in the suburbs
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
of the capital city of Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
and nearby coastal city of Estoril
Estoril
Estoril is a seaside resort and civil parish of the Portuguese municipality of Cascais, Lisboa District. The Estoril coast is close to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. It starts in Carcavelos, 15 kilometres from Lisbon, and stretches as far as Guincho, often known as Costa de Estoril-Sintra or...
.
History
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
has likely existed in this region since Roman times, it was not until the Marquis of Pombal established the region as a winemaking center in the 18th century that Carcavelos came to be associated with wine. Pombal's action were perhaps self-serving since he owned extensive vineyard lands on his country estate of Oeiras. Prior to this, Pombal would sell his grapes to Port wine
Port wine
Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, and comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties...
producers in the Douro, in violation of his own 1756 regulations establishing the Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro (General Company of Viticulture of the Upper Douro or C.G.A.V.A.D.) which aimed to guarantee the authenticity of Port by mandating that it be made completely from Douro grapes.
Pombal's estate eventually built a reputation for Carcavelos of fortified wine production. In the early 19th century, the wines were very popular with the British market in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, particularly at the auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
houses. In 1908, the region was officially demarcated as Região Demarcada (an early precursor to the Denominação de Origem Controlada appellation
Appellation
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown; other types of food often have appellations as well...
system). However the 20th century has seen a rapid decline in viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
in the region because of the urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
expansion of the capital city of Lisbon and the nearby city of Estoril. By the turn of the 21st century only 25 acres (10 hectares) of vines remain, consisting mostly of what is left of Pombal's estate and two independent vineyards. In a fate similar to the other principal regions of the Lisboa VR-the Colares DOC
Colares DOC
Colares is a Portuguese wine region centered around the Colares municipality in Estremadura region. The region has Portugal's highest wine classification as a Denominação de Origem Controlada . Located along the southwestern Atlantic coast, vineyards in the area are protected from the strong ocean...
and Bucelas DOC
Bucelas DOC
Bucelas is a Portuguese wine region located in the Lisboa wine region. The region has Portugal's highest wine classification as a Denominação de Origem Controlada . Located south of the Arruda DOC, the region is noted for its potential for cool fermentation white wine production. Vineyards in the...
-there has been some spark of interest on the part of small independent winemakers to revive the historic legacy and indigenous grapes of the region so Carcavelos' fortunes may change in the future.
Climate and geography
Typical of the Estremadura, Carcavelos has a Mediterranean climateMediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
that is moderated by its close proximity to the mouth of the Tagus
Tagus
The Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It is long, in Spain, along the border between Portugal and Spain and in Portugal, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon. It drains an area of . The Tagus is highly utilized for most of its course...
river.
Grapes and winemaking
Carcavelos can be a blend of up to nine different grapes. The principal grapes of the Carcavelos region includes ArintoArinto
Arinto or Arinto de Bucelas is a white Portuguese wine grape planted primarily in the Bucelas, Tejo and Vinho Verde regions. It can produce high acid wines with lemon notes.-Synonyms:...
, Boal, Galego Dourado, Negra Mole, Trincadeira and Torneiro . The wines are usually fermented completely dry with some fermenting must known as the vinho abafado containing some residual sugar set aside prior to the fermentation's completion. The wine is fortified
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
with a distilled
Distillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
grape spirit to bring the wine up to an alcohol level of 18-20% and the vinho abafado is added back in to add sweetness
Sweetness
Sweetness is one of the five basic tastes and is almost universally regarded as a pleasurable experience. Foods rich in simple carbohydrates such as sugar are those most commonly associated with sweetness, although there are other natural and artificial compounds that are sweet at much lower...
to the wine. Carcavelos wines are then aged in oak barrels for three to five years to give the wines a tawny
Tawny (color)
Tawny is a yellowish brown color. The word means "tan-colored," from Anglo-Norman tauné "associated with the brownish-yellow of tanned leather," from Old French tané "to tan hides," from Medieval Latin tannare, from tannum "crushed oak bark," used in tanning leather, probably from a Celtic source...
color and nutty flavor.