Algarves least best kept secrets – Algarve wines
We definitely talk a lot about tourist destinations in the Algarve and not nearly enough about its cuisine and drinks, although we have touched upon the wine culture of Algarve in previous articles, the subject on the whole is a large enough to warrant several articles.
We have talked about what makes Algarve wines special when compared to others, but today we’ll look at how the winemaking industry in Algarve evolved throughout the centuries to the award-winning industry that it is today.
It’s difficult to mark the beginnings of winemaking in the Algarve, however the first official documentation of the industry comes from 1272 when Afonso III granted particular rights to several towns and cities in the region – including Tavira – in regards to their wines.
Algarve really came into its own as a wine producing region during the Middle Ages when its wines became a large part of the commercial exchange that was taking place. It is interesting to note that even though Port wine stems from the Algarve region it posed and still poses serious competition to the other types of wines that the region produces. This competition started in the 16th century and pretty much carries on to this day.
Algarve wines have stayed in the shadows mostly, nothing particularly notable taking place in recent times, even though they were highly satisfactory table wines, however that has changed quite drastically in the past decade or so.
The last ten years or so have seen a number of new and award-winning boutique vineyards establishing themselves thanks to a bunch of entrepreneurs who believed in their products’ capability of returning on the international agenda.
We’ll talk more about how the modern winemaking landscape of the Algarve looks in future articles, till then consider our Algarve car rental services if you’re planning a trip to the sunny region.
