A vast, rural area of flat plains speckled with cork oaks and olive trees, the flatness broken by the occasional " Monte" or low hill on which a large estate or small village will be perched. It is hot - really hot - in summer, requiring irrigation for the many and large vineyards. The Alentejo was the standard bearer for Portugal's wine revolution, adopting modern winegrowing methods with great results and international critical declaim. Best known for red wines which are generally full bodied, fruity and suitable for aging, its DOC sub-regions are PORTALEGRE, BORBA, REDONDO, GRANJA/ AMARELEJA, MOURA and EVORA, with regional Alentejano wines becoming evermore popular. White wines are not traditional to the region but with the help of temperature-controlled fermentation tanks some very good whites are appearing, those from VIDIGUEIRA being striking example .
NEXT : R 7 - TERRAS DO SADO - DOC'S PALMELA & SETUBAL.
Groetjes van LucieBondt, vanuit een zwaar bewolkt met regenvlagen Cascais.
Long maligned as a region of bulk wines, this highly fertile region situated in the wide flattish valey of the River Tagus is now a heaven for ambitious young winemakers and radical producers to make exciting and excellent value for money wines. Unlike many of the more northern wine areas. RIBATEJO consists mainly of larger estates where vineyards count as a small yet highly significant proprtion of the land.
NEXT : R 6 - ALENTEJO - DOC ALENTEJO.
Groetjes van LucieBondt, vanuit een zwaar bewolkt en fris Cascais, max 16º
R 4 - ESTRAMADURA : DOC'S : ALENQUER, ARRUDA,BUCELAS,CARCAVELOS,COLARES,LOURINHA,OBIDOS & TORRES VEDRAS. Northwest of LISBOA, international grapes such as MERLOT, CABERNET SAUVIGNON and CHARDONNAY thrive amid the many traditional varieties in the region's moderate climate. Some of the region's best reds and some quality whites come from ATLANTIC cold winds and fogs where grapes ripen well to produce concentrated wines.Estramadura also houses one of Portugal's oldest appelations - BUCELAS, whose micro-climate favours the arinto grape resulting in white wines that rank with the country's best.
NEXT : R 5 - RIBATEJO.
Groetjes van LucieBondt, vanuit een zwaar bewolkt, zeer fris Cascais , max 16º
BEIRAS regional wines ( they take the name from the BEIRA LITORAL, BEIRA ALTA and BEIRA BAIXA provinces) are highly interesting, allowing producers to experiment with grapes other than the Baga variety which doninates DOC BAIRRADO wines- tannic, intensely coloured, with fruity, complex aromas and tremendous aging potential. Sparkling wines are another plus from this limestone soil area. Rolling hills and smalholdings of mainly vines dominate the landscape of the BEIRA, where DOC DAO red wines from mostly granite and slate soils offer a great diversity in style and expression of fruit with an earthy, vegetal edge. DAO whites are generally fruity and aromatic.
NEXT : R 4 - ESTRAMADURA
Groetjes van LucieBondt, vanuit een zwaar bewolkt en fris Cascais, max 15º
R 2 - TRAS-OS MONTES - DOC'S D O U R O & P O R T O
Portugal's most remote and rugged region. TRAS-OS_MONTES (Beyond the mountains) is hone to both DOURO Wines and Port. For centuries the steep slopes of the Douro valley have been tamed by vine terraces plunging down to the river, uniquely spectaccular scenery in this UNESCO WORLD heritage site. While PORT may be the Douro's most famous product, table wine is produced in greater quantities and is capturing the imagination of producers and consumers alike. Searing summers and poor, rocky soil producers low yields of gigantic wines :inky opaque, ripe, black berried with notes of rockrose similar to everything you would expect to find in a young PORT.
Next : R 3 - BEIRAS - DOC'S : DAO, BAIRRADA-BEIRA INTERIOR & TAVORA VAROSA.
Groetjes van LucieBondt, vanuit een warm Cascais, met min 12º en max 24º
R 1 - MINHO - DOC V I N H O V E R D E . Home to VINHO VERDE , a distinctive Portuguese wine style that is light and crisp. The style may vary depending on the nine sub-regions : Alvarinho wines from Monçao for example are drier and fuller bodied, whereas those from Loureiro grapes in central Minho show more perfume and finesse.Curiously, in the region itself re vinho verde is highly popular. All share the common denominator of needing to be drunk young -preferably within a year or two of release. The countryside is lovely seemingly endless lush,rolling hills with plots of vine at every turn often shrouded in veils of mist and architecture dominated by the stark grey of local granite, seen to best effect in the splendid old cities of Braga and Guimaraes.
Next : R 2 - TRAS - OS - MONTES - DOC's DOURO & PORTO.
Groetjes van LucieBondt, vanuit een zomers Cascais , met waarden boven 25º !
Portugal is ahead of the game in the new Europe, and this is amply reflected in its WINE. With its unrivailed treasury of native grape varieties and its sultry climate tempered by the restraining hand of the ATLANTIC, Portugal has all it needs to rise to the top in the 21 st.century. FAMOUS GRAPE VARIETIES ARE : *ALVARINHO (white) - ARINHO (white), * ARAGONEZ (red) - CASTELAO (RED) - FERNAO PIRES (white) - * TOURIGA NACIONA (red) - * TRINCADEIRA (red) . DESIGNATIONS OF ORIGIN : From the North to the South, we describe the eight WINE REGIONS,with her denomination of origin/appellation, starting to-morrow with : R 1 - MINHO - DOC : V I N H O V E R D E .
Groetjes van LucieBondt, vanuit een stralend , zonnig met Zuid-wind Cascais.
PESTANA Hotel keten investeert 20 miljoen euro. Op 't einde van dit jaar start de Pestana hotel keten met de constructie van een "POUSADA" hotel met 127 kamers, frontaal zicht op de oceaan, en achtergrond de stadsmuur Cascais, zeer centraal gelegen in de CIDADELA (oude Kazerne) van Cascais.
Groetjes van LucieBondt, vanuit een zwaar bewolkt Cascais, met min 9º en max 20º
Het Congres Centrum ESTORIL zal eerstdaags, op 7-8 en 9 Mei, de eerste editie ontvangen van " CONFERENCIAS do ESTORIL, ondergeschikt aan het thema " Globaal Trotseren, Lokaal Respons". Prominenten TONY BLAIR, GERHARD SCHRODER, JOSE MARIA AZNAR, FERNANDO CARDOSO, DAVID HELD, YAN XUETONG, SAMIR AMIN en vele anderen hebben reeds hun aanwezigheid bevestigd. Het initiatief beweert te bevestigen dat Portugal en ESTORIL de Jaarlijkse ontmoetings plaats zal zijn voor een en ander onder de meest achtenswaardige indivualiteiten, internationale organisaties, universiteiten, research centra en niet gouvernementale organisaties.
Groetjes van LucieBondt, vanuit een zeer fris Cascais, met min 7º en max 15º!
Op vraag van meerdere bezoekers aan mijn blog, met de nakende vakantie voor de deur, geef ik U een TOP-10 van de voor mij meest interessante VISRESTAURANTS aan de COSTA DO ESTORIL :
PORTO SANTO MARIA - Estrada do Guincho - Cascais - Gesloten op Maandag Specialiteiten : DOURADA em SAL No Forno.
BEIRA MAR Rua das Flores 6 Cascais - Gesloten Dinsdag. Specialiteiten GARROUPE GRELADO
R 6 - ALENTEJO - DOC ALENTEJO
R 5 - RIBATEJO - DOC RIBATEJO
R 4 - ESTRAMADURA : DOC'S : ALENQUER, ARRUDA,BUCELAS,CARCAVELOS,COLARES,LOURINHA,OBIDOS & TORRES VEDRAS. 
R 3 - BEIRAS.
