📍 Alentejo

Alentejo is a historical region in southern Portugal that covers more than a third of the country's mainland. It is a land of plains and gentle hills, with cork and holm oaks and fields of grain; the highest range is the Serra de São Mamede in the north. The regional wine zone takes in the districts of Beja, Évora and Portalegre.

There are no mountain barriers, so the Atlantic's influence is weak: spring and summer are hot and dry, rainfall is 550–650 mm a year (750–850 mm in Borba, 900–1,000 mm in Portalegre), and there are about 3,000 hours of sunshine. Wine was known here even before the Romans, and under the Romans vine growing became widespread.

The DOP Alentejo appellation has been protected in the EU since 1996 and has 8 subregions: Borba, Évora, Granja-Amareleja, Moura, Portalegre, Redondo, Reguengos and Vidigueira. According to the IVV, vineyards covered 25,421.93 ha in 2025. The most planted varieties are Alicante Bouschet (17.7 %), Aragonez, that is Tempranillo (16.8 %), Syrah (9.3 %) and Trincadeira (9.0 %); the leading white is Antão Vaz (5.4 %).

Talha wine ferments for 8–15 days in large clay jars. According to the CVRA, the Romans brought the technique more than 2,000 years ago, and it is still alive in many villages and small towns; the talhas are opened on St Martin's Day, 11 November. In 2023 sales of this wine rose by 34 %, to 113 thousand l.

Why it matters to you. “Alentejo” on the label means a DOP wine made under stricter rules: reds have at least 12 % alcohol, yields are capped at 8,500 kg/ha, and exports are allowed only in bottle. “Alentejano” is the broader IG regional wine, which accounts for 77 % of sales. A subregion name such as Reguengos or Vidigueira points to a specific zone.