🍷 Carcavelos

Carcavelos is a fortified wine with a protected designation of origin from a small area near the mouth of the Tagus, west of Lisbon in Portugal. The vineyards lie in parts of the municipalities of Cascais and Oeiras, between low hills and the Atlantic coast.

Carcavelos is a liqueur wine: under EU rules, wines of this category get part of their strength from added spirit of vine origin. It must have 15–22% alcohol and no more than 150 g of sugar per litre. Before it is sold, the wine must age for at least two years in wooden casks and six months in bottle. The vines are trained low, and the maximum yield is 55 hectolitres per hectare.

White Carcavelos ranges from straw yellow to deep gold, and red from ruby to topaz. The wine is velvety, with an almond-like aroma; with age its colour fades and its perfume grows stronger. The climate is mild Mediterranean, softened by the nearby sea, and the vines grow on red Mediterranean and calcareous soils. The area has been regulated for more than a hundred years. Alcohol is for adults.