📍 Palmela

Palmela is a protected designation of origin on the Setúbal Peninsula south of Lisbon, a wide area embraced by the estuaries of the Tagus and the Sado. The delimited area covers the municipalities of Montijo, Palmela and Setúbal and the parish of Castelo in the municipality of Sesimbra.

The main red grape is Castelão: in red Palmela wines it must make up at least two thirds of the must. Most soils of the region are light and sandy; vineyards for the designation may also stand on brown and red calcareous soils. The climate is mixed, subtropical and Mediterranean-maritime, with little rain, and is shaped by the sea, the Tagus and Sado basins and the Serra da Arrábida.

White Palmela wines are made mainly from Fernão Pires. Other grapes on the list include Arinto, Moscatel Graúdo, Moscatel Galego, Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira and Cabernet Sauvignon. Red, white and rosé wines are made, as well as sparkling and semi-sparkling wines and liqueur (fortified) wines; the reds are usually full-bodied, with aromas of red fruit and jam.

Winegrowing here has a long history: grape seeds from the 8th century BC were found during excavations in Almada, on the Tagus estuary. In 1185 the town of Palmela received its first charter, which already mentioned the vineyards and wine of the area.