Visit top Alentejo wine hotel and discover Talha wine
Beautiful Herdade do Sobroso, Alentejo - Source: Herdade do Sobroso
If you’re planning to explore Portugal’s incredible Alentejo wine region, make time to discover traditional Alentejo wines - Talha wine - and visit one of the top wine tourism destinations, wine hotel Herdade do Sobroso
Wine tourism Portugal
Portugal is known the world over for its exceptional wine tourism and ‘Herdade do Sobroso’ in the Alentejo wine region is amongst the top wine hotels and wine tourism destinations in Portugal.
Portugal’s Alentejo wine region is the perfect destination to experience the best of Portugal wine tourism, with its beautiful and unspoiled landscape, rolling hills, ancient castles and charming white-washed villages - and Herdade do Sobroso offers the perfect opportunity to experience the best of Alentejo!
Combine this with a wine tasting at nearby Alentejo winery, ‘Gerações da Talha’, which practises an enduring Alentejo tradition of making ‘Talha wines’ fermenting and storing wine in clay vessels, called ‘Talhas’.
Read all about our visits to top wine hotel ‘Herdade do Sobroso’ and ‘Gerações da Talha’, the home of Talha winemaking, below:
Wine tour Alentejo
Portugal’s Alentejo wine region is a vast, sun-drenched area, covering much of the southern part of Portugal, just above the Algarve. It’s Portugal’s largest wine region and is also one of Europe's least populated areas, known as the land where time slows down. You can drive for miles between towns in the Alentejo, without seeing anyone and most of the land is divided up into large farming estates.
The Portuguese see the Alentejo region as unique, having its own dialect, music, landscapes and architecture.
The Alentejo is perfect for a wine tour, as the scenery and landscapes are spectacular, the people are welcoming and hospitable and the food and wines are superb. It’s also easy to get to the Alentejo, from either the Algarve or from Lisbon, but the question is ‘which part of the Alentejo to explore’?
Stunning Alentejo landscapes - source: Winekeller
The Vidigueira wine region, Alentejo
The Alentejo is divided up into 8 specific wine regions, each representing a unique DCO (Designation of Controlled Origin). The ‘Vidigueira’ wine region is located in the centre of the region, in the municipality of Vidigueira, nestled between the towns of Évora and Beja, separating the Upper/Alto Alentejo from the Lower/Baixo Alentejo. Here gentle valleys and vast, green flatlands and marshlands give way to flat, wild, open spaces, dotted with cork oak trees, almond trees, orange and lemon trees and olive trees.
Its central location makes the Vidigueira wine region perfect for discovering Portugal’s Alentejo, but there are some other reasons too:
Vidigueira vineyards, Alentejo
Vidigueira wines
Winemaking in the Vidigueira wine region dates back to Roman times, later continued by the Greeks and vines continue to flourish today in the soils here, granite with a volcanic base. In Roman times, the region was called ‘Vitigéria’, which means “Land of Wine”.
The particular micro-climate make Vidigueira wines fresh elegant and full-bodied, with intense aromas and complexity. The major grape varietals grown in the Vidigueira region include Alfrocheiro, Antão Vaz, Manteudo, Moreto, Periquita, Perrum, Rabo de Ovelha, Roupeiro, and Trincadeira.
Talha Wines
‘Talha wine’ is a unique product that is part of the Alentejo wine culture and originates from a winemaking process that was brought by the Romans. The crushed grapes are placed inside clay pots and fermentation occurs spontaneously. (See more about this later!)
A large and growing number of Alentejo wineries still follow the tradition of producing Talha wines, especially in the heart of the Alentejo, in the Vidigueira region, around the village of Vila de Frades.
Wine tourism in the heart of the Alentejo
As for all across the Alentejo, there are some excellent wine tourism destinations and Alentejo wineries in the central Vidigueira wine region and ‘Herdade do Sobroso’ and ‘Gerações da Talha’ are up there amongst the best!
Read on to discover more!
Visit to Herdade do Sobroso
See the video here:
Herdade do Sobroso wine hotel - source: Winekeller
If you want to experience the real and authentic, traditional Alentejo, with great scenery, nature, food and wine and hospitality, then a visit to ‘Herdade do Sobroso’ needs to be on your list!
Herdade do Sobroso is a unique 1600 hectare estate in the heart of the Alentejo and the Vidigueira DOC wine region, situated on the banks of the River Guadiana near Alqueva, close to the largest artificial lake in Europe, Alqueva Reservoir. In addition to the vast forest land, home to many wild animals and beautiful nature, 70 hectares of vineyards are planted on the estate as well as over 600,000 cork oak trees.
Today, owners Sofia Ginestal Machado and Filipe Teixeira Pinto offer guests and visitors a luxury, boutique wine hotel and Alentejo country hotel, with a range of unique wine tourism experiences, typical and truly reflective of the beautiful region of Alentejo.
The Herdade do Sobroso wine hotel
Opened in 2008, the Herdade do Sobroso wine hotel, located at the centre of the vast estate, offers 11 rooms to guests, all furnished and decorated in traditional Alentejo style, with warm hospitality at its core. Its traditional design however doesn’t come without modern comfort and conveniences. A beautiful, cosy lounge area, with a log fire, is inviting, as is the fabulous open-air swimming pool and relaxation area.
The single-story hotel represents a true and traditional ‘Monte Alentejano’ - a simple farmhouse set on its own in beautiful rural surroundings, a place designed for peace and relaxation. Whether you’re relaxing in the huge courtyard, with its spectacular views over the Alentejo countryside, or relaxing in the cosy, warmth of the hotel’s interior, Herdade do Sobroso certainly offers tranquillity and rural paradise!
Herdade do Sobroso restaurant
The restaurant at Herdade do Sobroso is proud to offer a varied menu based on the best, local produce, typical of Alentejo cuisines and of course accompanied by their own wines.
We enjoyed some amazing dishes at Herdade do Sobroso, including a memorable picnic and wine tasting in the vineyards, featuring some wonderful wines of course, along with local sausages and cheeses, vegetable pies and croquettes, fruit jams and honey made on the estate and sweet pastries and cake! We then went on to enjoy a fabulous lunch in the dining room, starring some fabulous beef with fresh vegetables and a delicious orange/syrup dessert!
Herdade do Sobroso wine
Not a bad place for a wine tasting! Source: Winekeller
Herdade do Sobroso produces a wide range of white, red and rosé wines, including the core brand ‘Sobroso’ wines, a ‘Cellar Selection’ range, and aged ‘Reserva’ and ‘Grande Reserva’ wines. They grow a large range of different grape varieties including traditional Alentejo and Portuguese grape varieties as well as international varieties, including Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.
We particularly enjoyed the superb ‘Cellar Selection’ Syrah Rosé and the ‘Red Reserva’, which matched the beef perfectly!
The estate winery, cellar and wine shop are located next to the hotel, giving you the opportunity to browse and sample the different Herdade do Sobroso wines and see how they are made!
Activities to enjoy at Herdade do Sobroso
A stay at Herdade do Sobroso offers so many possibilities to relax and engage with nature, both on and off the 1600 hectare estate, whatever your interests are. Take a ride in a hot air balloon over the spectacular Alentejo landscapes, cycle through the vineyards, or perhaps take a horse ride through the vineyards? If water sports are your thing, then spend time kayaking on the estate lake - or travel to nearby Alqueva lake to enjoy a wide variety of water sports. Or relax with a picnic in the vineyards as we did, or a massage or a spot of yoga?
Enjoying the views on our jeep safari!
We enjoyed a brilliant ‘jeep safari’ on the estate, through the forest and up to the top of the mountain where we enjoyed the most amazing views! We also got to see some wild red stags, which roam the estate and some beautiful flora and fauna which our knowledgeable guide pointed out to us, including the famous cork oak trees. Sadly we didn’t see any mallard ducks though, the emblem of Herdade do Sobroso!
Wine tasting at Herdade do Sobroso
Of course you also have the opportunity to enjoy a wine tasting, either with a selection of Alentejo cheeses or with a scrumptious lunch!
How to find Herdade do Sobroso
Address: Apartado 61, 7960-011 Vidigueira:
Summary & highlights of our visit to Herdade do Sobroso
We spent a wonderful few hours at this beautiful traditional Alentejo hotel and estate. It’s the ‘real deal’ here, offering you the chance to discover the traditional, authentic Alentejo. As well as the tranquillity and the nature, what we really loved was the warmth of the welcome and the hospitality extended to us, which was truly special!
Visit to Vila de Frades Vidigueira, to learn more about Talha wine
See the video here:
As mentioned earlier, ‘Talha’ winemaking is a unique part of the Alentejo culture and identity and the capital of Talha wines is the village of Vila de Frades in the Vidigueira region. Whilst in the area, we jumped at the chance to learn about the technique, the history of it and of course to taste some Talha wine!
Talha meaning
Talha winemaking was introduced by the Romans and is basically a natural way of making wine, where everything goes into a clay vessel, called a ‘Talha’, (also called ‘amphora’) not just the grapes, but the stems too. Apparently, the word ‘Talha’ derives from the Latin word “ Tinalia ”, which means a large vase or vessel. A ‘Talha’ is, therefore, a clay pot, with the purpose of allowing the fermentation of wine musts and storage of various liquid products, especially wine and oil.
Talhas are still made today, but only in smaller sizes, not the large ones.
The Talha winemaking process
Once the grapes and stems have been put into the Talha, spontaneous fermentation starts straight away and can take up to 3 weeks. The solid materials float naturally to the top, due to the presence of carbon monoxide.
During this time the contents of the Talha have to be stirred each day by hand with a wooden tool called a ‘rodo’ to force the solid contents down into the juice and extract the gases, an arduous process. The Talhas are open during this fermentation period and aferwards they are covered, usually with a rug. In Roman times olive oil was used as a protective barrier.
After fermentation, the grape skins and seeds form on the bottom of the Talha and the wine rests on this for several months. A plug is then opened in the bottom of the Talha and the wine is drained out, leaving behind the solid material - through this process the wine has naturally filtered itself.
The process is the same, for white wine, red wine and for ‘Palhete’ wines (a mixture of red and white grapes).
A traditional 'Talha'
Why are Talha wines becoming more popular?
Producing Talha wines was commonplace in this region, up until the advent of the ‘wine cooperative’ in the 1960s, when wine producers opted to send their grapes here to be made into wine.
In recent years however Talha wines have had a resurgence, in part due to the desire to reintroduce traditional cultures, but also in response to the growing demand for ‘natural wines’. Natural yeasts are used in Talha winemaking and no additional sulphites are added to the process.
Do Talha wines taste different to ‘normal’ wines?
Yes. The process enables the true expression of the grape variety to show through and the tannins can be quite strong - in white as well as red wines. This is because the wine has fermented with the grape stems and seeds and greater oxidation than normal has occurred during the process, as the clay pots are open to the air.
Today, there are 5 Alentejo wineries in the village of Vila de Frades, making traditional Talha wines, following the 2000 years old process. We had the pleasure to visit one of these wineries and can highly recommend it!
About Adega ‘Gerações da Talha’
Gerações da Talha winery, Vila de Frades
Gerações da Talha wine tour
Adega Gerações da Talha is a family winery, dating back to the mid 18th century.
The current owner’s great-grandfather originally acquired the winery, Francisco Nogueira Anacleto and the passion for and secrets of Talha winemaking have been passed subsequently through the generations.
This traditional wine cellar produces about 50-100,000 bottles of Talha wines per year and uses up to 50 Talhas in the winemaking process. Traditionally, most of its wines have been sold across Alentejo and Portugal but increasingly more is now exported, especially to the USA, Japan and South Korea, as the interest in natural wines continues to grow.
Wine tours at Adega Gerações da Talha
You can visit the Gerações da Talha winery for a wine tasting, accompanied by local sausage meats, cheeses, bread and olives - or you can book a range of different wine tours, offering the chance to experience the region, learn more about the history and of course, sample the wonderful Talha wines and Alentejo cuisine! See here for details and make sure you book in advance!
How to find Adega Gerações da Talha
Address: Rua de Lisboa, 29A, 7960-432 Vila de Frades:
Other things to do and see in Alentejo’s Vidigueira region
Visit the Roman ruins of São Cucufate in Vila de Frades
The archaeological ruin of São Cucufate is an important historical site in the village of Vila de Frades. São Cucufate was a convent, dedicated to Saint Cucuphas and built in the Middle Ages, but its beginnings date back to the first century when it was a small Roman villa and when Talha wines were once made from grapes grown here.
You can also explore the São Cucufate vineyards by foot, following a signed walking trail.
Spend time relaxing at the beautiful Alqueva Lake
Alqueva Lake is one of the largest artificial lakes in Europe, on the River Guadiana - great for all sorts of water sports, hiking and cycling.
Vidigueira and Vila de Frades are located close to the southern end of the lake and the lovely town of Moura.
Visit nearby Beja
The closest large town to Herdade do Sobroso and Vila de Frades, is Beja, where you can visit the ancient Beja Castle and tower - the Torre de Menagem - the scene of many historic battles. Also worth visiting is the Beja Regional Museum.
Summary and highlights
Talha wines are a distinctive and important part of Alentejo’s cultural heritage, as well as a great example of a growing trend towards ‘natural wines’ so it was wonderful to learn more about this tradition and taste the wines in the capital of Talha winemaking!
In our opinion, Herdade do Sobroso offers an incredible opportunity to get to know the real Alentejo and we would love to return one day to stay there a few days. This is an incredibly relaxing and welcoming place to experience the authentic Alentejo and to step into an oasis of calm and nature - we’ll be back!!
Additional information:
More information about Herdade do Sobroso
More information about ‘Gerações da Talha’
For more information about visiting the Alentejo see: VisitPortual - Alentejo and ‘VisitAlentejo’
For more information about Alentejo wines visit ‘Wines of Alentejo’
