There are wines that reach a rare prestige, capable of crossing centuries, which fineness demands that the will of an entire people works towards its preservation. That is what happens with the wines from Carcavelos, a legacy from the Lisbon region, produced in Oeiras Municipality with the devotion due to the great national passions. The fortified wines Villa Oeiras enclose secrets and techniques almost as old as the history of Portugal.
The tiny Vinho de Carcavelos Wine Region designates a terroir west of Lisbon, close to the sea, in the municipalities of Cascais and Oeiras, characterized by limestone soils, facing south with mild temperatures. The fame of its wines, so well imprinted in the memory of the Portuguese people, explains the reason why they have reached such an important status: in 1782, King Joseph I sent them to Beijing’s Court as a proof of the Crown’s affection.
Produced since the 16th century, they were protected by law in 1908 but have recently been suffering the urban pressure. This was sufficient grounds for the Oeiras municipality to take charge of its protection, inaugurating not just a brand but a living tribute to the techniques and excellence of this important heritage.
The Villa Oeiras wines capture the essence of the liqueur wines of our collective memory: delicate; topaz colored; velvety; with almond, honey and spices aroma and good acidity it owes its peculiar aromas to the aging in Portuguese and French oak for at least seven years. The vine varieties are the same that have been growing here since ancient times: Galedo Dourado, Ratinho, Arinto and also Piriquita and Preto-Marinho. To pronounce their names is like returning to those old times ruled by the seasons and the manual labor.
We invite you to discover these delicate wines with remarkable full-bodied and complex aromas and, therefore, associate to the effort to preserve, restore and revitalize the heritage that constitutes such a gratifying testimony. To taste one of the delicious Carcavelos Villa Oeiras is much more than a memorable organoleptic experience: it’s like being a part of History, celebrating the vitality of such noble traditions as the nobility of the Lisbon Court that has been consuming them for over five centuries.
