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Vidigueira and the Talha Wine

vinho da talha adega vila de frades Vidigueira

It would be impossible to talk about Vidigueira without mentioning wine tourism and gastronomy, but you will also be surprised by the historical richness of this municipality.

The cornfields, olive groves and vineyards are also part of the natural and human wealth of this region and give rise to the local products that we appreciate so much, such as bread, olive oil and, above all, the wine.

Through this article, we invite you to come with us to discover this land, whose motto is “Vidigueira, Where Time is Lived”. If you're interested in getting to know us, don't miss our Vidigueira, Vinho da Talha and Rio Guadiana program, from February 28th to March 2nd.



 


Vidigueira: Wine from Talha and

Guadiana

28 Feb 2025, 19:00 – 02 Mar

2025, 13:00 | Beja



 

What to visit in Vidigueira


Vidigueira is located in the Lower Alentejo, in the district of Beja, on the border with the Upper Alentejo. To the North, the Serra do Mendro separates the Lower Alentejo and the Upper Alentejo, and Vidigueira from the district of Évora. To the east, the municipality is bordered by Guadiana River and to the south and west by vast fields and plains.



Keep - Castle and Manueline Window

janela manuelina Vidigueira

The Keep it's is what remains of the old Vidigueira Castle, which dates back to the 13th century, during the reign of Afonso III. At that time, a strategy was being implemented to repopulate this region, after the territory was reconquered from the Moors.

After belonging to the Crown, the possession of the castle was granted to the illustrious navigator D. Vasco da Gama, when he received the title of Count of Vidigueira. You can still see the Gamas coat of arms on the tower.

Next to the Tower, there is a Manueline window, brought from Vila de Frades in 1970. As for its origin, it is believed to be from the palace of the Counts of Vidigueira.



Clock Tower

torre do relógio Vidigueira

The Clock Tower dates from the end of Middle Ages. It has a bell ordered by Vasco da Gama in 1520.


Chapel of Santa Clara

ermida de Santa Clara

Dating from 1555, it was commissioned by D. Francisco da Gama, 2nd Count of Vidigueira, and his wife, D. Guiomar de Vilhena.


Roman Ruins of São Cucufate

Roman Ruins of São Cucufate are located near Vila de Frades. The architectural complex was a Roman villa from the 1st century, which operated as a farm.


The place was abandoned in the 5th century, and, around the 10th century, the building was inhabited by a community of friars who had Saint Cucufate as their patron saint. This community lived there for about two centuries.

It's a unique and impressive national monument that still preserves the first floor.




Quinta do Carmo

The Carmelite Convent of Nossa Senhora das Relíquias, was the place that Vasco da Gama, Count of Vidigueira, chose to be buried. The navigator's remains were in the church of this convent from 1539 until 1880, when they were transferred to the Jerónimos monastery.


As this is a private property, visits are only possible by appointment.



Notable personalities of the region


Vasco da Gama - 1st Count of Vidigueira and Vila de Frades

The title of Count of Vidigueira was offered to Vasco da Gama in 1519 by D. Manuel I. Vasco da Gama was himself from Alentejo, having been born in a town near Sines.


vasco da gama conde da vidigueira

Fialho de Almeida

In Vila de Frades we can find the house where the author Fialho de Almeida was born in 1857. In his literary works he also dedicated himself to writing about Vidigueira and Alentejo, especially in “O País das Uvas” ("The Land of Grapes").


casa Fialho Almeida Vila de Frades

Cristovão Colon Interpretive Center


Despite being outside the municipality of Vidigueira, we could not fail to mention the Cristóvão Colon Center.

The man who "discovered" America, who became known as Christopher Colon, was he Portuguese or Genoese? Historian Mascarenhas Barreto defends the thesis that he was not only Portuguese, but also from Alentejo, Cuba, and his real name was Salvador Fernandes Zarco. This thesis has attracted many curious people to the municipality.

Since 2011, the Cristovão Colón Center has been open to the public, created through a partnership between the municipality of Cuba and the Cristovão Colón Association. It is a space for discovery that brings together a collection of paintings, books and maps with the aim of confirming the accuracy of this thesis; as well as accounts of his travels to the New World, between 1492 and 1504.

In 2006, a bronze statue of the navigator was inaugurated in the center of the town of Cuba.


estátua Cristovão Colón Cuba


Wine tourism


There are many wineries in the municipality of Vidigueira and many spaces that preserve this important legacy of the region.


As wine production is the main activity driving tourism in the region, many spaces have been refurbished and now have the capacity to receive visitors, and there is also a large program around this theme.


Vila de Frades, The capital of the Talha Wine


Vila de Frades is known as the capital of Talha Wine (wine from a clay pot). Almost all of its inhabitants have their own wine cellar where they produce their own wine. There are more than 60 producers in the village.


The Vinho da Talha Interpretative Center it was opened in 2020, with the aim of preserving and promoting the heritage related to Talha Wine.


Between the towns of Vila Alva and Vila de Frades are the “Centennial Vineyards”, an ancestral treasure. Some of its varieties, "true relics of the past, are on the verge of extinction, making each bottle of Talha Wine a unique and unrepeatable experience.”


vinhas centenárias são cucufate vila de frades


Talha Wine, 2 thousand years of history in Alentejo


Talha wine is an ancient winemaking activity, in which wine is produced using traditional techniques brought to Alentejo by the Romans over 2,000 years ago.

Jars are clay pots used since Roman times to store wine and olive oil. To prevent the wine from coming into contact with the clay and becoming sour and to increase its shelf life, the jars are coated with beeswax and resin from coniferous trees. This process, called “pesgagem”, must be repeated every 10 to 15 years.

The crushed grapes are placed in the jar and the fermentation process occurs naturally and spontaneously, without any yeast being added. Fermentation occurs due to direct contact with the must, which also gives rise to a wine with more color, aroma and flavors.

“During the fermentation process, the must needs to be stirred two to three times a day so that the gases formed do not create too much pressure and the jar bursts. After fermentation, the must descends to the bottom of the jar, where it comes into contact with the wine, and will serve as a filter when the cork at the bottom of the jar is cut and through which the new wine will flow, on the long-awaited São Martinho Day.”

The Talha Wine technique is currently a candidate for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Talha Wine Route is a route that can be traveled through 22 municipalities, visiting wineries and tasting this delicious wine. However, the municipality driving this route is Vidigueira, especially the parish of Vila de Frades, where the largest number of producers and wineries are concentrated.


Gerações da Talha


At Adega Gerações da Talha, we were welcomed by Teresa Caeiro, who is now in charge of the project, and whose mission is to preserve this tradition. This ancient know-how has been in her family for so many generations that she can't even remember. Her childhood was spent in the wine cellar and vineyards. After studying in Lisbon, she returned to this town “where everyone knows each other” to draw on the knowledge of her grandfather, Professor Arlindo Maria Ruivo. Thus, Teresa has dedicated herself to producing wine in the amphora and welcoming visitors to the cellar.


While we tasted the wines, a white and a Palhete, made with a mixture of red and white grapes, Teresa told us the story of her great-grandfather Francisco Anacleto, whose wine barrel she still preserves, and with which he used to supply the local taverns.

She showed us the jars that were several hundred years old and told us about this ancient technique of making wine, made from native grape varieties, such as Antão Vaz.



Wine Cellar Museum Cella Vinaria Antiqua


At Wine Cellar Museum Cella Vinaria Antiqua, We were welcomed by Nathalia, a Brazilian winemaker, who came here to learn about Vinho da Talha, fascinated by this tradition, unique in the world.

The winery is located in a century-old building, which has always served the function of a wine cellar. The building acquired by Honrado Vineyards underwent an intervention that revealed the original design of the building, and then its original construction was restored, an astonishing old winery with a lot of history.

On the guided tour they showed us the talhas, a “ladrão” - a talha buried in the ground, an old well and a refrigeration system.



Next to the winery is the restaurant O País das Uvas, a family restaurant that is a gastronomic reference in the region. Typical Alentejo cuisine, such as eggs with silarcas and asparagus and açordas are accompanied by Talha wines produced in the winery.



Other wineires:

  • Tabernas dos Arcos

The tavern space is surrounded by clay jars (talhas), the oldest of which dates back to 1656. You can also still find the traditional well that was used to keep the wines cool.

  • Casa das Talhas

  • XXVI Talhas (Vila Alva)

  • Adega Museu Vinho da Talha, Vidigueira



Events


São Martinho - Opening of the Talhas


A popular saying goes “On São Martinho, go to the cellar and taste the wine”.

Every year on Saint Martin's Day, the opening of the jars is celebrated, a very old tradition. The producers taste and offer the new wine to be tasted, and it is celebrated with family, neighbors and friends and, of course, with Cante Alentejano.

On this day, a tap is placed on the talha and the wine begins to flow into a clay bowl, a moment of great celebration of many months of work by the producers.


Every year, Adega Gerações organizes the Winery Route, a program that celebrates the tradition of Talha Wine in Vila de Frades. It starts with a visit to the Gerações da Talha winery, with the opening of the amphorae and the tasting of the new wine. A choral group of Cante Alentejo (traditional Alentejo singing), guides the group on foot through the village of Vila de Frades, visiting several wine cellars, where the producers' wine is made. Afterwards, we return to the Gerações da Talha winery, where a traditional lunch will be served, among the jars, usually a chickpea stew and other Alentejo snacks.

A tradition that was done among friends and family is now open to the entire community and visitors.


Vitifrades


Vitifrades It is a gastronomic fair dedicated to promoting Vinho da Talha, which has been taking place since 1998 in Vila Frades, in December. It offers a variety of activities, including: Cante Alentejano, Show Cookings, Talha Wine Competitions, walks, etc.


Harvest


In August/September, the Adega Cooperativa of Vidigueira, Cuba and Alvito offers a Harvest (Vindimas) program where you can learn how to harvest grapes, eat the traditional bucha served in the vineyard and have lunch with wine tasting.


Cante Alentejano

On November 27, 2014, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared Cante Alentejano as Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Cante Alentejano has always been spontaneously expressed in the wine cellars and taverns of Alentejo, during moments of social interaction between men.

When the voices are released in unison, singing their repertoire of popular songs, an enormous emotion is felt by those who watch.


Talha wine and Cante Alentejano are, therefore, two strong excuses to visit Vidigueira.

Quimera is organizing a weekend in Vidigueira, with hiking, gastronomy, wine tasting and Cante Alentejo, on the first weekend of March.


 


Vidigueira: Wine from Talha and

Guadiana

28 Feb 2025, 19:00 – 02 Mar

2025, 13:00 | Beja



 

Hiking


Promoted by the City Council of Vidigueira, The project “Vidigueira Mexe-te sff” (Vidigueira please Move), created several pedestrian routes with the aim of taking people to discover the landscapes of the municipality of Vidigueira, in the parishes of Vidigueira, Vila de Frades, Pedrógão and Selmes.


Other trails we recommend:

  • PR1 VDG - Through the Vineyards of São Cucufate

  • PR1 CUB - In the Centennial Vineyards of Vila Alva


Through the Vineyards of São Cucufate trail


Guadiana River


If you visit Vidigueira, we recommend a walk for contemplation along the Guadiana River, near the village of Pedrógão.

Below the Pedrógão dam we can find a stretch that preserves its primitive and wild beauty, with viewpoints and rocks that the local inhabitants have given names to. It is a place that inspires tranquility and harmony, perfect for observing fauna and flora. We went on a winter morning when the valley and fields were covered in fog that only dissipated later. The end of the day is also a good time to visit the area, as the colors are great for photography.


The name Guadiana comes from the toponym Odiana or Uadiana, from the time of al Garb al Andalus, and which means “west of Hispania”. It is the third largest river in the Iberian Peninsula, running a total of 810 km from the Ruidera lagoons in Spain to its mouth between Vila Real de Santo António and Ayamonte. For much of its route it delimits the border between Portugal and Spain, and is associated with many stories of smuggling.





Where to eat


The cuisine of this Alentejo region is closely linked to game, sausages and hams, fish from the Guadiana River, Alentejo bread, olive oil, olives and cilarcas.


The cilarca is a wild mushroom (Amanita ponderosa). It is an edible species that grows in montados, but can easily be confused with other toxic species of Amanitas. Its commercial value is high and its demand has increased a lot.


Some of the typical dishes are:

  • Soups and açordas

  • Black pig

  • Lamb stew

  • Beans with tengarrinhas


Restaurants


  • País das Uvas - Vila de Frades

  • Taberna do Inteiriço - Vila de Frades

  • Adega do Zé Galante - Vila de Frades

  • Quinta do Quetzal - Vila de Frades

  • Taberna da Tia Jacinta - Vidigueira

  • Adega da Lua - Cuba

  • Adega de Monte Pedral - Cuba



Glossary


Mãe - solid parts that, resting at the bottom of the jar, are essential for the aging and filtering of the wine.


Ladrão - auxiliary jar ****buried in the cellar floor. Its main function is to serve as a safety reservoir for the must or wine. If any of the larger jars (talhas), where fermentation takes place, bursts, the spilled wine flows naturally into the drain, preventing significant losses.


Palhete - The Palhete wine it is made with a mixture of red and white grapes, and, according to the law, white grapes cannot exceed 15% of the total grapes used. The alcohol content of this type of wine is usually low - between 11% and 12%.


Tengarrinhas - chopped thistles whose stems are edible, after removing the thorny leaves.


References




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