Our hotel set us up with a winery visit this afternoon in nearby Estremoz. Dona Maria is an older winery, starting out as an estate built in the 18th century. King Joao V acquired it to house his mistress, Dona Maria.
On the left side of the estate is a chapel, where the King would go to give penance for the evil acts he was about to commit (guess that makes it ok?). A secret passageway was built to give access to the house directly from the chapel. Wouldn’t want to have to walk in the rain after saying 20 Hail Mary’s!
The estate has made wine for 150 years, but it really took off in 1988, when it’s current owner purchased the property and started commerical wine making. They kept some historical items however, and still use them. Here are the vats where the wine is still crushed by foot.
Most of the whites are fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks, while the reds use a combination old and new of French and American oak (80% French, 20% American). Seems to be a common theme here in Portugal to use 20-30% American oak.
We tried 5 wines, and they were all decent. Well worth the visit!
