Baías e Enseadas
Colares, Lisboa
The Rebirth of Portugal’s Most Unique Wine Region
Daniel Afonso did not grow up in a wine family, but once he was bitten by the wine bug, he went all in. In 2013 he planted two small vineyards on calcareous clay just a few kilometers from the ocean.
But Daniel’s project, aptly named Baías e Enseadas (Bays and Coves), does not only represent a personal passion. It also represents one of the most important movements in Portuguese wine, the rebirth of its most unique wine region, Colares.
Colares is about 45 minutes northwest of Lisbon, right on the ocean. To the south, the Sintra mountains trap the cold, wet, Atlantic air, making it significantly cooler than Lisbon. The traditional wines of the region are planted directly into the sandy beaches of the region.
Unfortunately, for most of recent history, the story of Colares has been one of decline, as the co-op model of the region fell prey to beachfront property development. Until just a few years ago, only a few hectares of the traditional sand vineyards of Colares remained.
Daniel faced these same issues when he sought out to start his own project, but he has joined a small group of resourceful winegrowers who are showing a new face of the region, combining the traditional grapes of Colares and those of broader Lisboa to limestone vineyards within Colares’s extreme maritime climate. While these are not the traditional wines of Colares (Daniel’s wines are labeled Lisboa VR, as Colares DOC requires that the vines be planted on their own root stock in sand), they are unmistakably of the region with their ocean perfume and sea-salt minerality. The clay and limestone soils do provide a notably Burgundian accent, however: that familiar balance of mouth coating texture and weightless acidity.
Today, for the first time in living memory, the conversation around Colares is one of new plantings and exciting new wines. Baias e Enseadas is at the forefront of this conversation, and we couldn't be more excited to have it with you and your customers.