A River of Wine

First, News on the Home Front.

For the last three weeks we have not been able to drive. Grounded. We are waiting for the driver license exchange (USA to PT) to be processed. Now we cannot just jump in the car whenever we feel the need for a piece of hardware, more cheese, or just a drive in the countryside. We arrange rides with neighbors into town a few days a week – another opportunity to stumble along speaking Portuguese like a 2-year-old. Keeps us humble. Must be good for building character, right? (Photo: Dinner at an outdoor café near the 900-year-old monastery in Alcobaça)

A River of Wine.

Did you see the news about the River of Red Wine flooding the streets of a Portugal town? Firefighters were called to help divert the flow of about 2 million liters of wine roaring down the streets after two wine tanks burst at a winery in central Portugal a few weeks ago. Watch video footage.

Yes, wine is central to Portuguese culture, but it is generally not running down the streets! Wine does pour at the tables of Portuguese families, however. Portugal leads the world with the highest per-capital consumption of wine at 67.5 liters per person per year, far ahead of second-place France at only 47.4 liters per capital per year. Here wine remains an essential part of the patrimoine, or cultural heritage. (1)

A typical village with small vineyards near our home.

The number of choices of wines in any grocery store is staggering. But choosing well is not difficult. Just close your eyes and grab any bottle! It is likely to cost 4 euros or less – and will be good . There are no bad wines in Portugal. A vineyard would quickly go out of business if it allowed inferior wine off premises.

Portugal boasts over 250 native grape varieties, and hundreds more imported. Production is diversified across the county, reflecting the variation in soil conditions and climate in each region. Wines are grouped by region: Alentejo, Duoro, Transmontano, Dão, Lisbão, Algarve, Setúbal, Madeira, Tejo, Vinho Verde, Beira Atlântico, and Beira Interior. We live in the Lisbõa region.

Most wine is produced on small family farms and through winery cooperatives. The average winery employs 6.6 workers. Employment rate is growing at almost 6% a year. (2)

I love that ownership is also diversified, with no company holding more than 5% of the market share. In fact, the socialist government limits the number of liters any one winery can produce in a year, which keeps small businesses from being overshadowed by big corporations. Imagine!

Climate change is impacting most crops in Europe. “Concerns surrounding climate change continue to unsettle wine-producing areas around the globe,” explains Frederico Falcão, President of ViniPortugal. “Portugal continues to effortlessly adjust, thanks to the country’s resilient winemakers, forward-thinking farmers, and innovative hands in the cellar.” Many Portuguese producers are taking their efforts a step further by installing solar panels, irrigating less, and using fewer chemicals in the vineyard. (3)

We toured an all-organic winery a few months ago and appreciate the many years of effort to become certified as an organic grower and then as an organic winery. Living in Portugal takes much patience, but it sure tastes good!

More to come: Beaches, Caves, Coffee, Apples, Roman Mosaics, Windmills, Love Garden

Sources: (1) Wine consumption

(2) Wine industry employment

(3) Climate adjustment in Portugal's wine production