This Cork Producer Makes Wines That Highlight Indigenous Portuguese Grapes

This Cork Producer Makes Wines That Highlight Indigenous Portuguese Grapes

Terracing for vineyards at Herdade Aldeia de Cima, Alentejo



Amorim Group



The family and group that own the world's largest cork producer“”Amorim“”also produce Portuguese wines. They recently expanded their foray into both the Alentejo and Dão regions, where they make vintages from indigenous grape varieties that highlight Portuguese heritage.



Portugal has some 250 native grape varieties, although only a fraction of those are used to produce commercially viable wines. If you want to open your senses to a wider lexicon of wine aromas and flavors, consider trying wines made from grapes you know little about.



The Alentejo region of Portugal sits above the country's southernmost strip“”well known to visitors“”named the Algarve. It is comprised of a northern, or upper ('alto') inland portion and a southern, or lower ('baixo') coastal and inland portion. The Alentejo forms about one-third of the total land mass of Portugal, but includes only 5% of its population. It is traditionally renowned for forestry and farming, including the production of cheese, lamb and honey.



In 1994 the Amorim family acquired a nine-square mile [2,400 hectare] Portuguese estate named Herdade Aldeia de Cima in the Alentejo. Named after an ancient village of 'Sima' first mentioned in