“This is how memories are made… by going with the flow. Amanda Byne”
Mar 20, 2017
All plans are not cast in stone so a little change to our schedule since all museums, cathedral, and churches are closed on Monday……no problems switch Monday and Tuesday activities.
Off we are on a little drive through wine country, not before refueling at a cost of $65.00 for 48 liters of diesel. We have driven 560 kilometers.
The Dão wine region is one of Portugal’s most prominent wine regions, located just south of the famous Douro Valley. It has suffered from a bad reputation in the past but international wine media attention and improvements in production and marketing have helped the region to shine. The top Dão wines are now some of the most highly rated in Europe, winning consistent praise on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Dão viticultural region is in the north of the country. It takes its name from the Dão river, along which the majority of the region’s vineyards are located. The Dão is a tributary of the larger Mondego (Portugal’s longest river) and several other rivers also flow through the region. However, only the Dão is significant enough to have the local DOC named after it – mostly due to the tough, crystalline granite that the river has carved its path through for many millennia.
To the north, south, and east of the Dão Valley are the granite mountains of eastern Beiras. These are the same peaks that separate Beira Litoral from Beira Interior and the Dão and Douro rivers. As a result of this protected position, the climate along the Dão is relatively mild, stable, and consistent between vineyard sites. Naturally, this creates a homogenization of the region’s terrain whether this is a bad or good thing is open to debate.
The majority of Dão’s quality vineyards are situated at altitudes between 500-1500ft above sea level. This elevation raises the vines out of the valley’s shadows and towards all-important sunshine, allowing them to maximize their photosynthesis time during the day. It also increases diurnal temperature variation, helping the grapes cool down at night, which they must do to retain the acids so desirable in wine.
Remember Mateus rosé wine the 80’s most fashionable wine had its humble beginning here, with its success the company has invested heavily in the Dão area, most obviously The Oaks Estate, which now processes several million liters of wine each vintage.
Arguably, the finest red wines from Dão today are deep reds made from Tinta Roriz and Touriga Nacional, two of the key grapes used to make port wines. Jaen and Alfrocheiro Preto are two other common red wine grapes. White wines are also produced in Dão, with the finest examples based on Encruzado, the region’s most widely planted light-skinned grape variety.
First, stop Casa. De Santar (closed) second stop Quinta de Lemos beautiful building perched beside a rocky outcrop. No walk-in tours – we soon found out that the wine tasting culture we are so used at home is not prevalent in the Dao valley.
So with nothing to lose we decided to drive to the farthest winery in our map Casa Da Passarella to find out that is one of the highly awarded winner winemaker…….jackpot.
We were not minding the drive as we drove through small charming hills and valley towns and stopping at the squares in a few of them plus the drive took us through a landscape of blooming orchards and rows and rows of grapevines getting their first buds to picture-perfect. spring has sprung.
Part of the beauty of the countryside is the quietude that prevails, no noise pollution. All you heard are the sounds of birds and the occasional bark of a dog or a rooster.
In our drive we came across a sign for the town of Moreira which was my mother’s last name, I have always felt a connection to Portugal, maybe I some small roots here. Sadly I did not make the turn.
At Passarella, we were greeted by the most hospitable Jaoa who took us into their small wine museum and set up testing for us of a lovely bottle of a Tinto blend, including tasting of two wine jams that arouse our curiosity.
He shows us a book with a description of all their wine, which is attached to an old family story, the one we tested was named “A Descoberta” which relates to the finding of a box that was buried into the wall and discovered years later during a renovation. We also walked over to an 1800’s old farmhouse that they plan to convert into a small boutique hotel……book, please.
Just want to bring to your attention that all this happen in a melange of Portuguese, Espanol, and English, but the message got across.
Since customs laws are strict as to the number of spirits you bring into the US we purchased a recommended reserve which is a limited edition and each bottled is numbered. Thinking of paella to accompany the wine.
To our surprised the tasting bottle was gifted, so back in town, we went on a search of bread, cheese, and olives………dinner tonight.
Back in the city and in the search of provision, we came across a funicular that goes from the river to the bottom of the Cathedral, think of it as Angels Flying flight just longer. So we rode it.
Tomorrow of to Guimares further north but not before we stop at the Grao Vasco Museum before we leave enchanting Viseu.
