Adega Viúva Gomes Wines
Almoçageme, Colares, Portugal
Founded in 1808 and located in Almoçageme, Colares, in a wine-growing region defined in 1908, Viúva Gomes sits between the Sintra hills and the Atlantic Ocean, from Cabo da Roca to Magoito, on sandy soils that are crucial to the identity of the region’s wines.
The Colares region’s deep roots in winemaking date back to Roman times, and in 1230, King D. Afonso III promoted vine planting. The area gained further recognition in 1865, during the phylloxera crisis that devastated Europe’s vineyards. Colares’ sandy soils, with vine roots reaching up to 8 meters, proved resistant to the insect, a key factor in the survival of its vineyards. Unlike other regions in Europe that adopted the practice of grafting European grape varieties onto American rootstock, Colares maintained its vineyards in their original form.