There are references that indicate that wine was produced in Alentejo since the 6^th century BC. However, the most significant diffusion of this production in the region is attributed to the Romans who, 2000 years ago, brought the instruments, techniques, and containers for fermentation (the Roman dolia, ancestors of carvings), which lasted, with few changes, until the 21^st century. In the Roman village of S. Cucufate, near Vidigueira, during archaeological excavations, they found grains in the mill, attesting that wine was already being produced during that exploration, in Roman times. Even during the period when the Lower Alentejo was under Islamic rule, Al Mutamid, the poet-king of Seville, who was born in Beja, continued to be produced, in his poems, sings the predicates of wine.

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After the Christian reconquest, wine regained prominence, in a territory where religious orders were the pillars of repopulation. The monks, in the different convents, will have been guardians of the knowledge associated with the art of making wine.

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In modern and contemporary times, the wine culture in the Baixo Alentejo experienced periods of prosperity, such as the international recognition of a white wine from Vidigueira, when it won the Great Medal of Honor at the Berlin Exhibition of 1888, and of decline, to which factors such as phylloxera and the wheat campaign have contributed, namely by reducing vineyard cultivation areas.

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In the 60s of the 20^th century, several Cooperative Wineries appeared in Alentejo, which were fundamental to the reaffirmation of Alentejo wine. In the Baixo Alentejo, the Adega Cooperativa de Vidigueira, Cuba and Alvito, were created in 1960, and the Granja-Amareleja cooperative, in 1965. Later, the appreciation of the region's wine was regulated and the creation of the first Alentejo denominations of origin, DOC wines, creating the viticultural sub-regions: Vidigueira, Granja-Amareleja and Moura.

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At the beginning of the 21^st century, Alentejo wine began to dominate the domestic market and to assert itself in foreign markets. In the Baixo Alentejo, there was an increase in vineyard areas in the sub-regions and, above all, new and innovative projects appeared in municipalities where there was no longer a tradition of planting vines, such as Almodôvar, Beja, Castro Verde, Ferreira do Alentejo and Mértola.

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In the Baixo Alentejo there are 3 sub-regions of wines with a Controlled Denomination of Origin from Alentejo. They are wines with characteristics and individualities associated with a specific geographical region, which comply with a set of rules enshrined in their own legislation. Recommended grape varieties, vinification methods and organoleptic characteristics are established. Quality control is guaranteed by the Alentejo Regional Wine Commission.

• Amareleja Farm
• Moura (includes the municipality of Serpa)
• Vidigueira (includes the municipalities of Cuba and Alvito)

The production of Talha wine is especially important in the Baixo Alentejo. This form of production - similar to the production process introduced in the region 2000 years ago by the Romans - has remained a traditional form of production practiced in many communities. This wine was produced for commercialization, when modern wine production processes were established, namely with the creation of cooperatives, it continued to be produced within the framework of family production, like a wine that is made in every house, to be shared with friends and neighbors, a space for experimentation, creation and competition. Making “wine from the pot”, “from the tareco” or from the carving is a common practice even for those who do not have an agricultural activity, as a professional activity, but who maintain the tradition of making wine as they learned from their parents and grandparents. It is a process that has resisted based on the oral transmission of experienced know-how. This practice was maintained throughout the territory, with main expression in communities such as: Amareleja, Cuba, Ervidel, Vidigueira, Vila Alva and Vila de Frades.

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Recently, the municipality of Vidigueira led the process of registering “Talha Wine Production” in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage (registered in November 2023). 22 municipalities in Alentejo are associated with this registration. The intention is to bring this event to be recognized and included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

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There are several cellars that house the large and bojuda cellars inside, some private, which are open exclusively to receive their guests, others, in addition to the production of wine, are associated with tourist activities, promoting programs that allow visitors to learn more about the production method, visit the vineyards and taste the wine accompanied by a meal.

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Tourism and wine are very intertwined in the Baixo Alentejo, the diversity of business projects leads us to different tourist proposals, from the most traditional approaches to the most innovative projects, those in which the winery itself stands out as an irreverent architectural project that can house an Art Center, or simply the largest vineyard in organic production, which reveals the assumptions of this type of production. Picnicking in the middle of the vineyard, participating in the grape harvest, taking a horseback ride among the vineyards or having a wine massage are some of the experiences available.

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In these wine tourism we can find restaurants of traditional cuisine, and others with signature cuisine, different gastronomic experiences, but which normally use and value excellent endogenous resources: meat, sausages, cheeses, aromatic herbs, olive oils, bread.

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And for the experience to be total, you have to choose a wine tourism that also has accommodation. In the Baixo Alentejo there are the best wine hotels, from small hotel units with an exceptional offer of services, associated with highly renowned productions, to other simpler units, agro-tourism with vineyards, whose production is less significant or that only produce Friends carving.

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As they say, there is something for all tastes and vineyards in the most spectacular landscape settings!

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The wines of the Baixo Alentejo asserted themselves by showing great fruit purity, with exuberant aromas and flavors, using a combination of regional and international grape varieties and combining ancient methods with new technologies. This territory now has a group of modern wineries with state-of-the-art technologies and high-quality wine tourism, recognized as the best in Portugal. The region is also the epicenter of Vinho de Talha, an authentic local wine, since the production process is practically carried out by human beings, with little technological and chemical intervention, maintaining a strong connection with the history and culture of the Alentejo people. The philosophy of Vinho de Talha is to let nature and the year make wine, thus connecting us with the place and with an idea of environmental sustainability and a reduced ecological footprint.

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In Baixo Alentejo, innovation and sustainability are increasingly fundamental pillars of viticulture. The establishment of vineyards in new locations, where it would traditionally have been considered unfeasible, is now possible thanks to technologies that optimize resource efficiency, innovation, the introduction of new grape varieties, and the adoption of innovative winemaking processes.

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Since 2013, in the Alentejo region, the CVRA has been implementing the Alentejo Wines Sustainability Program (PSVA). This program is free and voluntary, based on three key pillars: environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Its goals include producing high-quality grapes and wine in an economically viable manner, protecting the environment, and fostering positive relationships with the community and workers. In Baixo Alentejo, 167 winegrowers have already joined the program, representing 59% of the region’s vineyard area.

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Certification is the next step. Producers committed to assessing and improving their practices adopt a program of best practices across different areas. This is a challenge that 10 producers in the region have taken on, implementing actions that enabled them to achieve Sustainable Production Certification. This certification can be awarded for sustainability in viticulture, in the winery, or in both areas.

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