3 editor-picked estates growing Grand Noir in Alentejo.
Where to taste Grand Noir in Alentejo: the estates that grow it, how the region expresses the grape, and how to book a visit.
Cooperative founded in 1954 in Portalegre, bottling the Conventual, Portalegre and Terras de Baco ranges from Serra de Sao Mamede vineyards.
Tasting: Winery visits Monday to Friday with prior booking; on site shop and an online store.
Signature wines: Conventual Reserva, Conventual, Portalegre DOC, Terras de Baco
A 900-hectare cork and vine estate near Sousel farmed by the Reynolds family since 1901, still foot-treading Alicante Bouschet in open stone lagares and ageing it in century-old wooden vats.
A 19th-century Reguengos de Monsaraz winery that never abandoned talha fermentation, its subterranean cellar of century-old clay vessels a living link to the Alentejo's Roman-era winemaking method.
Tip: Ask to see the talha cellar itself rather than just tasting in the shop; the neat rows of century-old clay vessels are the reason this producer matters.