Herdade dos Grous | Crane ’ s eye view
The restaurant is open to non-residents throughout the year . However , two pieces of advice : it ’ s always a good idea to book in advance and the other , be aware that their portions are of the most generous nature , superb Alentejo cuisine served in the most delightful of settings .
Naturally the wine list offers some of the finest the region produces . The soils of the estate are extremely rich in calcium and added to the sand and magnesium the grapes produce such a unique flavour .
All the wines are matured in large oak barrels stored in clinically clean cellars . Many of the wines produced on the estate have won several international awards . Portugal has undergone something of a wine revolution in the past couple of decades , however I was told their Moon Harvested variety is something quite revolutionary to the country .
This really has to be one of the most interesting wines out of the thousands that are produced by the estate . The grapes are picked in the middle of the night , based on the cycle of the moon – two years ago , it was discovered the optimum time would be 3.00am on the 26th of September !
I think it is miracle that anything grows at all in the Alentejo region , perhaps best described as a dustbowl with its hard-baked red earth and unrelenting heat – it couldn ’ t be further away from the lush green Vila Vita development 60 miles away on the Algarve .
How can I summarize my visit to Herdade dos Grous ? First of all , it is in a fabulous location , it is pure Alentejo close to the historic city of Beja , which has to be explored whilst in the area . The place offers unique accommodation , there is so much attention to detail everywhere . I loved the way in which there are bicycles freely available for you to cycle to different areas of the estate .
My visit was really an unforgettable experience . The tour of the winery , which has to be one of the most efficient I have seen and no visit is complete until you have toured the area either on foot or by tractor , with nearly 2000 acres of vines to visit , too far to cycle !
50 | Summer 2012 | www . portugal-life . net |