Rich history

Not until you visit a country can you truly appreciate its uniqueness. Portugal, for example, is a country rich in history—with some suggesting that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens might have long ago co-existed in its north. Grapes have been cultivated on the Iberian Peninsula since at least 2,000 BC. When the Phoenicians arrived, they not only established trading posts, but also brought new grape varietals and winemaking techniques. Vine cultivation was at first restricted to the southern coastal regions, while Celts, Carthaginians and then Romans claimed the spoils of Iberian conquest.

Rome renamed what are now the central and southern part of Portugal “Lusitania” in honour of Lusus, son of the Roman deity Bacchus. They introduced yet another new selection of vines along with their own winemaking knowledge. During this period, southern ports east of Cape St. Vincent exported wines, olive oil and grain to the far reaches of the Roman Empire. (While in the Algarve, I was fortunate to visit the remains of a Roman port settlement “Cerro da Vila” in Vilamoura.)

The fall of the Western Roman Empire meant Germanic tribes such as the Suebi and the Visigoths could establish footholds in the area. The latter adopted the culture, laws and many of the traditions of their once-Roman subjects—establishing the kingdom of Hispania. Then the Moors invaded, conquering most of the Iberian Peninsula by 718 AD. (Despite religious prohibition of alcohol, there was taxation on wine sold within these Moorish kingdoms.) By 1492, the kingdoms of Portugal, León, Castile, Aragon and Navarre had been reconquered from the Moors.

The first order of business was to establish trade. The northern port of Bilbao became a major hub in a vibrant wine trade between Spain and England. So desired were these wines during the reign of Edward III, they were priced at the same level as the prized wines from Gascony (well noted, even then, for their potency). In 1386, England and Portugal signed the Treaty of Windsor, a diplomatic and military alliance that could be described as the template for NATO. This treaty (still in existence) means Portugal benefits from English wars with France and Spain, since English wine merchants purchase all their wines from Portugal during these conflicts.

By the late 16th century, this trade with England represented the substantial amount of 16 million litres per annum. This may not seem to be a lot—given that the population of England in the late 1670s was just shy of six million—but keep in mind, the vast majority of the English of that time consumed spirits such as gin or rum, or ale. It was thirsty work for the remaining few.