One of the most delightful wine-related discoveries I’ve made in Portugal is Portuguese muscatel wine, known as moscatel wine in Portugal. This delicate and not overly sweet fortified wine is ideal as an aperitif or with dessert.
Or just for fun.
You can even dunk biscuits in it as I discovered in Azeitão, one of the two wine regions in Portugal that have the ideal conditions for cultivating muscat grapes.
Vineyards in the surrounding limestone hills of Arrábida have the right terroir for producing the Muscat of Alexandria grapes used to make moscatel de Setúbal.
The Alto Douro wine region in the north of Portugal is best known for producing the grapes that go into port wine. However, the village of Favaios, on the outer edge of this wine region is more famous for its muscatel wine.
At Favaios, the undulating terraced slopes of the Douro Valley give way to the mountains and forests of Tras-os-Montes but between the two, there are plenty of vineyards in the flat, fertile land surrounding the village.
Producing muscatel wine in Portugal
Whichever part of Portugal the grapes come from, the process for turning them into moscatel wine is the same.
The grapes are crushed and the skins left on so that the flavours can be absorbed over a period of 3 months. At this point of the fermentation process, grape brandy is added to fortify the wine.
Once fermentation is complete, the wine is aged in wooden vats for a minimum of 18 months. Most moscatel wine is sold and consumed when it’s between 2 and 5 years old with an alcohol content of between 16 and 22% ABV.
I’ve become partial to it as a summer tipple. Served chilled, it’s light and, although sweet, the citrus flavours make it a refreshing drink.
The best muscatel wines can be aged for between 10 and 20 years, changing their flavour from crisply floral with citrus notes to a deeper figgy, toffee and nutty taste. Matured moscatel wine is deliciously moreish and perfect for warming up winter evenings.
Cheers!
Where to buy muscatel wine in Portugal
As well as visiting wineries that specialise in producing muscatel wine, there are several ways of getting your hands on a bottle. Or two.
Besides visiting the place of production, Adega Cooperativa de Favaios, almost all shops in Favaois sell the standard locally produced wine, as do most major supermarkets throughout the country. For the aged variety, you’d need to visit a specialist wine shop or the Adega.
Moscatel de Setúbal has more varieties and if you don’t have time to tour independent wineries, a great place to buy a range of them is at the Casa da Baia in the colourful city of Setúbal.
One of my favourite wineries, Quinta do Piloto is a good one to visit to sample some extraordinary wines and muscatel wines. Bacalhôa and José Maria Fonseca in Azeitão also produce excellent muscatel. You can sample the latter at the winery or their Lisbon wine bar, By The Wine.
You can visit Quinta do Piloto and another Setúbal winery on this full day small group tour from Lisbon. Get 5% off with my code: FOX5 There’s a special box at the end of the booking form to enter the code.
Love Moscatel wine!! We actually brought 2 bottles of Favaios to Australia from our trip in March. Haven’t opened them yet.
It’s a pity Portuguese wines aren’t that well known outside of Portugal, because they’re really good and relatively cheap too.
I couldn’t agree more, Sami. Well done you for resisting the moscatel so far 🙂
We love Moscatel wine, on a summers day or by the fire in winter. Both Favaios and Setubal. I also buy the little single measure bottles of Favaios. My favourite Moscatel so far though, is ROXO, from Setubal. More expensive, but superb.
I must look out for that one. Thanks for the tip, Lynda.