Cork, Wine and a Convent

Portugal is the world’s largest cork producer, which is remarkable, since it is such a small country. The cork oak is indigenous to the Alentéjo region, where we have started our exploration. the trees live for 200-300 years, and the first harvest takes place when the trees are 20-25 years old, with subsequent harvests every nine years. It takes a further seven years to grow another layer of cork. As I recall, the tree below is about 80 years old and has been harvested three times.

After the cork is stripped from the tree, it is left outside in slabs for 3-4 months.

After that, the pieces are boiled for one hour in water., then then separated according to their quality.

The majority of cork is made into wine and champagne bottle stoppers, but the factory we visited had a vast array of products, from upholstery to luggage to handbags to jewelry to household items like trivets and coasters. In fact, I may have found the new upholstery for my dining room chair project!

Traveling eastward to within five km from Spain, but still in the Alentéjo, we arrived at the Joao Portugal Ramos Winery. This operation produces whites, rosés and reds and uses some traditional techniques like stomping the grapes in these marble tanks.

There are four kinds of soil in the region, each imparting its unique characteristics. They also do the initial fermentation in marble tanks, because the stone helps keep the wine cold; marble adds nothing to the flavor. They also use French and Hungarian oak.

Our tasting of seven wines was accompanied by a tapas lunch.

We all bought some wine to enjoy during the coming days, and set out northward for Fundão.

Our digs for the next two nights is a former convent, with thick stone walls, lovely grounds and chic modern décor, Convento Seixo. Fundão is in a more mountainous region, and the landscape along the way was very scenic. We’re now in the veritable heart of Portugal, slightly northeast of dead-center.

This area was settled by Jews who were expelled from Spain in 1492, and there’s still a large Jewish population here. The city dates from 1580.

Dinner tonight was at the hotel, beginning with an interesting appetizer of beans, chicken and what looked like créma on toasted bread…

I tried beef cheeks with celery purée…

And for dessert a soft cheesy thingy with tangerine sorbet.

In case our sweet tooth wasn’t satisfied, we capped everything off with tiny coffee meringues and little coffee shortbreads.

And so to bed.