PENĺNSULA DE SETÚBAL
The Setúbal Peninsula lies across the estuary of the River Tagus directly south of Lisbon, and linked to Lisbon by two bridges. In summer, the magnets are the smart Atlantic surf beaches and golf courses of the west, as well as the sheltered southern coves beneath the wooded hills of the Arrábida Natural Park.
In amongst the Arrábida woods are hilly pastures for the sheep that produce the stunning Azeitão cheeses, and vineyards of Moscatel grapes destined for one of Portugal’s classic sweet wines, DOC Setúbal. The peninsula also has a star red grape, the Castelão, which dominates the fine red wines of Palmela, feeling far more at home here than in the rest of Portugal. The two DOCs are confined to the peninsula, but the VR Península de Setúbal extends around the marshlands of the Sado Estuary (a haven for wading birds and a source of salt and rice), 60 km down the Atlantic coast to the small town of Sines. The River Sado flows through the eastern side of the region, and strongly influences the ‘terroir’. VR Península de Setúbal can be made from a huge range of grapes, Portuguese and international, and wine styles vary hugely.
