"Throughout the Middle Ages, white wines were much more valued than red wines."
Between 1500 and 1700 in Portugal, some wines were exported to northern Europe thanks to the good fame of their quality. Others wines were produced and recognized locally alongside the imported ones, both for the table of the manor houses and for consumption in the taverns of Lisbon.
In general, and throughout the Middle Ages, white wines were much more valued than red wines. From the sixteenth century on, however, some red wines were imported and known in the country through their duly recognized areas of origin as the Bermejo from Andalusia, the Vermell from Catalonia, the French Vermeille and the Italian Vermiglio.
Sometimes when these terms were used, they would refer to white wine with the addition of some red wine, typically made for clients who wanted to enjoy a more intense color. The reds of yesteryear would, as a rule, have the color of today's palhetes or roses.
Excerpt from the Work: Crespo, H. (2018), At the Prince's Table. Dining and Dining at the Lisbon Court (1500-1700). Lisbon: Norprint-Casa do Livro
Palhetes Wines, the survivors of an era
Nowadays, "vinho Palhete" is produced in several Portuguese regions. It is a red wine obtained from the partial tanning of red grapes or the joint tanning of red and white grapes, with the white grapes not exceeding 15% of the total.
It's time to rediscover these ancient traditions, and taste the essence of a legacy that has been given a second life!
Portuguese Palhete wines by region:
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