The Chocapalha Estate, which has been producing extraordinary wines for a quarter of a century in the Alenquer region, 50 kilometres north of Lisbon, “is a love story”, literally. In the 1960s, Alice, a young Swiss translator interested in adding another language to her skills, had the option of furthering her studies in Sweden or Portugal. The appeal of warm Europe won out. She moved to Portugal’s capital, studied the language and history, and got to know the world of embassies. At a dinner at the British legation, she met Paulo, a Portuguese naval officer who came from a family that produced wine in bulk. Alice returned to Switzerland for a while. “But my heart stayed here.” The rest, as they say, is history – love history, as mentioned.

“Back then,” Alice tells us, speaking a Portuguese so impeccable that it’s impossible to detect her Swiss origins, “most of the wine in Alenquer, with a few exceptions, was a question of quantity rather than quality. Our project was to do the opposite.” The hectares they bought in the Aldeia Galega da Merceana village, in the place of Chocapalha – “Choca” is the local word for “hot wind” and “palha” means “calm water”, in reference to the many springs on the property – was perfect, not far from Lisbon, where their three daughters’ school was and Paulo’s naval base.

Paulo became specialised in viticulture, expanding his family’s knowledge. Production evolved until 2000 and today it’s a benchmark for wines from the Extremadura region. That year, their daughter, oenologist Sandra, challenged her parents to start bottling the nectar. Believing in its quality, she publicised it in foreign markets and spread the word in Portugal. Success was soon evident. Strictly speaking, however, all this started in distant era.

FROM THE BEGINNING

The Phoenicians arrived in Portugal around 2,800 years ago and the Romans around two centuries later. With both came successive stages in the introduction of vines in the country, and also in Alenquer. Archaeological remains show this, and even with the Muslim occupation, from the 8th century onwards, production didn’t stop in the region.

Chocapalha preserves these stories from history, and there’s nothing like going on a winescape in the estate. “Wine tourism is a way of showing who we are, our unique terroir, which is channelled into our wines, and also what nature offers us and all its surrounding beauty.” During the wine experiences – there are several: Discovering Chocapalha, Wine Lover Chocapalha and Terroir Chocapalha – you can visit the vineyards, the winery, the barrel room, and taste the wines. And, of course, Alice and Paulo will accompany you every step of the way and explain their adventure.

So, what to try in this little eden? Excellent reds, whites and rosés, blends or single varietals, originating from clay-limestone soils, benefiting from the sea air, between hot summers and mild winters. Can you choose one, Alice?

“I love all our wines, but there’s a special one. It was conceived and dedicated to me by our winemaker daughter, and it honours our Swiss roots! It’s the CH red, made only from the Touriga Nacional grape variety.” The initials, of course, are those of Confoederatio Helvetica – Helvetic Confederation –, the Latin name for the country.

Above all, and this is very important, Chocapalha “is a house where everyone can fit in: family, friends, visitors”. Well then, it seems that the conditions for new love stories are still in place. Cheers!