Wine in the spotlight
Regelmatig kiezen we met zorg één bijzondere wijn uit die we graag met je willen delen. Niet zomaar een fles van de kaart, maar een wijn met een verhaal, een ontdekking uit een regio die ons verraste, een producent die met passie werkt.
Some wines shout for attention, and some simply deserve it, quietly. The Quinta da Romeira Prova Régia 2023 unmistakably belongs to that second category: a sparklingly fresh white wine from one of Portugal's smallest and most underrated wine regions, with a history that reaches all the way to the British royal court.
Bucelas: Portugal's smallest secret
The wine comes from Bucelas, a tiny appellation about 20 to 25 kilometres northeast of Lisbon. Bucelas isn't just any region: it's the only DOC in all of Portugal dedicated exclusively to white wine. Sheltered by hills to the west and tempered by the wide estuary of the Tagus to the east, a surprisingly cool mesoclimate emerges here — ideal for preserving crisp acidity despite the Mediterranean sun. The clay-limestone soils also give the wines their characteristic mineral edge.
What few people know: by the late 20th century, Bucelas was on the verge of disappearing. Its vineyards were steadily swallowed up by the expanding suburbs of Lisbon, and barely a handful of hectares remained of the once-celebrated region. Quinta da Romeira — with its vast Arinto vineyard — is today essentially the sole reason this centuries-old, once royally praised appellation didn't quietly vanish. Every bottle of Prova Régia is, in a sense, a small piece of winemaking history that was literally rescued from extinction.
The Producer: Quinta da Romeira
Quinta da Romeira has been producing wine since 1703 and is considered one of the most prestigious estates in Bucelas. It is also home to the world's largest contiguous vineyard planted with Arinto — accounting for roughly half of the entire Bucelas growing area. Since 2018-2019, the estate has been owned by Sogrape, Portugal's largest wine producer, which invested heavily in the vineyards and the cellar.
The estate's fame actually dates back much further: in the early 19th century, the Duke of Wellington discovered the wines of Bucelas during the Napoleonic Wars on the Iberian Peninsula, and brought them back to London as a gift for King George IV. The wines soon gained a following, counting Charles Dickens and Lord Byron among their reputed admirers.
Why "Prova Régia"?
The name Prova Régia, literally "royal proof" or "royal tasting", is no coincidence. It refers directly to that royal past: a wine that was once literally presented at the English court and won favour there. The name is, in a way, a nod to a time when a bottle of Bucelas was considered a gift fit for a king.
The Grape: Arinto
This wine is 100% Arinto, the principal white grape of Bucelas (elsewhere in Portugal also known as Pedernã — confusingly, the same grape under a different name, depending on the region). Arinto is known for its lively, almost crackling acidity, which makes it perfectly suited to a region like Bucelas. In the glass, this produces a citrusy, mineral-driven wine with notes of green apple, ripe lemon and a hint of jasmine, rounded off with a subtle creaminess from several months of ageing on fine lees (bâtonnage).
Serving tip: pour the Prova Régia lightly chilled (10-12°C) with grilled fish, fresh shellfish, or simply as an aperitif on a sunny terrace evening.
Comments