Virgílio Loureiro is a renowned professor of enology and microbiology whose lectures inspired generations of students. A holder of several wine-related patents and the author of numerous scientific publications, he is also a masterful practitioner of the art he teaches. Virgílio champions unique wines crafted in small batches, often made from rare indigenous grape varieties on the brink of extinction. His deep knowledge of the wine’s biochemistry is matched by an equally profound passion for the history of wine. 

Though officially retired, Virgílio remains as active as ever. One of his most fascinating projects is the revival of winemaking traditions in the region once known as Banda d’Além, the “other side” of the Tagus River, just across from Lisbon.

In the 14th century, the region became famous for a sweet wine known as Bastardinho do Lavradio. Initially made as a passito from sun-dried grapes, it retained this style until the 18th century, when it began to be produced as a fortified wine. In both styles, the wine preserves its natural sweetness because the yeast dies before converting all the fructose into alcohol, due to the high sugar concentration in the passito and the addition of alcohol in the fortified version. Crafted from the Bastardo grape variety, Bastardinho do Lavradio was known in England as ‘Bastard wine,’ and admired for its remarkable balance of sweetness and acidity.

Viticulture thrived in Banda d’Além until the 19th century. The vineyards endured the oidium blight of the 1850s thanks to sulfur treatments and were protected from the ravages of phylloxera by their sandy soils. Yet industrialization proved more destructive than any pestilence: factories replaced vineyards, and the winemaking heritage slowly vanished into oblivion.

Virgílio believes that this forgotten region may be the birthplace of Port wine. In the Middle Ages, Franciscan monks produced here passito wines for sacramental use. By the 16th century, similar wines began to appear in the Douro Valley—likely influenced by these monastic practices. These early sweet wines, he suggests, were probably the first expressions of what we now know as Port wine.

In the last few years, Virgilio has been working with Teresa and Adelino Martins, owners of Quinta da Estalagem, one of the region’s last remaining farms. The estate is situated in a place of rare natural beauty and rich historical significance. It is near the Roman port of Aquabona on the Coina River, and not far from the shipyard where Paulo da Gama, brother of the famed navigator Vasco da Gama, built some of the ships used by Portugal during the Age of Discovery. Scattered through the region are vestiges of 15th-century ovens once used to bake hardtack, the hard biscuits consumed by sailors on their long sea voyages.

When we arrived at Quinta da Estalagem, Adelino was busy in the vineyard, harvesting grapes with a team of workers. Bastardo ripens early and must be picked before the birds help themselves to the fruit. Teresa and Virgílio joined us in the farm’s cellar for a wine tasting.

We began with Vinho do Pote, a vibrant white wine made from Fernão Pires, following Roman techniques dating back to the 5th century: the grapes were fermented in clay pots sealed with pitch and beeswax. Served in simple tavern glasses from Alentejo, the wine exudes a rustic elegance, with smoky notes, a textured palate, and bright acidity.

Next came Equabona, named for the ancient river route that once connected the Coina port to Mérida in modern Spain. Made from the same Fernão Pires grapes, this wine is delicately infused with fenugreek—an herb cherished by the Romans for both its flavor and medicinal properties. The result is an aromatic, amber-hued wine with notes of spice and a long, curried finish.

Our third tasting was a white wine gently scented with poejo (pennyroyal), which lends an herbal character reminiscent of a refined vermouth.

Then came a striking contrast: a white wine made using the curtimenta method of fermenting white grapes with their skins. The wine has a textured body and gentle tannins that lend both depth and character. This 17th-century technique is making a comeback — wines produced in this way are now popularly known as “orange wines.”

We then tasted a red made from Castelão, which pays tribute to the honest, everyday wine enjoyed across the region in the 20th century. It is light, fresh, and direct, with the grip of youthful tannin and the aromatic clarity of this hardy grape.

Finally, we tried the precious Bastardinho do Lavradio. Lost since the 1940s, this legendary wine has been resurrected through Virgílio’s tireless research and Adelino and Teresa’s steadfast dedication. It is a rare privilege to savor a stunning wine that history had almost forgotten.

Our visit to Quinta da Estalagem was far more than a wine tasting. It was a journey through centuries of winemaking, guided by one of Portugal’s most extraordinary wine scholars.

Click here for the Banda d’Além website. To schedule a visit, email adega@bandadalem.pt