Adega do Cantor wins Algarve’s best wine title

The Adega do Cantor winery’s Vida Nova Reserva IGP Algarve Tinto 2015 red wine has received the title of ‘Best Wine of the Algarve’ at the 12th Algarve Wines Competition held in Lagos on 9 June.

The Adega do Cantor is the Algarve winery co-owned by 1960s and 70s UK pop singer Sir Cliff Richard.
The Adega do Cantor is in Guia and was built to produce wine from three surrounding estates: Quinta do Moinho, Quinta do Miradouro and Vale do Sobreiro.
“Sir Cliff Richard is “very much involved in the production of the wine” and he is often seen “getting his hands dirty in the winery” according to the Adega do Cantor website.
But, writes the Algarve Resident newspaper, the winery is just one of many that have helped the Algarve to establish a name for itself as a wine region in recent years.
This improvement has been acknowledged by the vice-president of Portugal’s Sommeliers Association (AEP), Artur Caldas.
“Many techniques have been developed both in terms of the production of the vines and the production of the wines in the cellars. There has been a great evolution which has led to good products” he told the Resident.
Caldas also revealed that the number of people wanting to become sommeliers is growing, especially women, and said that “wine is in fashion”; however he said that producers must learn to adapt to factors such as climate change.
The award winners will receive their prizes on Friday, 22 July at Lagoa’s cultural centre.