There is an undue amount of confusion about the relation between Castelão and Periquita: many sources think that Periquita is simply a synonym for Castelão, but that is quite wrong.
“Periquita” is a “brand” name, owned by the Jose Maria da Fonseca winery. And the Periquita blends will always contain Castelão, but most also contain varying amounts of other grapes as well.
Periquita is the first bottled red wine in Portugal and the oldest Portuguese brand marketed. It is present in 70 countries, which makes it a wine ambassador of Portugal.
The history of Periquita is interwoven with the story of José Maria da Fonseca itself. The son of a Lisbon merchant, José Maria da Fonseca established himself in Vila Nogueira de Azeitão in 1834, where he founded the company under his name. And in 1846 there he planted the first Castelão grapes and in 1850 he create the Periquita brand.
Its fame, as well as the quality of the wine soon left the limits of the Quinta. The company registered the Periquita brand in 1941. And in 1970 the Periquita Reserva was created, a designation conferred to years of recognized quality.
Founded over 180 years ago, the José Maria da Fonseca continues to be a family business, managing an immense portfolio of table wine brands, fortified and liqueur wines from different regions such as Península de Setúbal, Alentejo, Douro, Dão and Vinho Verde. Of these, Periquita is the most productive brand.
José Maria da Fonseca is the oldest and one of the most prestigious wineries in Portugal. In Azeitão, they built one of the most modern winemaking centers in Europe, with a capacity of 6.5 million liters. In this way, it also contributes decisively to the dissemination and prestige of national wines and Portugal.
The drink presents a medium ruby color.
This wine is a blend of the Castelão, Trincadeira and Aragonez grape varieties from the vintage 2020. Aging in French and American barrels for 6 months.
Intense dark fruits and spicy aromas on the nose, cranberry, blackberry and black plum, with notes of cedar and tobacco.
On the palate, very fruity wine with smooth and well-integrated tannins.
Alcohol content: 13%.
Pairing well with wild meats, steak, roasted octopus, lamb or tomato-based dishes.
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