Region & History

Anadia, in the hinterland between Aveiro and Coimbra, calls itself "Capital do Espumante," capital of sparkling wine. Anyone wanting to know what Portuguese Espumante really is will sooner or later end up in this small town and its neighbors. Bairrada is widely said to produce around two-thirds of all certified sparkling wine in Portugal.

Sparkling wine was already being made here in the late 19th century, but it only grew into an industry with dedicated wineries in the 20th century. The houses from that era still stand today in and around Anadia, with halls, vaulted cellars, and manor houses visible even from the street.

In 1927, eleven partners founded Caves Aliança in Sangalhos near Anadia. The house credits Domingos Silva and Ângelo Neves as its founding figures. Since 2007, the Bacalhôa group has held the majority stake, and the company has since been known as Aliança Vinhos de Portugal. Ten years after its founding, in 1937, Caves do Solar de São Domingos was established in Ferreiros by Elpídio Martins Semedo. Behind the manor house's pink façade, press reports say, nearly two million bottles rest on their lees.

The origin is protected in two steps. Bairrada was delimited as a DOC (Denominação de Origem Controlada, the Portuguese appellation of origin) for still wines in 1979, with Espumante added in 1991. Since 1986, the Comissão Vitivinícola Regional da Bairrada, where producers and merchants sit together, has overseen authenticity and quality.

Anyone wishing to label a sparkling wine "Bairrada" must, under the rules of the appellation, ferment it classically in the bottle and age it at least nine months in-house after bottling. On the label, this shows up in the name of the region and the designation as Espumante. A separate article explains how to read such labeling.