Cork, Monsaraz, an Olive Oil Mill and a Pottery Studio

Alluring Alentejo: Day 5

Thursday, 10 October 2024

This morning we started off with a one-hour drive to Monsaraz. On the way, our guides had the bus stop where we could get a close-up look at a stand of cork oak trees.

Here’s some interesting background:

Cork comes from the bark of the cork oak tree, which is primarily found in Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Portugal, and Italy.

The bark is harvested every 9-12 years, and the process does not harm the tree. It is a renewable resource and also biodegradable.

It is the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and a multitude of other uses, such as cork flooring and for the cores of cricket balls. 

Portugal produces about half the world output of commercial cork, and its exports over recent years have accounted for around 70 percent of world trade.

What we also learned is that it takes 23 years before you can harvest a cork oak the first time, and that first harvest is generally not of good quality. So it’s more like a 32-35 year process to get the first harvest of good cork.

Once harvested, a white number is painted indicating the last digit of the year of the harvest. An eight would mean it was last harvested in 2018.

Shortly after this interesting stop, we arrived at Monsaraz. Perched on a hilltop, this picturesque village wonderfully evokes medieval Portugal. During our visit, we strolled past whitewashed homes along the narrow, cobblestone streets. And everywhere we looked, we gorgeous views of rolling countryside dotted with olive and cork trees.

Our guide told us that many of the olive trees in the surrounding groves were planted by the Romans two thousand years ago. Yes, they are still alive and producing olives to this day. They are also strictly protected by government regulations given their historical significance.

And of course, Monsaraz has a fort…

A fascinating thing I learned today is the use of mason marks on the stones. This is the unique mark medieval masons carved to indicate which stones they had prepared and placed during construction so that they might be paid accordingly at the end of each day.

One of the more amazing things we saw today was this… six bottles of local wine for 22 Euros!

So much wine… so little time…

And then there was the pottery…

One final glance at the countryside from this wonderful hilltop village and then we were off to our next stop.

Located in the heart of the Alentejo, in Reguengos de Monsaraz, the geographical boundaries of Herdade do Esporão — are vitally unchanged since being established in 1267. Here, they produce wine, olive oil and beer.

First, we did a tour of the olive oil production facilities.

Then we did an olive oil tasting.

I love olive oil, but it’s definitely a bit odd to do a tasting much like you would taste wine.

After the tasting, we enjoyed a wonderful tapas lunch in their dining room. One of my favorite treats was these lamb croquettes:

We then headed to a local pottery studio:

We then returned to our hotel, freshened up, and then went to a group dinner where fun was had by all.

On the way home, I captures this shot of the church in Vila Viçosa:

Another wonderful day has come to an end. Tomorrow, we’re off to Mérida, Spain!