Spring time in Portugal’s Bairrada wine region is a perfect time for celebration. I had come to Portugal to celebrate with #winelover friends International Baga Day on May 6, 2023. Baga deserves celebration because it is one of the most versatile Portuguese black grape varieties. Its great versatility lends to it being used to create white, rosé and red sparkling wines, light and fruity red wines, and also powerful and age-worthy red wines. It is typically characterized by black fruit, olives, dried herbs aromas, and other flavors, with high levels of acidity and tannins. Moreover, all the above mentioned styles of this wine thrive in Bairrada.
Celebrating International Baga Day, Bairrada © Spaswinefood
The Bairrada wine region, is in the center of Portugal, located in the Beira Litoral, between Aveiro and Coimbra. It is a relatively flat region, which stretches inwards from the coastline. It has an Atlantic climate, with mild and rainy winters, and summers cooled by the winds off the Atlantic. While Baga’s origin is most likely the Dão region, the Bairrada, with its well-drained, chalky-clay soils, is where Baga has gained popularity.
#Winelovers Celebrate International Baga Day 2023
I was excited to come to Portugal to be part of #Winelover's participation in International Baga Day 2023. This year it was held on May 6, 2023. Throughout the Bairrada region wineries held events to celebrate International Baga Day. Our group visited three wineries, and attended an evening celebration.
Quinta Da Vacariça
Our first winery stop, Quinta Da Vacariça, is a small property owned by Frenchman François Chasans. Here we toured the winery and did a wine tasting. Quinta Da Vacariça is in process of a biodynamic conversion and Ecocert certification.
Quinta das Bágeiras, our second stop, we tasted wines and ate lunch. Before the wine tasting I managed to take a peek inside Quinta das Bágeiras winery. Mário Sérgio, third generation family, who is following in the footsteps of his father and grandparents, defines the family's relationship to wine making by noting:
. . . we respect wine as it respects us and we always devote ourselves to it as a family, with a passion that has lasted for three generations.
Vadio Wines across the street from Quinta das Bágeiras, is where we explored both Quinta das Bágeiras, and Vadio wines, over lunch.
Our visit was filled with wonderful wine conversations centered on the wines Luís Pato shared with us.
For sure spending time with Luís Pato was extra special. Needless to say his wines are first class!
We ended International Baga Day 2023 over dinner hosted by all seven producers at Rei dos Leitões. Here we tasted wines while sampling small bites of local foods.
Bairrada Friends Thank You
If you have yet to discover Bairrada then you should. It is a wine region with a long tradition of wine making. Wine production here dates back to the 10th century however, transition to quality winemaking began in the 19th century, with the creation of sparkling wine in the 1890’s. It was one of the first Portuguese regions to make sparkling wine. Today Bairrada is considered the most important region for the production of sparkling wine. The climate and its clay-limestone and sandy soils are ideal the growing of grapes with high acidity and low alcohol, which is perfect for the production of sparkling wines. As I have already noted, the region's predominant grape, Baga, does well here. While the wines made from this versatile grape variety are acidic and full of color, they are well-balanced and have longevity. The region also produces white and red wines made from traditional and international grape varieties. Bairrada wines pair well with the gastronomic specialties of this region, such as the suckling pig, the fresh fish dishes and seafood, as well as the finest conventual sweets.
Visitors will find the Bairrada wine region offers many charming areas to explore. After I arrived in Lisbon it was off to Luso to meetup with #winelover friends. While in the Bairrada with our #winelover group I stayed at the Grande Hotel de Luso. Luso is a spa town. Later, I would visit Aveiro and Coimbra areas, giving me a better appreciation for the overall.
International Baga Day #spaswinefood travels in Portugal 
Lisbon to Luso for #winelover
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