Diversity of soils and climates combined with large wine farms with low production costs are the main characteristics of Ribatejo. This fertile region, once with high yields that supplied the domestic market and colonies in Africa, produces quality white and red wines at an extremely competitive price.

In Ribatejo, extensive agriculture is practiced: vegetables and fruit, rice, olive trees and vineyards fill the vast Ribatejo plains. The Tagus river is omnipresent in the Ribatejo landscape and one of the responsible for the climate, the soil and consequently, the fertility of the region. In Ribatejo the climate is Mediterranean, but it is influenced by the river, so the seasons are mild.

The Denomination of Origin of Ribatejo presents six sub-regions (Almeirim, Cartaxo, Chamusca, Coruche, Santarém and Tomar). The soils vary depending on the proximity of the river. The field or lezíria are very productive zones that are located by the river. Due to flooding of the Tagus it is common that the vineyards of the area are sometimes completely submerged. In the right bank of the Tagus, after the solos next to the river, the zone of the neighborhood is located. It is composed of poorer soils and limestone and clay soil, arranged in more irregular terrain between hills and plains. The main plantations in the area of ​​the neighborhood are the olive trees and the vineyards. From the left bank of the Tagus to the southern regions near the Alentejo is located the area designated heath. There, the soils are not very productive and crops that require little water, such as vines and cork oaks, are explored. Despite being a very dry zone and presenting the highest temperatures of the Ribatejo, the grapes have better conditions for maturation than in other areas of the region.

Ribatejo was already famous for producing huge quantities of wine that especially supplied the restaurants and taverns of Lisbon. It was a region where the large agricultural houses wanted to obtain the maximum yield of the vineyards and later produce a wine of poor quality that would be sold in bulk. Over the past 15 years, the region has undergone significant changes in both fields and wineries. Many vines were transferred from the field to the poor soils of the moor and the neighborhood: production declined, but quality improved significantly.

The legislation for the region is not very restricted and allowed the introduction of Portuguese and foreign varieties. DOC red wines from Ribatejo come not only from traditional grape varieties in the region (Trincadeira or Castelão) but also from other noble grape varieties such as Touriga Nacional, Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. The most planted white grape variety in the region is Fernão Pires, being practically indispensable in the production of white Ribatejanos. Sometimes it is crowded with other regional varieties such as Arinto, Talia, Trincadeira das Pratas, Vital or the international Chardonnay.

In the production of regional wine of the Ribatejo is allowed the use of castes not admitted in the Denomination of Origin. Therefore, farmers can experiment with soil, climate and grape varieties to produce original wines. In fact, the Ribatejo has about 22300 hectares of vineyard, although only 1850 are certified for DOC wine production.

Regardless of the DOC or Regional designation, the Ribatejo terroir sits in any region wine: very fruity whites and tropical or floral aromas and young reds, aromatic and soft tannins.

In addition to the restructuring of the region’s vineyards, the wineries and producers in the region have modified and modernized their wineries. The large casks and cement deposits that produced millions of liters of wine were replaced by stainless steel vats, refrigeration systems and oak barrels for wine aging.