Bucelas, tiny white wine dop just north of Lisbon, Portugal’s capital city (see map under portugal) and formerly spelt Bucellas. At one time it was fortified and it is thought to be Shakespeare’s Charneco, mentioned in 2 Henry VI and named after one of the local villages. The Duke of Wellington popularized the wine in Britain following the Peninsular Wars and for a time Bucelas was widely sold and appreciated in Victorian Britain as Portuguese Hock. arinto grapes can make acidic, dry white wine in this sub-Mediterranean climate. Although Bucelas had almost disappeared by the early 1980s, a number of new enterprises have revived its fortunes, making modern, zesty, fruity Arinto which, with alvarinho bottled solo in vinho verde country, is a rare example of Portuguese varietal white. One producer even makes an oaked cuvée, traditional method sparkling wine, and late-harvest Bucelas.
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