Terras do Sado once included the Setúbal peninsula south of the capital Lisbon and the vineyards in turn adjacent to the peninsula to the south. In 2009, however, the region was renamed Peninsula de Setúbal. Since the wines especially from Setúbal are mostly sweet to sweet Moscatel, the name Terras do Sado can still be found in some cases, namely when it comes to dry white or red wines. The vines here stand in sandy soils, the climate is - due to the proximity to the Atlantic - balanced and mild, if not sometimes even cool. In the past, there were many more Moscatel varieties in the vineyards, but they gradually gave way to other grape varieties that were much more suitable for the production of dry wines. On the one hand, due to the favourable conditions for viticulture, there are many small winemakers here, but the action is determined by two large wineries: José Maria de Fonseca and J. P. Vinhos. The great push for quality began in the 1980s, when two oenologists from California and Australia provided significant support for the modernisation of the vineyards and cellars.
