Terroir

Sandy Soils: Sand, Phylloxera, and Ungrafted Vines (Colares & Sable de Camargue)

Colares vines are planted ungrafted on their own roots, deep in the sand.

Most observations of how soil affects phylloxera, an aphid that feeds on plant roots and devastated vineyards at the end of the 19th century, are largely anecdotal and focus on the ratio of sand to clay. Phylloxera does not cause economic damage in soils with a medium to fine sand content of more than 65 percent. In Colares, near Lisbon between the Serra de Sintra and the Atlantic, vines are planted ungrafted on their own roots deep into the sand, while the vineyard soils of the Sable de Camargue AOP on the Rhône delta are made up of at least 80% sand.

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What It Is: Sandy Soil Composition and Characteristics

Observations of soil and phylloxera are largely anecdotal and focus mostly on texture, particularly the ratio of sand to clay. Sable de Camargue vineyard soils are very homogeneous, practically free of clay and loam, and made up of at least 80% sand. These sandy soils have a high mineralisation rate and a high degree of leaching, and they are susceptible to wind erosion. In Colares, golden beach sand with poor water-holding capacity, devoid of humus, worms, and other living organisms, lies over clay and limestone soils where the vines root and absorb nutrients.

Sable de Camargue: soils practically free of clay and loam and made up of at least 80% sand
Sable de Camargue: given the high mineralisation rate and high leaching of the sandy soils, organic fertilisation is required, at least by digging in the residues of cover vegetation
Colares: the sand has poor water-holding capacity and is devoid of humus, worms, and other living organisms
Colares: vineyards may sit on sandy 'chão de areia' soils and/or on brown calcareous 'chão rijo' soils of marls or similar materials

Key Facts

Phylloxera does not cause economic damage in soils with a medium to fine sand content of more than 65 percent, while fine-texture soils such as clay are generally more favorable to it
Washington State's phylloxera risk map rates sand content above 80% as low risk, 65 to 80% as moderate risk, and below 65% as high risk
Deep clay soils covered by sand spared Colares vineyards from the phylloxera that devastated vineyards at the end of the 19th century
Colares vines on sand are planted by the traditional practice of setting an own-rooted cane into the layer beneath the sand; growers dig away 1 to 4 meters of sand to reach clay-limestone soil
Colares vineyards may sit on sandy 'chão de areia' soils and/or on 'chão rijo', brown calcareous soils of marls or similar materials
Sable de Camargue was first an IGP and has been an AOP for still gris and gris de gris wines since October 2023
Sable de Camargue vines grow only on sandy and limestone soils of the Rhône delta that are practically free of clay and loam and made up of at least 80% sand, at an average of 1 m above sea level

How Sandy Terroirs Form: Geology and Maritime Influence

The Colares DOC lies near Lisbon, between the Serra de Sintra and the Atlantic Ocean, in a climate of marked Atlantic maritime influence. Its delimited area covers the parishes of Colares, São Martinho, and São João das Lampas in the municipality of Sintra. The appellation rules tie the particular character of its vineyards to the nearness of the sea, the influence of maritime winds, and deep clay soils covered by sand. Sable de Camargue soils formed from sediments carried by the river, the sea, and the wind, on the Rhône delta and its associated coastal belt. Its vineyards sit at an average of 1 m above sea level among coastal lagoons and salt marshes, supplied with fresh water by a groundwater layer a few centimetres thick that is kept in hydrostatic balance with the sea, the lagoons, and a network of channels called roubines.

Colares: the appellation rules attribute the unique characteristics of Colares wine to its grape varieties, its soils, and a temperate climate that is humid in summer
Colares has an extreme maritime climate, with average humidity never below 78% and an average of 86% in August
Sable de Camargue: the roubines let growers manage both the level and the salinity of the groundwater layer
Sable de Camargue rules prohibit substantial changes to the water circulation system, because protecting the vineyard from the surrounding salinity is essential for its survival

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Effect on Wine: Aromatics, Acidity, and Mineral Character

The appellation texts link specific wine traits to sand and sea. For Sable de Camargue, the rules tie the sandy and limestone soils to grapes with a slightly pink, bluish-grey colour and low anthocyanin potential, and link maritime conditions during ripening with high levels of malic and lactic acid in the grapes. The wines show a pale salmon colour, softness, roundness, freshness, and notes of iodine that the rules attribute to the maritime influence, with mineral notes emerging in the finish. Colares Ramisco reds are ruby and astringent, softening with age as they take on a brownish tone, and Colares Malvasia whites are citrine and quite fruity. Ramisco wines have hard tannins and high acidity and, if well made, can age for a long time in bottle. Colares wines often hover around 12% ABV, and salt (NaCl) in Colares white wines surpasses 100 milligrams per liter.

Sable de Camargue gris de gris wines are made solely from Grenache Gris and are paler, with subtler, more delicate aromas
Sable de Camargue: after fermentation, the relatively high level of lactic acid gives the wines freshness and roundness
Ramisco (Colares): its structure has been compared to Barolo, with high acidity and high tannin but lower alcohol
Malvasia de Colares: high acidity, low alcohol, citrus flavors, and briny, saline notes

Where You'll Find It: Colares and Sable de Camargue

Colares is one of nine denominations of origin in Portugal's Lisboa wine region, planted with Ramisco by the sea on very loose sandy soils. Colares covered 1,800 planted hectares at its 1930s peak, fell to 12 hectares by 1999, and has since expanded to 18 hectares; the Adega Regional de Colares cooperative was established in 1931. Wines of Portugal puts the shrinking vineyard land down to the fact that far more money is to be made near Lisbon from building villas than from growing vines. Sable de Camargue is a French AOP whose area covers 14 coastal municipalities in the Hérault, Gard, and Bouches-du-Rhône departments. Benedictine monks of the Abbaye de Psalmody, near Aigues-Mortes, were already producing wine from vines grown on the region's sand in the 7th century.

Colares DOC area: the parishes of Colares, São Martinho, and São João das Lampas, in the municipality of Sintra
Colares maximum yields: 55 hl/ha for reds and 70 hl/ha for whites
Sable de Camargue AOP: 14 coastal municipalities across Hérault, Gard, and Bouches-du-Rhône; maximum yield 90 hl/ha
Sable de Camargue: herbicides are banned across the whole soil surface, and 95% of the vineyard is organic, in organic conversion, or certified High Environmental Value (HVE)

The Science Behind Phylloxera Resistance in Sandy Soils

Vineyard surveys in South Africa found phylloxera predominating in soils with less than 65% sand content, and in Canadian and Californian vineyards the insect is reportedly more common on clay soils than on loam and sandy-loam soils. Heavier soils contract and crack when drying, and these openings allow the insect to crawl to and infest root systems. Washington State's risk map treats sand content as the most important risk factor for phylloxera survival, moderated by soil temperature. Other soil properties also play a part: in Austrian vineyards, soil pH, carbonate content, organic carbon, and texture act in combination on phylloxera abundance, and the Washington map still rates sand contents between 65 and 80% as moderate risk.

South Africa: vineyard surveys found phylloxera predominating in soils with less than 65% sand content
In California, France, and South Africa, susceptibility to phylloxera damage decreases as the proportion of fine and medium sand in the soil increases
One study suggests the amount of silicon in sandy soil may be an important factor in reducing phylloxera abundance
On the Washington map, average soil temperatures below 65 or above 84 degrees F rate as low risk, and 65 to 84 degrees F as high risk

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Production Rules: Colares and Sable de Camargue

Colares vineyards on chão de areia must follow the traditional practice of setting the own-rooted cane into the layer beneath the sand, and vines are trained low, with the lowest wire no higher than 30 cm where wires are used. In practice, growers dig away 1 to 4 meters of sand to reach the clay-limestone soil, plant own-rooted vines there, and gradually put the sand back as the vines grow. Colares reds may be sold only after at least 18 months in vessel followed by 6 months in bottle, and whites after 6 months in vessel followed by 3 months in bottle. In the Camargue, the rules require managed plant cover between at least every other row, at least during vine dormancy, to combat wind erosion, and the vines are trained in Gobelet or Cordon de Royat at a minimum density of 4,000 vines per hectare.

Colares: musts need a minimum natural potential alcohol of 9.5% vol, and the wines a minimum alcohol of 10% vol
Colares: Ramisco and Malvasia de Colares must represent 80% of the blend of DOC wines
Colares: most producers release Ramisco reds after four to seven years
Sable de Camargue: gris wines come from Grenache Gris, Grenache, or a blend of listed varieties; gris de gris wines come solely from Grenache Gris

Sources and last verified

Primary sources: https://www.ivv.gov.pt/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/DO_Colares.pdf, https://www.ivv.gov.pt/regioes-vitivinicolas/mapa-das-regioes/lisboa/, https://winesofportugal.com/en/portuguese-wines/grape-varieties/ramisco/, https://winesofportugal.com/en/discover/wine-regions/lisboa/, https://www.inao.gouv.fr/produit/sable-de-camargue-gris-de-gris-17935, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52023XC0525(02), https://wine.wsu.edu/extension/pest-management/phylloxera/, https://extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/extd8/files/documents/ec1463.pdf, https://www.wineaustralia.com/getmedia/d0278bb1-a3dc-415a-9bd4-53fbe9fc47ef/20180115-DEP1301-A-Scientific-Basis-for-Risk-Analysis-of-Grape-phylloxera. Last verified 2026-10-04

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Flavor Profile

Colares Ramisco reds are ruby and astringent in youth, with hard tannins and high acidity, softening with age as they take on a brownish tone. Colares Malvasia whites are citrine and fruity, with high acidity, citrus, and briny, saline notes. Sable de Camargue gris and gris de gris wines are pale salmon, soft, round, and fresh, with white fruit, citrus, exotic fruit, or red fruit, notes of iodine, and mineral notes in the finish.

Food Pairings

Colares Ramisco with grilled sardines, salt cod (bacalhau), and aged Serra da Estrela cheese, for terroir-authentic Atlantic coast pairingsColares Malvasia white with raw oysters, clams, and seafood rice, for salinity-to-salinity resonanceCamargue Gris or Gris de Gris with Camargue-style rice dishes, grilled sea bass, and Mediterranean seafood plattersCamargue Gris with tapenade, marinated anchovies, and fresh chèvre, where light acidity and salinity amplify briny, tangy flavorsAged Colares Ramisco with game birds, lamb chops with herbs, and aged hard cheeses to complement its earthy, tannic structure

How to Say It

Colareskoh-LAH-resh

Sable de CamargueSAH-bluh duh kah-MARG

chao de areiaSHOWN duh ah-RAY-ah

chao rijoSHOWN REE-zhoo

Serra de SintraSEH-rah duh SEEN-trah

Ramiscorah-MEES-koo

Malvasia de Colaresmal-vah-ZEE-ah duh koh-LAH-resh

Grenache Grisgreh-NASH GREE

Exam Study NotesWSET / CMS

Phylloxera does not cause economic damage in soils with a medium to fine sand content of more than 65 percent; fine-texture soils such as clay are generally more favorable to it, and heavier soils crack when drying, letting the insect reach roots.
Colares DOC (Lisboa, Portugal) lies between the Serra de Sintra and the Atlantic; deep clay soils covered by sand spared its vineyards from late-19th-century phylloxera, and vines on sand are planted from own-rooted canes.
Colares ageing minimums: reds 18 months in vessel followed by 6 months in bottle; whites 6 months in vessel followed by 3 months in bottle.
Sable de Camargue AOP (since October 2023, previously IGP): still gris and gris de gris wines only; gris de gris is made solely from Grenache Gris; 14 coastal municipalities in Hérault, Gard, and Bouches-du-Rhône.
Sable de Camargue soils are at least 80% sand and practically free of clay and loam, at an average of 1 m above sea level; channels called roubines manage the level and salinity of a thin freshwater groundwater layer.

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