That's a nice choice, Monte Velho! It's been a while since I had some, but I used to like it very much. Since you're in the Azores, you should try wine from the island of Pico, which I've never tried but I've heard its quite unique. Try asking around to some local people.

I'd like to comment on Portuguese obsession with cork. Cork has been used to seal wine bottles for centuries now, and Portugal is the world's main producer of cork. While what the shop lady told is not exactly wrong, she failed to explain why it added to the flavor. The tight yet porous nature of cork allows just the right amount of oxygen to reach contact with the wine, which allows for a slow but flavor enriching oxidation of some of the wine's components. This is mostly important for aged wines; those which are to be consumed in the course of a year or so do not benefit much from this. Nowadays, there are of course synthetic materials which can have the same features as cork. However, in Portugal we still tend to prefer one of our hallmark national products: cork.

Also, the map you've shown does not represent very well the location and extension of Alentejo. While it is indeed in the south of Portugal, it does not include the southernmost part (which is Algarve), and also it extends further to the north up to the river Tagus. Herdade do Esporão, which is where Monte Velho is produced, is located to the southeast of Évora, near the Alqueva dam, the largest artificial water reservoir in the Iberian Peninsula. This region has a very old and strong tradition in wine making, and its soil and weather lend it a rather singular character among Portuguese wines.

Sorry for the long comment, I just meant to build upon your very nice post! Cheers!