Under the Roman Empire, Portugal was known as Lusitania (from Losus, son of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine). Before Romans, trading Phoenicians from eastern Mediterranean had introduced wine to the indigenous population.
Moors, a North African Muslim tribe occupied the country from 711 to 1249, but kept vineyards, since the rulers liked to enjoy grapes. They were tolerant of the population to make and drink wine.

After Spain granted independence to Portugal in 1668, the country allied with England, which rekindled exports that grew considerably in the beginning of the 18^th century. Port wines represented the biggest increase in exports.

More than 300 grape varieties are planted, many of which are indigenous.

Main varieties in red: aragonez or tinta roriz (tempranillo in Spain), baga, castelao, touriga nacional, touriga franca, and trincadeira (tinta amarela). Of late more and more growers are planting cabernet sauvignon, syrah, and other internationally known varieties. Touriga nacional is the most popular of all red varieties.

For whites, growers plant: fernao pires, alvarinho (albarino in Spain), arinto, encruzado, loureiro. Chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, semillon are being planted in increasing amounts.

In the past, most Portuguese table wines were barrel aged for too long. Many had lost their fruit fully, and others were oxidized, with the notable exceptions of ports and Madeira wines. This is no longer the case. Modern wines display vibrant fruit. Reds are balanced and to some extent fruit-driven to appeal to younger drinkers in export markets.

Portugal has more 220 000 hectares of vineyards and ranks 8^th on quantity in the world. Considering the fact that vineyard acreage represents three per cent of world’s total, this is remarkable.

Of the seven-and-a-half millions hectolitres, 70 per cent are reds. Much of the wine is consumed within the country (locals and tourists), but to the U S A, France, Angola, the Untied Kingdom, and Canada exports are increasing rapidly

Under the current appellation system, Denominacao de origem controlada created in 1990 that defined boundaries for each of the 12 regions.

The listing below runs north to south:

Minho, Tras os montes, Douro ports, Douro table wines, Beiras, Estremadura, Ribatejo, Alentejo, Terras de Sado, Algarve, Azores, and Madeira.

Minho in the north is famous for its light and crisp vinho verde, which has a different taste pending on the main grape variety predominant in the, blend. There is also a red vinho verde popular in the region.

Tras-os-Montes (beyond the mountains) is the most rugged of all regions and now produces remarkable red wines of finesse and power. The Douro Valley, on both banks of this mighty river that enters Portugal from Spain, is home to two distinct classifications – fortified wines, better known as ports, and table wines, which are now becoming more and more popular. The valley is divided into three sub-regions lower Douro, Middle Douro (Baixo), and Alto Douro, close to the Spanish border.

Beiras includes the appellations of Dao, Bairrada, and Tavora Varoso. Bairrada is famous for its baga grape based, tannic wines. Sparkling wines are also produced in this region.

Dao produces remarkable fruity, and acid-driven white wines from the enzcruzado grapes which age well and if cellared sufficiently long (two or three years) develop complexity.

Estremadura along the Atlantic coast and south of the famous university town of Coimbra has the following appellations – Alenquer, Arruda, Bucelas, Carcavelos, Colares, Lourinha, Obidos and Torres vedras. Here cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and chardonnay thrive amongst indigenous varieties.

Ribatejo stretching north and south from the city of Santarem is relatively flat, and most of the wines produced there were sold in bulk. Now, large and modern wine estates dominate the scene and produce fine wines that are marketed all over Europe and North America.

Alentejo, 120 km. east of Lisbon, is home to huge wine estates, cork trees, and olive groves. Here vineyards, planted scientifically according to terroir, yield fine fruit, which is vinified using modern technology and equipment. Appealing, full-bodied and fruit-driven red and white wines are now produced and exported.

Terras de Sado, located south of Lisbon and along the Atlantic Coast is home to two appellations – Palmela and Setubal.

Moscatel de Setubal, a fortified sweet wine made using Muscat grapes, smells floral and fruity and ages well. Palmela wines made using castelao grapes taste fine with local fare and light meat dishes, including pastas and pizzas.

Algarve located in the south of the country covers the appellations Lagos, Portimao, Lagoa, and Tavira. The wines are soft and fruit. All should be enjoyed within a year or two of vintage year.

Azores consists of nine small islands in mid-Atlantic. Mainland settlers planted the first vineyards in the 15^th century. Some fortified and light dry white wines are produced for local and tourist consumption.

Madeira, located 1000 km from the Portuguese mainland is best known for its fortified wines. Some wineries are now making dry table wines (Madeirense) to take advantage of demand and use fruit unsuitable for fortified wine.

In the past two decades, there has been a revival in the wine industry, mainly with considerable contributions of the European Union head office in Brussels in the form of research grants.

Portuguese wineries have used these funds to their advantage for training, investment in modern equipment and research.

Today, at all price points, the wines are undervalued, yet the finest examples can compete with the best anywhere.

Portugal is quickly becoming one of Europe’s top wine destinations, and its wines are gaining the preference of young and old wine drinkers.

ALENTEJO The undulating Alentejo plains south and east of Lisbon cover a third of mainland Portugal and most of the country south of the river Tagus.  In complete contrast to the north, this is a sparsely populated region where cereal farms stretch as far as the eye can see.  Over the last 20 years the Alentejo region has emerged as an important winemaking area and more recently Cooperatives and single estates have worked hard to modernize both the vineyards and the wineries.  The winemaking potential of the Alentejo is finally being realized with demand for vineyards far exceeding supply resulting in the highest prices per hectare in Portugal.

Grape varieties: The production of red wine, principally from Aragonez, Trincadeira, Moreto and Castelao grapes, exceeds white, although some growers are realizing the potential of white varieties such as Antao Vaz, Roupeiro and Perrum.

BEIRAS Occupying the central part of Portugal, this vast land of forests is home to some of the most interesting wines in Portugal.  The climate and landscape is varied; the local dishes too – from light grilled fish and seafood to heavy lamb stews.  And there is a range of wines to suit every palate and dish.  With its ever-changing landscapes and charming towns, Beiras is where the DOCs of Bairrada and Dao are located.

BAIRRADA Bairrada is an area of agricultural smallholdings.  Cereals, beans and vines thrive in between clumps of eucalyptus on the heavy but fertile clay soils.  There are a number of cooperatives in the region but an increasing number of independent producers are springing up.

Grapes Varieties: Bairrada is unusual in Portugal in that it is almost a one-grape region.  Over 80 per cent of the wines are red, made principally from the Baga vine.  Baga is the native grape of the Bairrada region.  With care it is possible to squeeze all of the juicy character into the bottle without bringing out its aggressive side.  White grapes, mostly Maria Gomes and Bical are grown to produce traditional method sparkling wines.

DAO Locked in three sides by high granite mountains and sheltered from the Atlantic, it benefits from long warm summers, cool nights and abundant winter rainfall.  The sandy soils are well drained and the vineyards are stocked with a wealth of indigenous grape varieties.

Grape varieties: Over two-thirds of D5o wines are red and made from anything up to nine different authorized grapes.  Touriga Nacional must account for at least 20 per cent of any one wine.  The other grapes permitted to make up the remainder are Jaen, Tinta Pinheira, Alfrocheiro Preto and Tinta Roriz and the rather unfortunately named Bastardo.

Young fresh fragrant white wines come from the Encruzado variety, which can be blended with varieties such as Assario Branco and Bical.

DOURO Probably most famous as the source of the famous fortified wine port, although the Douro DOC is increasingly well known for the production of unfortified table wine.

The Douro Valley was demarcated in 1756 making it one of the oldest delimited wine regions in the world.  The boundaries have since been modified but the irregular outline corresponds closely with an outcrop of pre-Cambrian schist.  Hemmed in by granite, this schist runs either side of the river for nearly 100 km from the Spanish frontier to the west.

Table wines are not new to the Douro.  Until the early part of the 18th century, most of the wine exported from the region was fermented dry and shipped without the addition of spirit.  With the huge investment in both skills and equipment that are necessary to make table wine in the extreme Douro climate we now find an area which has established itself as one of Portugal’s finest and most admired wine producing regions.

Grapes varieties: The grape varieties used in making Douro table wines are similar to those used to produce port.  More than 90 different grapes being permitted of which some of the most popular varieties include Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo).  Rabigato, Gouveio, and Viosinho are some of the white grape varieties used in the region.

ESTREMADURA is a relatively narrow strip of hilly land lying between the Tagus River and the Atlantic Ocean about 60 miles long and 40 miles wide.  This region is characterised by its gentle rolling hills where the colour green predominates.  Located north of Lisbon, it is known as The Vegetable Garden of Lisbon.  It contains the DOC regions of Torres Vedras in the west, Arruda in the east and Alenquer in the centre.  The climate dictates the styles of wine produced in these three areas, since the vineyards closest to the Atlantic are subject to wetter and more moderate conditions and thus produce lighter, less alcoholic wines, while the vines planted further inland give stronger an fruitier wines.

Grape varieties: For red wines Castelao, Tinta Miuda, Trincadeira and for white Arinto, Vital and Fernao Pires.

RIBATEJO is one of the wealthiest parts of rural Portugal.  The swollen river naturally irrigates vines planted on the flood plain most winters yielding abundant harvests.   Soils are poorer on the stretch alongside the left bank of the Tagus down to Alentejo.

The percentage volume of alcohol of the wine produced in this region is high as a result of the grapes’ exposure to the sun, which reflects on the white sands where the vine grows.

Grape Varieties: a number of varieties can be found in this region, not only indigenous but also international.  Fernao Pires, Arinto and Talia are the favoured white grapes while Castel5o Franc6s, Alfrocheiro, Trincadeira, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah produce a wide variety of red wines.

TERRAS DO SADO is the name of the river, which cuts through this vast plain, sandy region with its mild winters and very hot summers.  The region is famous for its beautiful beaches and fishing villages, as well as its natural parks, laid down around the Sado and Tagus estuary and the Arrabida Mountain.  This area is renowned for its Muscat and Castel5o Franc6s grape varieties, producing very concentrated, fruity wines, recommended for drinking with food because of their strong tannins.  However, some of the new wines from this area, recently introduced into the market, are in contrast soft, and perfect for drinking before and after meals.  The region is also famous for its Moscatel fortified wines, an ideal complement to cakes and sweet desserts, as well as a digestive drink.

Palmela is the larger of the two distinct wine regions on the Set6bal peninsula.  Low yielding vineyards on the north-facing clay and limestone slopes have traditionally produced the best wines, whilst those on the fertile, sandy plain extending eastwards from the fortress town of Palmela have always been more productive.

Grape varieties: The most important grape of the region is the versatile red Castelao Frances (nick-named Periquita), which is used to make red, ros6 and sparkling wines.  Espadeiro and Monvedro are also grown, but imported varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are gaining in popularity.  Apart from the Muscat of Alexandria (see below) Arinto and Esgana are the most significant white varieties.  Chardonnay, Riesling and Gewurztraminer are also grown successfully.

VINHO VERDE It is the white wine from this region that is most often seen around the world.  It is Portugal’s largest demarcated wine region, extending from Vale da Cambra south of the river Douro to the river Minho that forms the frontier with Spain.  It officially divides into six sub-regions, distinguished by climatic differences and the white grape varieties grown there.

Within this region you will find some of the oldest manor houses and noble families in the country dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries.  The region is punctuated by a

patchwork of farms and estates, producing a wide variety of agricultural products including grapes.  Vinho Verde is famous for its landscape of evergreen mountains and valleys, with mild winters and warm pleasant summers.  A region steeped in history, where wine has always played a major role as the best companion for the local fresh fish, meat, poultry and homegrown vegetables.

Grape varieties: Alvarinho, a prestigious variety that produces one of the best but least typical Vinhos Verdes.  Alcohol levels can be up to 13% and the wines are notably age-worthy.  Loureiro, Trajadura and Pedern5 all grow in the Vinho Verde DOC around the towns of Braga, Barcelos and Guimar5es.  These high-yielding vines produce wines that are light and fresh, typically with an alcoholic strength of between 8 and 10%.  Avesso is an important variety grown around the town of Bai5o in the Vinho Verde producing a slightly fuller style of wine.

The most popular grape varieties of Portugal:

White

Alvarinho Produces medium to full-bodied dry, crisp, aromatic wines with notes of peach, citrus, and apple.

Arinto produces dry, tangy wines with refreshing acidity, plenty of citrus fruit, some apple and mineral aromas.

Fernao Pires Characterised by floral aromas, apple, citrus notat and moderate acidity.

Red:

Aragones A highly regarded variety, rich in tannins that produces fruity (redcurrant, cherry, raspberry), dark and aromatic wines.

Castelao Young wines from this grape often have notes of raspberry and redcurrant, maturing with time to develop a warmer, smoother, more tarry character.

Touriga Nacional The wines are often aromatic, bursting with dark berry fruits yet often with floral notes of violets and rockrose pine, eucalyptus and herbs on the nose, plus the potential to age extremely well.

Trincadeira Produces rich and powerful dry reds with blackcurrant fruit, wild flowers and green herb notes.

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Tags: Portugal, Wine

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