About Portuguese Wines

Many wine lovers and wine buyers are looking to Portugal for world class quality and deliciously different wines.

What’s exciting is not just the wide range of flavours. Most Portuguese wines taste refreshingly different from wines made anywhere else. Why? Because Portugal has its own unique grape varieties, and they taste as different from Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and the rest as Cox’s Orange Pippin apples do from Golden Delicious. Of course, the famous French grapes are grown in Portugal too, and can make very good wines. But Portugal’s scores of native varieties give Portuguese wines excitement and personalities you will find nowhere else on earth.

You don’t have to know the names of all these grapes; most Portuguese wines are blends of different grapes. But a few grapes are stars: Grapes such as Alvarinho, Arinto, Fernão Pires and Loureiro among whites, and Alfrocheiro, Castelão, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Trincadeira among reds are worth tucking away in an easily accessible corner of your mind.

More important to remember are the names of Portugal’s wine regions. Vinho Verde is for light, aromatic whites. The Douro makes lean, mineral whites and rich, structured reds (as well as ports). Bairrada is famous for long-lived, tannic reds (and roast suckling pig!). Dão is near-mountain territory, both whites and reds elegant and refreshing. Cool coastal Estremadura gives stylish whites and reds. Ribatejo wines are easy and approachable. Terras do Sado and Palmela reds are light and balanced. Alentejo reds are warm and generous.

Portuguese wine

Portuguese wine is the result of traditions introduced to the region by ancient civilizations, such as the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, and mostly the Romans. Portugal started to export its wines to Rome during the Roman Empire. Modern exports developed with trade to England after the Methuen Treaty in 1703. From this commerce a wide variety of wines started to be grown in Portugal. And, in 1758, the first wine-producing region of the world, the Região Demarcada do Douro was created under the orientation of Marquis of Pombal, in the Douro Valley. Portugal has two wine producing regions protected by UNESCO as World Heritage: the Douro Valley Wine Region (Douro Vinhateiro) and Pico Island Wine Region (Ilha do Pico Vinhateira). Portugal has a large variety of indigenous grape varieties, producing a very wide variety of different wines with distinctive personality.

History

During the Reconquista in the 12th and 13th centuries, with the populating (povoamento) of the conquered territories, areas that due to religion the Arabs reduced wine production, and planting grapevines were a priority. During this period, some new varieties were added to the ancient ones, from Burgundy came the French varieties. And during the period of discoveries, Henry the Navigator brought to the newly discovered island of Madeira the Moscatel and Malvasia from the Greek Island of Crete. In the Reign of King Charles, the Região Demarcada do Vinho Verde and the Região Demarcada do Dão among Colares, Carcavelos, Setúbal, and Madeira were created. In 1979, Bairrada was added and in 1980 the Algarve region (Lagoa, Lagos, Portimão, and Tavira) was finally demarcated. In 1998, the Alentejo region was demarked by the gathering several smaller demarked regions created in 1995.

Grapes

Portugal has a large variety of native breeds, producing a very wide variety of different wines. The wide variety of Portuguese grape breeds is as important as soil and climate tho wine variety, producing the distinctive wines from the Northern regions to Madeira Islands, and from Algarve to the Azores. In Portugal only some grape varieties or castas are authorized or endorsed in the Demarcated regions, such as:
Vinhos Verdes – White castas Alvarinho, Arinto (Pedernã), Avesso, Azal, Batoca, Loureiro, Trajadura; red castas Amaral, Borraçal, Alvarelhão, Espadeiro, Padeiro, Pedral, Rabo de Anho, Vinhão.
Porto/Douro – Red castas Touriga Nacional, Tinta Amarela, Aragonez, Bastardo, Castelão, Cornifesto, Donzelinho Tinto, Malvasia Preta, Marufo, Rufete, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Francisca, Tinto Cão, Touriga Franca; white castas Arinto, Cercial, Donzelinho Branco, Folgazão, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina, Moscatel Galego Branco, Rabigato, Samarrinho, Semillon, Sercial, Roupeiro, Verdelho, Viosinho, Vital.
Dão – Red castas Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro, Aragonez, Jaen e Rufete; White castas Encruzado, Bical, Cercial, Malvasia Fina, Verdelho.
Bairrada – Red casts Baga, Alfrocheiro, Camarate, Castelão, Jaen, Touriga Nacional, Aragonez; white castas Maria Gomes, Arinto, Bical, Cercial, Rabo de Ovelha, Verdelho.
Bucelas – White castas Arinto, Sercial e Rabo de Ovelha.
Colares – Red casta Ramisco; White casta Malvasia
Carcavelos – Red castas Castelão and Preto Martinho; White castas Galego Dourado, Ratinho, Arinto.
Setúbal – Red casta Moscatel Roxo; white casta Moscatel de Setúbal.
Alentejo – Red castas Alfrocheiro, Aragonez, Periquita1, Tinta Caiada, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet, Moreto; White castas Antão Vaz, Arinto , Fernão Pires, Rabo de Ovelha, Roupeiro
Algarve – Red castas Negra Mole, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet, Aragonez , Periquita; White castas Arinto, Roupeiro, Manteúdo, Moscatel Graúdo, Perrum, Rabo de Ovelha.
Madeira – Red castas Bastardo, Tinta, Malvasia Cândida Roxa, Verdelho Tinto e Tinta Negra; white castas Sercial, Malvasia Fina (Boal), Malvasia Cândida, Folgasão (Terrantez), Verdelho.

Portugal has a large variety of indigenous grape varieties, producing a very wide variety of different wines. This diverse selection is as important as soil and climate, producing the distinctive wines from the Northern regions to Madeira Islands, and from Algarve to the Azores.

If you want very detailed information about the grape varietes that are permitted in each region, or if you want to read more about Portuguese Wines  - visit Wikipedia.

Pronounciation

Some of Portugal’s grape varieties and regions can prove a bit of a tongue twister to the native English speaker; here are a few hints:

WINE REGIONS

Minho:     Min – yo

Vinho Verde:     Vin – yo Vaird (rhymes with Baird)

Beiras:     Bare – ash

Dao:     Dow

Bairrada:     By – rada

Beira Bare – a

Estremadura:     Estra – mad – ura

Ribatejo / Tejo:     Ribate – joe

Alentejo:     Alente – joe

Terras do Sado:     Terras – doh (as in the Simpsons!) Sar – doh

Setubal:     Stoo – bal (the most unusual pronounciation!)

Algarve, Azores, Madeira:     these shouldn’t prove too problematic!

MAIN WHITE GRAPE VARIETIES

Alvarinho:     al – va – in – yo

Arinto:     A – rin – tow

Fernão Pires:     Fer – now peer – esh

Loureiro:     Loo – ear – o

Moscatel:     Mosque – a – tel

MAIN RED GRAPE VARIETIES

Aragonez:     Ara – gone – ez

Baga:     Baa (as in sheep!) – ga

Castelão:     Cash – tell – ow

Tinta Roriz:     Tinta Roar – eesh

Tinto Cão:     Tinta Cow

Touriga Franca:      Tour – eager - franca

Touriga Nacional:     Tour – eager Nash – un – al

Trincadeira:     Trinca – dare – a