In Península de Setúbal the sandy soils are planted mainly with the Castelão grape, yielding soft, early maturing red wines with notes of raspberries and redcurrants, many of which age well.

Moscatel de Setúbal is made from the grape of the same name, a fortified wine which spends a lengthy time of barrel aging, depending on the brand. Generally nutty, raisiny and honeyed, the colour ranges from amber to dark brown, depending on its age.

We interviewed winemaker Filipa Tomás from Bacalhôa in Península de Setúbal to find out about her wines…

Of all wines you make in Península de Setúbal, which is your favourite?
Bacalhôa Moscatel de Setúbal 1999 – DO Setúbal (white)

3 words to describe this favourite wine?
Excellent, Powerful and Unique

What international food would you match with it?
Perfect for the festive season, I would drink this wine with Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, almond biscuits, almond cakes and dark chocolate sweets.

What do you do when you’re not making wine?
I drink fantastic Portuguese wine!!!

Filipa’s wine is available to buy online, to find your nearest retailer click here.

The Dão vineyard area lies south of the Douro. It is inland and mountainous like the Douro and takes its name from a tributary of the River Mondego. The best vineyards are at an altitude of between 200 and 500 meters, this is due to its protected position as the climates are mild and do not vary a great deal.

The soils in the Dão are granite and produce immensely food-friendly wines: well structured intense whites, and reds which are elegantly fruity and floral.

The key grape varieties are: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Jaen, Alfrocheiro (reds) and Encruzado Malvasia (whites)

We interviewed wine maker Carlos Lucas from Dão Sul in the Dão, to find out what life is like as a winemaker in Portugal

Which of the wines you make is your favourite?

“It’s not easy to answer to that question. Each wine that I make, like everything in my life, I dedicate a lot of time, love and attention to it and it’s almost like choosing between which son you love the most.

But I would have to say that my favourite wine that I make in the Dão Region is the Cabriz, Colheita Seleccionada, Red Wine. It´s a wine that year after year has maintained and increased the quality standards of the wines from the Dão Region wining its place in the minds and thoughts of our friends, costumers and wine lovers spread all around the world. It’s a beautifully balanced, food-friendly and modern wine with soft tannins and an aromatic complexity revealed with unusual elegance. It’s a wine for the everyday drinker who after a hard day of labour arrives at home or gathers around with some friends and likes to enjoy the good things that life has to offer without bothering about anything else. ”

3 words to describe this favourite wine? Elegance, modernity and uncomplicated.

“What international food would you match with it? This wine comes from one of the most traditional wine regions of Portugal and it’s made with its traditional grape varieties (Touriga Nacional, Aragonez – a.k.a. Tempranillo – and Alfrocheiro). Taking into consideration the characteristics of this wine I would match it with pasta and poultry. But it’s a very versatile wine and its suitable for the majority of the everyday food.”

What do you do when you’re not making wine?

“I try to spend the rest of my spare time with my family and friends, who are my pillars and my strength, cooking with them and always with a good bottle of wine around. In the remaining part of my time, which is not a lot, I enjoy motor sports and another of my hobbies is target shooting.”

Dão Sul wines are available from Clark.

Come and taste Dão wines on the 5th November at The Wine Gang Tasting with Ince Wines.

Tickets are available from Ticket Soup.com or visit www.viniportugal.co.uk to find a bottle of Dão wine near you.

Many of you will have been to the Algarve on holiday, but did you know that they also make some very interesting wines.

In this article you can find out about the variety of wines the Algarve produces, the main local grapes and life as a wine maker in Sir Cliff Richard’s Winery, Adega do Cantor.

A Bit about the Algarve

The Algarve is the most southern region of Portugal and has four separate DOC’s; Lagos, Portimão, Lagoa and Tavira.

• Lagos – The red wine is smooth and fruity with a low acidity level. The white wine is lemon-straw in colour and tends to be full bodied.

• Portimão – The red wine is light, smooth with low acidity and high alcohol content. The white wine is straw-coloured with a soft and rich aromatic flavour.

• Lagoa – The soft and sandy soil and warm climate provides a rich distinct flavour. The red wines are ruby coloured which develop with age and are easy to drink. The white wine is soft and full bodied. Both have high alcohol content.

• Tavira – The red wine is soft and pale coloured and with a fruity aroma. The white wine is straw-coloured, smooth and full bodied.

The Main Local Grapes are:

• Red – Negra Mole and Castelão
• White – Roupeiro (sira), Bual Branco (malvasia Fina) and Manteudo.

We interviewed Max Birch from one of Sir Cliff Richard’s Wineries, Adega do Cantor, to find out about life in the Algarve…

What is your favourite wine that you make in the Algarve region?
At the moment it is a single varietal Alicanté Bouschet that we have had in barrel for 10 months and that will be released next year.

3 words to describe this favourite wine?
Structured, Corpulent, Intense.

What international food would you match with it?
Grilled Black Pig with Salt. I know this is not international but it should be. Also it is genuinely one of the only foods strong enough to match Southern Portuguese Alicanté.

What do you do when you’re not making wine?
I eat fantastic Portuguese food and gain weight. Then I run around after my two small children to lose it.

To taste wines from the Algarve click here or log onto www.viniportugal.co.uk and search by region to find a retailer or stockiest closest to you.

You can also taste wines from Vida Nova with Oz Clarke, simply click here and enjoy the 6 wines all available in Waitrose.

The far North West of the country next to Spain, it is relatively cool and moist with high mountains away from the coast. It is a stunning area with waterfalls, wooded valleys, meadows and craggy upland moors. Recent replanting and restructuring of grapes has lead to a huge improvement in the quality of its famous Vinho Verde wines.

Vinho Verde is a distinctive Portuguese wine style that is light and crisp with a low alcohol percentage, it shares the common denominator of needing to be drunk young, preferably within a year or two of release.

Why don’t you try Quinta da Aveleda or Casa Garcia Rosé which are fantastic wines from the Minho region.

Booths Supermarkets has a fantastic money saving promotion on their Casal Mendes Vinho Verde and Rosé wine, grab a bottle for just £3.99 throughout July and August*!

Click here to find your nearest Booths supermarket. *Offer starts from 28th July and ends on 21st August

We interviewed Manuel Vieira from Sogrape Vinhos S.A. to find out what it’s like to be a wine maker in the Vinho Verde…

Which is your favourite wine that you make in Vinho Verde region?

I would have to say Quinta de Azevedo 2009, for the great company it can be served on its own or paired with food! This wine is available from Waitrose, see what the ebullient Oz Clarke has to say about this wine below:

3 words to describe this favorite wine?

Fresh, aromatic and deliciously acid!

What international food would you match with it?

Quinta de Azevedo is ideal with grilled fish and seafood, personally I love it with oysters in rice wine and ginger vinaigrette.

What do you do when you’re not making wine?

I love reading and spending time with my family, enjoying every minute until my son and daughter are old enough to get married!