Portugal has it all: Unique terroirs, local grapes, old vines, and a tradition of wine making centuries old. At their finest, the red wines can compete with the best of France, Spain, and Italy. On the other end, the bulk of Portuguese production shows incredibly good value, with easy drinking wines; probably the best value wines in the world today.
Portugal is slowly waking up from a deep sleep which ended in 1974 with the demise of the Salazar dictatorship. Portuguese winemakers are rediscovering their terroirs and local grapes, while adding a touch of modernity without, as it is often the case, selling their soul. The use of oak is very subtle. Oak is still widely considered a neutral element, rather than a way to dress up the wines and hide them behind vanilla flavors. This careful balance between a very strong heritage and modernity makes Portugal one of the most interesting and underrated wine countries in the world. It is time to learn, taste, and enjoy the wines from their eight principle regions and 40 different appellations:
Entre Rios – Minhos: Home of Vinho Verde.
This region is located in the Northern part of the country between the Minho River, which is the natural border with Spain, and the Douro River (Ribeira del Duero in Spain). The main wine produced by far, is Vinho Verde. In fact it is one of the biggest appellations in the world. Vinho Verde is a light, slightly under-ripe wine with high acidity, that is refreshing and inexpensive. What may surprise you however is that Vinho Verde is predominantly a red wine. Although rarely present in American stores, red Vinho Verde is delicious, unpretentious and refreshing. As we know, the market commands, and therefore the region is slowly moving towards producing more whites, but keep a look out for a red Vinho Verde, and try one if you get the chance.
The other interesting wine from this region is a white wine called Alvarinho, a cousin of the Spanish Albarino. Alvarinho is an interesting, elegant yet refreshing, white.
AOC’s Selection of Entre Rios – Minhos Wines.Douro Region: Home of Port wines and also some great dry reds.
This wine region stretches along the banks of the Douro River and ends in the city which gave its name to the wines, Porto. In the summer the Douro region is the warmest place in Portugal. The steep hills mean that the donkey is still the most efficient way to work the vines. The Douro is the oldest wine appellation in the world. The visionary Marquis de Pombal recognized the quality of the port wines and decided to protect the region, creating the Porto Appellation in 1756.
In 1982, a new appellation was created and Douro was also declared a region for dry red and white wines. The reds are particularly interesting.
AOC’s Selection of Douro Wines.
Barraida: Land of the interesting Baga grape.
Located south of Porto, close to the ocean, the Barraida is the home of the Baga grape, which produces red wines similar to the Barolos in Italy. Hugely tannic, rustic when young, incredibly sophisticated and complex when properly aged, these wines are hugely underrated. The reds in a good year can be stellar.
AOC’s Selection of Barraida Wines.
Dao: Great value reds.
This region is interesting for its inexpensive red wines. It is located in the Northern part of the country at a height of 2,600ft, with strong temperature variations, sufficient rainfall and very warm summers.
AOC’s Selection of Dao Wines.
Estramadura: The most interesting white wines in Portugal.
The Estramadura covers a 30 mile coast line north of Lisbon. The white wines used to be cheap and mediocre, but the potential of the Arinto and Bucela grapes have been recognized more recently. These are now the most interesting and elegant wines in Portugal.
AOC’s Selection of Estramadura Wines.
Terras do Sado: the House of Fonseca.
This region is closely linked to the Fonseca house, wine dealers since 1822. The Muscat grape that is grown here produces a fortified wine slightly lighter than Port. The region is also rapidly becoming home for some of the best red wines in Portugal.
Alentejo: The California of Portugal.
A warm climate region in the process of modernizing. This region makes fruity, low acidity, enjoyable red wines.
AOC’s Selection of Alentejo Wines.
Madeira:
Madeira, an Autonomous Region technically considered part of Portugal, is part of an archipelago in the Atlantic ocean, about 323 miles off the coast of Morocco. Known as The Pearl of the Atlantic Madeira has always been an important part of Portugal’s economy and wine-making tradition. This island paradise is known for its Madeira and Madeira Rainwater fortified wines, similar to those of mainland Portugal’s Ports. Madeira wines are actually heated up during their aging process to achieve complex and unique flavors that create subtle differences between Madeira and Port.
AOC’s Selection of Madeira Wines.
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