What wine to choose in Portugal

When you visit Portugal the exceptions weather and beaches will inspire you.   Also place of enjoyment like Autodromo Algarve near Portimao.  But the one thing that will stand out is the exceptional value to be had in wines.   In the local supermarket, you can purchase an exceptional bottle of wine for €4.   The bottle of wine can be €6 in Faro Airport duty-free.  Or in a Lagos restaurant €15 in Ireland could pay up to €28  for the same bottle of wine.

Most visitors talk about the amazing wine values you can find from Portugal. The question is what are they… exactly?

Douro River

Here is a small overview of  Portuguese wine we hope you enjoy

“If you don’t recognize the grape variety on a Portuguese wine label, it’s a good thing.”

Because Portugal’s wine culture developed in relative isolation, there are many grape varieties that do not grow anywhere else in the world. So, if you don’t recognize the grape variety on a Portuguese wine label, it’s a good thing.
All told, there are over 250 indigenous varieties and a few imports (including Alicante Bouschet) that have adapted well to the Portuguese landscape
To many wine experts, Portugal is the last frontier of wine in Western Europe; there is still so much to be tasted and explored.

Douro

Port is the most famous, and most copied, wine from Portugal and it grows in the Douro Valley. The hills along the Douro River have been worked by hand into terraced stair steps since the time of Jesus. It’s so impressive that the entire region was made a UNESCO world heritage site.

Wines

Port: Fortified sweet wines. Specifically LBV Port, Tawny Port, and Vintage Port wines which are the best and made by blending “port grapes” which include Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Tinta Barrocca and Tinto Cão among many others. Find out more about Port Wine.
White Port and Pink Port: Beyond the red Port there are also Port wines made with the rare white wine varieties in the region. Rosé Port is relatively new and both of these wines are awesome to use in light-alcohol summer cocktails such as the Porto classic: White Port and Tonic

Tinto Douro: Full-bodied red wines. We’ve talked about Douro Reds before, but the same red grapes of Port wine happen to make outstanding full-bodied, tannic, age-worthy red wines. You can find them on the cheap for around $10–$12 a bottle or, if you’re a collector, start looking into wine ratings and expect to spend around $50 for something world class.

Douro Branco: Light-bodied white wines. Douro Branco are crisp, minerally white wines with very little fruity flavors, subtle flinty notes and salinity, and high acidity. Douro white wines are a little harder to find and include the white Port varieties of Rabigato, Viosinho, Gouveio, and Folgazão (etc).
Terras de Cister (Távora e Varosa)

Terras de Cister: Sparkling wines
If you head South over the mountains from the Douro you’ll hit a tiny mountainous region that was first planted by Cistercian monks (the same group of monks that also started the wine thing in Burgundy, France). This area is surprisingly cooler at night and harder to ripen grapes than the Douro. This difference produces wines with much more elegance and acidity, thus making it pretty ideal for sparkling wines. Because of the attraction to bubbles, there are a growing number of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards being planted along with the regional varieties of Malvasia Fina (aromatic white), Cerceal (light white), Gouveio (light white), Aragonês (aka Tempranillo), Tinta Barroca (red) and Touriga Franca (red) among others.

Transmontano (Trás-Os-Montes)

Tinto Transmontano: Full-bodied red blends
If you head north over the mountains from the Douro you’ll find another small-but-spread-out wine producing region called Trás-Os-Montes. The only wine we usually see from this area is Transmontano, which is a regional red blend. Wines are full-bodied, punchy, with higher alcohol levels.


Minho (Vinho Verde)

Portuguese Salad

If you’ve ever drank something ice-cold on the beach that happened to be from Portugal, we wager it was Vinho Verde. Best served young when the wine is at its peak of aromatics and crisp acidity, the wines of Minho are the ideal wine alongside salads, fish, vegetable dishes and even do well paired against citrus-driven sauces.

Wines

Branco Vinho Verde: Light-bodied white wines. Wines often have a slight spritz and fruity, lemonade-like flavours with notes of melon, gooseberry and chalky texture. White Vinho Verde wines are made with a blend of several grape varieties including Arinto, Azal, Trajadura, Loureiro and Alvarinho (a.k.a Albariño). Keep your eyes peeled for single-varietal wines, particularly of Loureiro, Azal and Alvarinho which are some of the most popular grape varieties grown in Vinho Verde.
Rosado Vinho Verde: Rosé. The Rosado wines offer red berry flavours with quenching acidity like lemonade. The reds/rosés of Vinho Verde are found primarily in the southern part of Minho in the sub-regions of Amarante and Paiva. Red grape varieties include Alvarelhão, Amaral, Borraçal, Espadeiro, Padeiro (quite rare).

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