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Buy Wine from Portugal
Portugal is located at the Atlantic end of Poundpe and, like France, is a clear defender of the indigenous varieties so highly valued by its local public. It is the ninth country in the world with the largest number of hectares, around 250,000 hectares, and an annual production of approximately 8 million hectoliters of wine.
Touriga Nacional is the queen variety for port wine production and is now also used for the great red wines of Douro, among others. Touriga Francesa and Tinta Câo also participate in port wine production. Tinta Amarela has great richness, and Jaén gives freshness and juiciness to red wines. Tinta Roriz, known as Tempranillo in Spain, is quite popular in Portugal. Arinto is perhaps the country's most aristocratic white grape, although Encruzada Dâo has great potential for creating full-bodied whites.
Increasingly, Portuguese wines are much more approachable and smooth, although the acidity and tannins are still well present compared to Spanish wines. For decades, Portugal has been known for making sweet wines headed as Port and Mateus, the latter being very poor quality wines made for export.
Portugalis not very large, but the different regions that compose it are subject to the influences of the Atlantic, Mediterranean and even continental climates. Soils range from granite, slate and schist in the north, to clay and sand in the south. Wines from the north are generally richer in acidity as opposed to the rustic wines from the south.
As for the DOC (Denominaçâo de Origem Controlada) appellations, equivalent to the French AOCs, they regulate the permitted native varieties, yields, winemaking systems and aging times, among others. However, the Vinho Regional category is becoming increasingly important, encompassing wines from much larger regions and with more flexible regulations. There is also the IPR (Indicaçâo de Proveniência Regulamentada) category, which includes potential DOCs on the waiting list, similar to the VDQS in France.
In the northeast, Trasmontano is a regional vinho used for declassified Douro wines, generally made from international varieties, and where granite soils abound.
In the northern half of Portugal, south of the Douro Valley, Beiras is a regional vinho used for wines that cannot be considered Dâo or Bairrada as they are made with foreign varieties.
On the banks of the Tagus River, heading southeast from the Spanish border to Lisbon, Ribatejo produces wines with foreign varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Castelâo and Trincadeira are varieties native to the area.
In southern Portugal, the vinho regional category is much more important than DOC, so most Algarve wine is marketed as vinho regional.
What about vinho verde?
Vinho verde, very common in the extreme north of Portugal in the Minho department, is a style of young, fresh, unripe wines for both reds and whites. They are usually wines with a high malic acid content and low in alcohol. The varieties used are: Azal, Loureiro, Trajadura, Avesso and Alvarinho.
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Buy Wine from Portugal
Portugal is located at the Atlantic end of Poundpe and, like France, is a clear defender of the indigenous varieties so highly valued by its local public. It is the ninth country in the world with the largest number of hectares, around 250,000 hectares, and an annual production of approximately 8 million hectoliters of wine.
Touriga Nacional is the queen variety for port wine production and is now also used for the great red wines of Douro, among others. Touriga Francesa and Tinta Câo also participate in port wine production. Tinta Amarela has great richness, and Jaén gives freshness and juiciness to red wines. Tinta Roriz, known as Tempranillo in Spain, is quite popular in Portugal. Arinto is perhaps the country's most aristocratic white grape, although Encruzada Dâo has great potential for creating full-bodied whites.
Increasingly, Portuguese wines are much more approachable and smooth, although the acidity and tannins are still well present compared to Spanish wines. For decades, Portugal has been known for making sweet wines headed as Port and Mateus, the latter being very poor quality wines made for export.
Portugalis not very large, but the different regions that compose it are subject to the influences of the Atlantic, Mediterranean and even continental climates. Soils range from granite, slate and schist in the north, to clay and sand in the south. Wines from the north are generally richer in acidity as opposed to the rustic wines from the south.
As for the DOC (Denominaçâo de Origem Controlada) appellations, equivalent to the French AOCs, they regulate the permitted native varieties, yields, winemaking systems and aging times, among others. However, the Vinho Regional category is becoming increasingly important, encompassing wines from much larger regions and with more flexible regulations. There is also the IPR (Indicaçâo de Proveniência Regulamentada) category, which includes potential DOCs on the waiting list, similar to the VDQS in France.
In the northeast, Trasmontano is a regional vinho used for declassified Douro wines, generally made from international varieties, and where granite soils abound.
In the northern half of Portugal, south of the Douro Valley, Beiras is a regional vinho used for wines that cannot be considered Dâo or Bairrada as they are made with foreign varieties.
On the banks of the Tagus River, heading southeast from the Spanish border to Lisbon, Ribatejo produces wines with foreign varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Castelâo and Trincadeira are varieties native to the area.
In southern Portugal, the vinho regional category is much more important than DOC, so most Algarve wine is marketed as vinho regional.
What about vinho verde?
Vinho verde, very common in the extreme north of Portugal in the Minho department, is a style of young, fresh, unripe wines for both reds and whites. They are usually wines with a high malic acid content and low in alcohol. The varieties used are: Azal, Loureiro, Trajadura, Avesso and Alvarinho.