Wine Regions
Alentejo
Alentejo is well worth getting to know. All that is said about the Alentejo is true: light, unrelenting sun, dryness, endless undulating plains, cork trees and holm-oaks, wine and olive oil, bread sauces and lamb stews, coriander and purslane, big modern wines and old clay-pot fermented reds; good, hospitable folk.
Once upon a time Alentejo vines were cultivated by Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans. Nowadays they are grown on vast farms and wine-producing estates and their wines have put the name Alentejo among the best wines in Portugal, while its culinary tradition is regarded as one of the most tasty and original. A world of different flavours that requires time to understand and appreciate, just like the rest of the Alentejo.
Wineries in this region
Douro
There are few wine growing landscapes as stunning as Douro’s. This region boasts dazzling scenery, shape and influenced by the Douro river , which flows from Barea d’Alva to porto. Viticulture dates back to to the roman occupation. Centuries of human toil & fatigue ensued. The Douro territory occupies 620,000 acres of land. In 1756, the Douro became the first demarcated wine region in the world, thanks to the Marquis of Pompal. Nowadays the region is as well known for its quality table wines as it is for the cultivation of its port wines, famous throughout the world. A must place to visit.
Wineries in this region
Lisboa
Lisboa vineyards are located northwest of the city, comprising of wines from alenquer, bucelas,colares to mention a few. Climate is temperate due to an atlantic influence. The evolution in its quality of wine growing was huge over the past years, resulting in a very good quality-price ratio,one of the decisive factors among consumers.
This region has focused on planting noble portuguese varities, but also international ones, which have adapted
perfectly to its different types of soil and microclimates.
Recently, investments to modernize vineyards have accelerated, resulting in strong growth and increased
share in the marketplace both internally and abroad.
Setubal
Green and fertile, beaten by intense light and caressed by a climate tempered by the Atlantic influence; this is the picture set by the rolling lands which wind around the Lisbon region and of all the wine-growing regions it is the one which shows the most pronounced diversity, from the geology to the typology of the soils where alluvial lands contrast with the slopes where secondary limestone abounds and the lowlands lie opposite the mountainous massifs of the eastern border.
The Peninsula de Setubal region is steeped in vine-growing tradition and is the realm of two famed grape varieties: the red Castelao and the white Moscatel.
Wineries in this region
Dao
With the imposing Serra da Estrela mountains looming on the horizon, the Dao, with its wet winters and hot, dry summers is a region of smallholdings, of lush vegetation, clean air and countless limpid streams running over granite beds. Pine, oak and chestnut trees are common, but vines predominate, over 70 million of them.
Tejo
The Tejo region extends along the fertile plains and has a gentle climate, heavily influenced by the River Tagus running through it. Vines are planted throughout the three distinct areas of the region; the lush riverbank fields (Leziria ou Campo) ideal to the whites, the limestone area north of the river (Bairro) ideal for the reds and the sandy soils south of the river (Charneca) which induce an harmonization both for white and red wines.
Wineries in this region
Minho
“Vinho Verde” is one of the world’s largest delimitated wine regions, covering some 7000 square kilometres in the Minho province. It has a strong geographic, climatic and cultural identity, explaining why “Vinho Verde” is regarded as Portugal’s most original wine. Humid, fertile, with granitic soils and mild temperatures influenced by the Atlantic winds, the region seems to be painted with all the greens in the palette.
Beira Interior
These are wines highly influenced by altitude and harsh weather, with a strong character, aroma and freshness.Lately, this region has seen a marked increase in the number of producers and the quality of its wines. Beira interior earned a protected desigination of origin in 1999, after the merging of the Castelo Rodrigo, Cova da Beira and Pinhel regions.