About Tasting Portuguese Wines

Think of all the best wine producing countries of the world and you'll probably think of France, Italy and California however there are many countries that produce wine and don't get much in the way of shelf space at your local supermarket. Portugal is one such country that produces wonderful wines yet not that many people outside of Portugal actually get to taste it.  Portugal vacations is something you might find yourself interested in for the wines alone. 

The Portuguese wine industry has been around for centuries and it's even though to have originated 4,000 years ago. Production techniques have obviously changed and adapted since then but it might just be that Portugal have been a wine growing nation since the Phoenicians.

Although you may not have tasted any of Portugal's table wine, you have no doubt heard of port and Madeira fortified wines. Other than fortified wines, Portugal also produce a huge variety of wines to suite any taste bud.

Although Portugal is not the largest of countries, it is split into different wine growing regions with each region producing wines with their own individual character. An interesting fact about Portuguese wines is that they only use native grapes. This of course is highly different from South American, Australian and Californian wines which can be a blend of grapes from all over the world. To ensure that all the wine produced in Portugal is of the highest quality, the government has laid down laws about wine production.

If you are keen to taste wines from Portugal you will find that it's not all that easy to buy as they aren't well known outside of Portugal.

Alentejo Wine is produced in the southern part of the country and is made form the alentejo grape. This is great grape if you want a white wine that's fruity and acidic. This is a very popular wine in Portugal.

Bairrada Wine - 80% of wines from this region are red and 95% of these come from the baga grape. These are very thick skinned grapes and the outcome is a wine high in tannins and acidity. For some reason, it's a tradition to include the stems when the wine is fermenting. This can make it a difficult wine to drink if you are not used to it. However the better wine producers can actually produce a very palatable wine.

Colares Sand Wine - This wine is grown just outside Lisbon where the soil is sandy. Because of the sprawling suburbs, there isn't that much space for vineyards which means there aren't enough vineyards to meet demand. That's why you can expect to pay more for this wine.

Dão Wine - This is in the north of the country which is mountainous and has a more cooler climate compared to the baking heat of the south. They produce both red and white wines which are very fruity and the minimum alcohol content is 11%. Wine buffs claim that the best Portuguese wines can be found here with Grão Vasco and Aliança being highly recommended.