Delicious Portuguese wine: overview, types, composition and reviews

If you are not familiar with Portuguese wines, you should definitely fill this gap. These are drinks that should appear on the dining table. If you like the taste of malbec, barber or chardonnay, then it is likely that wines from Portugal will become a fresh and possibly inexpensive alternative.

Portuguese wines: reviews

Port and vinyu-verde may be familiar to you, but have you ever heard of the grapes Kastelan or Fernand Piris? These are only two of the many varieties that grow only in Portugal and are not found anywhere else. Today we list some grape varieties and wine regions of the country, which, according to the amateurs, are worthy of being the subject of further tasting studies.

What's on the sticker?

On the bottle of the Portuguese one can find the inscriptions "DOC" and "Vinho Regional". The country is divided into 14 regions, whose wines fall into this category. Within these areas, different DOCs (Denominação de Origem Controlada) set stricter laws and clearer geographic boundaries, which (as a rule, but not always) should result in the production of a higher quality beverage.

Also on the label you can see the word quinta - they call the Portuguese winery. Manufacturers also tend to compile a list of grape varieties, called castas. Many brands are made from a mixture of several different species, so such a list is often necessary. The inscription Garrafeira, which marks the Portuguese wine, indicates that the winemaker invested in its aging in oak barrels - it is similar to Reserva in Spain.

Now that we know what can be read on the bottle, it's time to talk about what's inside it. The tour will start from the north and continue towards the south.

Minho

We will begin the journey in the same way as we begin the meal - with fresh, living, white wines, vindju-verde. According to the tasters, they are distinguished by a low alcohol content, the aroma of lime and peach. Often they are slightly sparkling, which makes beverages especially refreshing seafood companions. Minyu is a coastal region in the north-west of the country, where it is made by vinyu-verde. The name "green wine" reflects his youth and liveliness. It, as a rule, does not stand in oak barrels and is intended for immediate use. Although red and pink Portuguese wine is produced here, most of the products are white blends from Lowreiro, Alvarinho (identical to the Spanish Albarino), Trajadura, and sometimes other grapes. The Monsan-i-Melgasu subregion specializes in wines made only from Alvarinya.

There are a number of winemakers producing delicious Portuguese green wines that might appear at your next party, but if you want to try something more refined, you should find a bottle from Anselmu-Mendish or Afrush.

Douro

Steep terraced vineyards along the Douro River for many centuries produced a world-class product, mainly in the form of the famous dessert port. Over the past few decades, however, wine Portuguese red dry leaves the shadows. Since there were already vineyards and talented winemakers, the region immediately rose in the rating: from 0 to 60 points. Douro can be red, white or pink and allows the use of a wide variety of varieties.

Portuguese red wines are usually fortified and saturated. They are often kept in oak barrels. The same red grapes used in port wine are used for making dry wine Toriga Nacional, Toriga Franka, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Rorish (known as Tempranillo in Spain) either in a mixture or separately in bottles. Try them if you like the products of such regions as Rioja, Ribera del Duero or Brunello di Montalcino. According to the fans, it is necessary to look for producers "Niport", "Quinta do Crashtu" and "Quinta do Pope".

Of the white varieties, only a small part of the wines are made, which can be found. These include Rabigata, Goveja, Viosinho and Malvasia Fin. Would you like to try a white dora? Find "Redoma Branco" from "Niporte": rich, with notes of minerals, it will be to the liking of lovers of white Burgundy.

Dan

Dan takes advantage of the climate: it is not as hot as in the center of the country, and not too close to the cold breezes of the ocean. The location of this region is ideal for achieving a balance of ripeness and acidity of grapes.

According to consumers, red dans are similar to Burgundy. But they have more in common with the elegant nature of pinot noir. Made from the varieties of Toriga Nacional, Alfrosheira and Tinta Rorish, wines are usually full of black cherry, "Earl Gray" and cocoa. It is worth looking for a bottle of "Quinta do Rokish".

Here, white blends are produced, but if you are going to try only one, the fans recommend a delicious white Portuguese wine made from the Encrouzadu grapes. Fans of dry Shenen Blanc and Chardonnay will also like the richness of this variety, which offers the flavors of a baked apple, lemon and pineapple. It is worth to try products of the winery "Quinta do Perdigan": you need to look for a bottle with a tit on the label.

Lizhboa

The tiny region of Kolares is located right at the Atlantic Ocean near the capital of the country of Lisbon. This is one of the many DOCs in this region that make really excellent wines from Ramiscus. Vines twist sand dunes, protecting them from severe ocean winds. The grapes that survived in these extreme conditions are able to give drinks that retain fresh sourness, which balances the high content of tannin. To this should be added tart fruit fruity and the ability to grow old, which allows them to compare with the Italian Nebbiolo.

Among the regional wines, there are many more good brands marked with the inscription Vinho Regional Lisboa. White, often obtained from the grape Arinta and Fernand-pireş, is usually fresh and fragrant, a bit like Gruner Veltliner and Albarino.

Red wines are often blended on the basis of Toriga Nacional, Torigi Franca and Tinta Rorish and remind of the beloved Cabernet Sauvignon with shades of black currant, cloves and cedar. "Casa Santos Lima" offers a wide selection of incredibly valuable wines. It should be noted that this region used to be called Estramedur, and sometimes this name still pops up in wine shops and on old bottles.

The Setubal peninsula

If you love Italian Barber, you should try Castelan based drinks from the Setubal peninsula to the southeast of Lisbon. This is the most common sort of red grapes in Portugal, which was once called Perikite by name of the very popular wine created by Jose Maria de Fonseca. The brand has become synonymous with grapes, but, most likely, the label will now be written "Castelan".

Alentejo

The Alentejo wines will please the lovers of Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon. This vast region is mainly known for its many kilometers of cork trees. And although here only 5% of the land is allocated for vineyards, wines from here began to enjoy great popularity.

Even a beginner to get acquainted with Portuguese red wines, the amateur learns here some names: torigu nacional, aragones (tintu rorish), as well as alfrusheira and trinkadeira. Also, some white wines are produced here, among which are: arinthu, fernan pireş and ropeiro. One common factor in them is the sun: more ripe grapes means a higher level of alcohol and a more intense taste. Red and white Portuguese wine, according to the fans, is good in Erdade do Estoran, a large winemaker, which constantly improves the quality of production in Alentejo.

Port wine

Now that we have tasted the Portuguese dry wine, it's time for dessert!

We need to turn back to Dora to enjoy the famous delicacy of this region - port. Red port wine is made from a mixture of grapes, usually including the varieties of Toriga Nacional, Toriga Franka, Tinta Barroc and Tinta Rorish. It is sugary and sweet, like a blackberry with spices. And sweetness is not achieved by the addition of sugar: when the juice only partially turns into wine, the winemaker adds grape alcohol. Yeasts stop working, so fermentation stops before sugar turns into alcohol.

Red port is the simplest and least expensive. He ripens only a few years before bottling and being put on shelves. The aged port is more expensive and produced only in extremely productive years. He does not need to grow old. This wine is stored in the basement for several decades. Do not want to wait? Pay attention to the port of Late Bottle Vintage or LBV. Before bottling these vintage wines spend from four to six years in the winery, so they can be consumed immediately after purchase.

Light port is more time exposed in wooden barrels before bottling, which gives it a taste of hazelnuts and vanilla. If you see a golden port with a designation of age, for example 20 years, then know that the label does not indicate the number of years of aging. Rather, it is an estimate of how old it seemed to taste when the manufacturer packed it into bottles. Port with the indication of a particular year is called Colheita - it was aged 7 years before bottling.

This Portuguese wine is perfectly combined with a dipped caramel sauce dessert. Since this kind of port has already been maintained, it can be opened right after purchase or if you want to leave it for a while. Served as an aperitif or in a highball and tonic. It is a little sweet, since fermentation stops with a fastener, like red.

Madeira

In order to get to our final region, you need to book an airplane. Madeira is an island located on the south-west of the coast of Morocco. The fine fortified wines produced here violate all the rules of storage. Manufacturers deliberately conduct the process of heating it or "cooking". Sometimes this is done by long-term aging in a hot attic winery, although there is the possibility of more rapid results by artificial heating of wine.

Why put a drink so tortured? The answer should be sought in the past: the wines of Madeira, while making distant sea voyages, were stored in hot ship holds, where, under the influence of heat and oxygen, they turned into a drink with the taste of nuts and dried fruits. Today winemakers do not send their barrels into the sea, but aging at elevated temperatures works no worse.

An additional advantage of this extreme process is that Madeira does not deteriorate like ordinary wine, even if it is opened and exposed to air. So for those who do not drink too often, it is the best choice: one bottle can be stored for years!

Most likely, you will see several different versions of the Madeira. The most affordable is made from Tint Negra, and this is a delicious start. Sometimes you can see bottles with the inscription "Rainwater" at a price of 10 to 15 dollars, this light and semi-dry Portuguese wine.

Want to find a special bottle of Madeira? Look for the grape varieties of Sersial, Verdelho, Boal or Malmsey on the label. Serial is made in the most dry style and can be surprisingly good as an aperitif before dinner. Verdelo is a little sweeter and is known for its piercing acidity. The boual is semisweet and aromatic, with notes of orange and caramel. The sweetest is malmsey - a reddish port with notes of walnut and vanilla. All these kinds of Madeira are produced by Rear Wine Co. This is in case someone wants to evaluate each species.