Portugal punches well above its size in indigenous grape varieties, famous above all for fortified Port from the Douro Valley and light, spritzy Vinho Verde whites. Its dry reds, increasingly built on Touriga Nacional, have also drawn growing international acclaim.
Grapes grown here
Sub-regions
Alentejo
Alentejo, covering a broad swath of southern Portugal, has shifted from a cork-growing heartland into one of the country's most commercially successful wine regions. It produces approachable, fruit-forward reds from a mix of indigenous and international grapes.
Bairrada
Bairrada, a cool, rainy Atlantic-coast region in Portugal, produces about two-thirds of the country's sparkling wine along with deeply colored, tannic reds marked by bell pepper and black currant notes. Baga is its defining, notoriously tricky-to-tame red grape.
Dão
Dão, on a granite plateau in central Portugal sheltered by surrounding mountains, makes deeply structured, tannic reds built around Touriga Nacional, which must account for at least 20% of production. Encruzado is its finest white grape.
Douro
The Douro is a dramatic, terraced river valley in northeastern Portugal, sheltered from coastal influence and historically famous as the birthplace of Port. It also produces structured, age-worthy dry table wines from the same indigenous red grapes, ranging in style from Bordeaux-like clarets to rich, oak-aged reds.
Madeira
Madeira is a fortified wine from the volcanic Portuguese island of the same name, deliberately heat-aged through either artificial warming (estufagem) or slow loft aging (canteiro) to create remarkably long-lived wines. Styles range from bone-dry Sercial to lusciously sweet Malmsey.
Vinho Verde
Vinho Verde, in Portugal's cool, rainy far north, produces young, light, often slightly effervescent white wines meant to be drunk soon after release. Loureiro and Alvarinho are its most prized grapes, while the damp climate keeps most red grapes from fully ripening.