Portugal

Table of Contents
  1. Portugal
  2. The History of Port, Madeira and Portuguese Wine
  3. Portuguese Wine Classifications and Grape Varieties
  4. Minho and Vinho Verde
  5. Transmontano
  6. Duriense: Douro and Porto
  7. Beiras
  8. Lisboa
  9. Península de Setúbal
  10. Tejo and Alentejano
  11. Algarve
  12. Açores
  13. Terras Madeirenses
  14. Review Quizzes

Portugal

Portugal ranks as the world’s 11th largest producer of wine; the country is 1st in the world in per capita consumption.

Although its fame in the world of wine rests squarely on the shoulders of two great fortified wines, the country is rapidly developing an arsenal of modern table wines, sourced from a diverse array of over 200 unique native varieties. Worldwide decline in the sales (and interest) of fortified wines has prompted Portuguese producers to look beyond Port and Madeira in an effort to compete, but years of geographical and—until the last decades of the 20th century—political isolation have left an inscrutable, perplexing vineyard terrain. Rather than adopt the same international varieties that characterize newer winemaking regions worldwide, Portuguese producers instead look to their own bounty of grapes and traditions. New research continues to identify the best indigenous varieties and clonal selections for quality table wines, and technological advancements in the winery allow Portugal’s table wines to overcome past criticisms of rapid oxidation and rusticity.

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The History of Port, Madeira and Portuguese Wine

The history of wine in Portugal closely parallels that of its Iberian neighbor Spain through the Age of Exploration. Wine in Portugal predates the Phoenicians, Greeks, Celts, and Romans, each of whom arrived in turn prior to the Common Era. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the ensuing Germanic and Moorish conquests of the region frustrated—but did not eradicate—viticulture. Portugal expelled the Moors and affirmed its national identity by 1250, over two centuries before Spain would conclude

Comments
Anonymous
  • Many thanks!

  • Hey Thomas! The study guide is updated to feature the requirements in the compendium. 

  • Hi Jonathan,

    The study guide above refers to Garrafeira Port to have a minimum aging in demijohns of 8 years while the compendium says that it should be a minimum aging of 15 years. 

    Can you adjust this so that it matches?

    Thank you 

  • Thank you!

  • Hey Angela! At the largest scale, the area around Lisbon is the Lisboa IGP. As one zooms in, the IGP has two subzones Alta Estremadura and Estremadura. Then at the higher-end DOP level, there is Encostas d'Aire which overlaps the two subzones of the IGP. This DOP is in the up-and-coming category versus a classicly established region in the area like Colares DOP.