Delicious Portuguese wine: review, types, composition and reviews

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

If you are not yet familiar with Portuguese wines, you should definitely fill this gap. These are the drinks that should appear on the dining table. If you like malbec, barbera or chardonnay, then chances are that wines from Portugal will be a fresh and possibly inexpensive alternative.

Portuguese wine reviews

Port and vinho verde may be familiar to you, but have you ever heard of the Castellane or Fernand Piris grapes? These are just two of the many varieties that grow only in Portugal and are found nowhere else. Today we will list some of the grape varieties and wine regions of the country, which, according to amateurs, are worthy of being the subject of further tasting research.

What's on the sticker?

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

Also on the label you can see the word quinta - the Portuguese call the winery. Producers also tend to make a list of grape varieties called castas. Many stamps are made from a mixture of several different types, so such a list is often necessary. The Garrafeira label on the Portuguese wine indicates that the winemaker has invested in aging it in oak barrels, 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.

Minyu

Let's start the journey the same way we start a meal - with fresh, lively, white vinho verde wines. According to tasters, they are distinguished by low alcohol content, aroma of lime and peach. They are often slightly bubbly, making the drinks especially refreshing seafood companions. Minho is a coastal region in the northwest of the country where vinho verde is made. The name "green wine" reflects its youth and liveliness. It is usually not aged in oak barrels and is intended for immediate consumption. Although red and rosé Portuguese wine is produced here, most of the production is white blends from Loureiro, Alvarinho (identical to the Spanish Albariño), Trajadura and sometimes other grapes. The sub-region of Montsão y Melgasú specializes in wines made only fromAlvarinho.

There are a number of winemakers producing delicious Portuguese green wines that could be at your next party, but if you want to try something a little more sophisticated, look for a bottle from Anselmo Mendis or Afrush.

Douro

The steep terraced vineyards along the Douro River have produced a world-class product for centuries, mostly in the form of the famous dessert port. Over the past few decades, however, dry Portuguese red wine has come out of the shadows. Since there were already vineyards and talented winemakers, the region immediately rose in the ranking: from 0 to 60 points. Douro can be red, white or pink and allows for a wide range of varieties.

Portuguese red wines tend to be fortified and rich. They are often aged in oak barrels. The same red grapes used in Port wine are used to make the dry wine Toriga Nacional, Toriga Franca, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Rorish (known as Tempranillo in Spain), either in blends or separately in bottles. Try them if you like products from regions like Rioja, Ribera del Duero or Brunello di Montalcino. According to amateur reviews, you should look for the manufacturers Niport, Quinta do Crashto and Quinta do Popa.

White varieties make only a small fraction of the wines you can find. These include Rabigato, Goveya, Viosinho and Malvasia Fina. Would you like to try white douro? Find "Redoma Branco" from "Niport": rich, withnotes of minerals, it will appeal to lovers of white burgundy.

Dan

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

According to consumer reviews, red dans are similar to burgundy. But they have more in common with the graceful nature of Pinot Noir. Made from Toriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro and Tinta Rorish, wines will typically be full of black cherry, earl gray and cocoa aromas. Look out for a bottle of Quinta do Roquis.

White blends are made here, but if you're going to try just one, fans recommend a delicious white Portuguese wine made from the Encruzado grape. Dry Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay lovers will also enjoy the richness of this variety, which offers aromas of baked apple, lemon and pineapple. It is worth trying the products of the Quinta do Perdigan winery: you need to look for a bottle with a tit on the label.

Lizhboa

The tiny region of Colares is located right on the Atlantic Ocean near the country's capital, Lisbon. This is one of the many DOCs in the region that make truly excellent Ramisco wines. The vines wrap around the sand dunes, protecting them from the harsh ocean winds. Grapes that have survived these extreme conditions are able to produce drinks that retain a fresh acidity that balances out the high contenttannin. Added to this is the tart, fruity flavor and ability to age well, making them comparable to Italian Nebbiolo.

Among the regional wines, there are many more good brands labeled Vinho Regional Lisboa. The whites, often sourced from the Arinto and Fernand Pires grapes, tend to be fresh and aromatic, a bit like Grüner Veltliner and Albariño.

Red wines are often blended with Toriga Nacional, Toriga Franca and Tinta Rorish, and are reminiscent of the beloved Cabernet Sauvignon with hints of blackcurrant, 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 Estramedura, and sometimes this name still pops up in liquor stores and on old bottles.

Setúbal Peninsula

If you love Italian Barbera, you should try Castelana-based drinks from the Setúbal Peninsula, southeast of Lisbon. It is the most common red grape variety in Portugal and was once called Perquita after a very popular wine created by José María de Fonseca. The brand has become synonymous with grapes, but most likely the label will now say "Castelan".

Alentejo

Alentejo wines will appeal to lovers of Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon. This vast region is mainly known for its many kilometers of cork tree plantings. And although here only 5% of the land is reserved for vineyards, wines from here began to enjoy a largepopularity.

Even a beginner to get acquainted with Portuguese red wines, an amateur will recognize some names here: torigu nationale, aragones (tinto rorish), as well as alfrucheira and trincadeira. Some white wines are also produced here, among them: Arinto, Fernand Pires and Ropeiro. One factor they have in common is the sun: riper grapes mean higher alcohol levels and richer flavors. Red and white Portuguese wine, according to lovers, is good from Erdade do Esporan, a major winemaker who constantly improves the quality of production in Alentejo.

Port wine

Now that we've tasted Portuguese dry wine, it's dessert time!

You need to turn back to the Douro to enjoy the famous delicacy of this region - port wine. Red port is made from a blend of grapes typically including Toriga Nacional, Toriga Franca, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Rorish. It's cloyingly sweet, like spiced blackberries. And sweetness is not achieved by adding sugar: when the juice is only partially converted into wine, the winemaker adds grape spirit. The yeast stops working, so fermentation stops before the sugar turns into alcohol.

Red port is the easiest and least expensive. It only matures for a few years before being bottled and put on the shelves. Aged port is more expensive and is only produced in exceptionally good years. He doesn't need to age. This wine is stored in the cellar infor several decades. Don't want to wait? Look out for Late Bottle Vintage Port or LBV. Before bottling, these fine wines spend four to six years in the winery, so they can be consumed immediately after purchase.

Pale port ages longer in wooden barrels before bottling, giving it a hazelnut and vanilla flavor. If you see a golden port with an age mark, such as 20 years, then know that the mark does not indicate the number of years of aging. Rather, it is an estimate of how old it seemed to taste when the manufacturer bottled it. Port wine with a specific year is called Colheita - it was aged 7 years before bottling.

This Portuguese wine pairs perfectly with a dessert topped with caramel sauce. Since this type of port has already been aged, it can be opened immediately after purchase or, if desired, left for a while. Served as an aperitif or in a highball with tonic. It is a bit sweet as the fermentation is stopped by fortification, similar to red.

Madeira

In order to get to our final region, you need to book a plane. Madeira is an island located southwest of the coast of Morocco. Fine fortified wines produced here violate all storage rules. Manufacturers deliberately carry out the process of heating or "boiling" it. This is sometimes done by long-term aging in the winery's hot attic, although it is possible to achieve it faster.result by artificially heating the wine.

Why subject the drink to such torture? The answer must be sought in the past: Madeira wines, making long 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 don't send their barrels out to sea, but aging at elevated temperatures works just as well.

An added benefit of this extreme process is that Madeira does not spoil like regular wine, even when opened and exposed to the air. So for those who do not drink too often, it is the best choice: one bottle can last for years!

Most likely, you will see several different varieties of Madeira. The most affordable is made from Tinta Negra, and it's a tasty start. Sometimes you can see bottles labeled "Rain Water" priced between $10 and $15, this is a light and semi-dry Portuguese wine.

Want to find a special bottle of Madeira? Look on the label for the Sercial, Verdelho, Boile, or Malmsy grape varieties. Sercial is produced in the driest style and can be surprisingly good as an aperitif before dinner. Verdello is slightly sweeter and is known for its piercing acidity. Boile is semi-sweet and aromatic, with notes of orange and caramel. The sweetest is malmsy - a reddish port with hints of walnut and vanilla. All these types of Madeira are produced by Rear Wine Co. This is in case anyone wants to rate each variety.