The Portuguese bouquet: about the most popular wines
Portugal is known for a bunch of things, among which the sweet, intoxicating taste of its beverages, so today we sample the Portuguese bouquet: about the most popular wines, books could be written.
Far from writing a book, we are merely going to give you a quick, efficient description of the wine history and industry in Portugal. The Portuguese tradition of winemaking goes back thousands of years, to the times of the Phoenicians and the Greeks. But it was during the golden age of the Roman Empire that the region imposed itself as a producer and exporter of the best wines.
In modern times, 1758 is a year to remember, as it was then that the wine producing Region of Douro was created by the Marquis of Pombal. It would acquire international acclaim, while Port wine is popular all over the world. This particular kind of wine needs a special vinification process and the grapes must grow in schist rich soil. All variations of the beloved Port wine are tasty, rich and sweet: the White, the Ruby, Tawny as well as the Late Bottled Vintage.
Here is also a short list of the regions where wine is produced in Portugal:
Vinho Verde wine is the most exported Portuguese wine after the Port. It has a relatively high amount of alcohol (11.5 to 13 per cent) and does not need an aging process because it is made of grapes with little sugar.
Wine in the Dao region is produced with influences from the mountainous climate.
Bairrada wines are made out of mature grapes and count sparkling natural wines, table wines, but also the white and red varieties.
And since you were most probably thinking of planning a Lisbon tour, take the opportunity to visit the hills between Roca Cape and Sintra, near Lisbon, where the sandy soils are the origin of the most expensive, but also special Portuguese wines.
