WineRegionsOld WorldOther Old WorldPortugal
While Port remains Portugal's most highly regarded wine, the countryis quickly establishing a reputation for producing high-quality and value-pricedred table wines.
The Douro valley in northern Portugal, where Port is produced, isalso home to some of Portugal's best table wines, which are fruity and ripe.It's Atlantic climate makes for micro climate somewhat similar to southernBordeaux. Unlike Bordeaux, the Douro has extended hillside plantings, morelike the northern Rhone. The coastal Douro, the Minho, is dominatedby the production of Vinho verde, "Green Wine." This refreshingwine is often slightly effervescent and is meant to be drank young. LikeSpain, finer table wines, particularly those produced for export, tend tobe dominated by the large houses who have the buying power to control growingquality. Traditionally many Portuguese table wines were subjected to extendedwood aging. This practice survives today in wines with the garrafeiradesignation, which denotes extended aging in wood vats and in the bottle.Many wineries have abandoned this style because of the deadening effectit can have on fruit flavors, though many good to very good garrafeirasare made. Selo de origem wines carry a government seal denoting wines fromthe recognized Portuguese districts, but this unfortunately is not alwaysa guarantee of quality.
Besides the Douro, the Dão and Barirrada regions, midwaybetween the cities of Oporto and Lisbon, produces many quality table wines.This region has benefited greatly from Portugal's 1986 entry into the CommonMarket. Before that time, government control of several large cooperativesin the region meant that quality was sacrificed for quantity. Growers werepaid for bringing in the biggest harvest possible, and that made for flat-tastingwines. Now many of the region's wineries are replanting vineyards with aneye to lower yields and higher quality, and are concentrating on a traditionalgrape variety of the region, Touriga Nacional.
Some of the most reliable names among Portuguese table wines (all pricedfor $10 and under) are: Caves Aliança Dão Reserva, Caves DomTeodisio, Alentejo Vinha do Monte, Terra de Lobos Ribatejo. Other well knownbrand names and vitners of selo de origem wines are Sogrape, RealCompanhis Vinicola do Norte de Portugal, Jose´ Maria da Fonseca,Borges & Irmão, Arealva, J. C. Alves, and J. F. Pinto Basto.