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Northern Portuguese Wines and Port Wine

The northern part of Portugal, namely the regions of the Douro, Bairrada and Dão, are known for their production of high class wines that have received numerous international awards. Perhaps the most famous of the Portuguese wines is Port wine, named after the city of Porto from where it was exported to countries all over Europe. Port is a fortified wine that comes in a couple of varieties, either as a dry or semi-dry white wine or sweet red wine. Produced from the grapes grown in the Douro Valley, Port is fortified with the adding of aguardente, a Portuguese brandy which literally means firewater. This stops the fermentation process and leaves sugar in the wine, making it sweeter and boosting its alcoholic content.

The Douro region also produces many types of table wines. The most famous Douro table wine is undoubtedly the red wine of Barca Velha, which has been produced by Casa Ferreirinha for more than 55 years. The Dão region is famous for its unique grape variety of Touriga Nacional, which is used for the production both red and white wine. The most prominent are Aliança and Grão Vasco. Bairrada produces mainly red wines, but also sparkling natural wines, such as the Marquês de Marialva.

Last but not least, we come to interesting vinho verde, literally meaning green wine. Its name has nothing to do with its color, however. Rather, the green refers to its light and youthful taste. It is made in the northernmost part of the country, in the Minho region, and comes mainly in the form of white wine. It is made to be consumed within a year of its production and possesses either a floral or a fruity aroma, in accordance with the variety used. It is always served fresh and is slightly carbonated; not enough, however, to enable us to categorize it as a sparkling wine or even a semi-sparkling wine. Vinho verde is a unique Portuguese wine. Being very refreshing, it is the ideal wine to accompany a traditional Portuguese fish dish.

Southern Portuguese Wines

In the southern part of Portugal, the most prominent wine region is Alentejo, producing excellent yet accessible fruity table wines. Alentejo’s specific dry and sunny weather give the wines a special taste. While the North has preserved ancient wine traditions and is very typically Portuguese, Alentejo combines modern, state-of-the-art production, still maintaining a Portuguese feel in its wines. North of Alentejo lies the province of Estremadura, where the district of Setúbal is particularly famous for the production of moscatel, or muscat wine. There are red and white varieties of moscatel and it is essentially a liquorish wine with a sweet aroma. The most renowned is undoubtedly Moscatel Roxo, which is stored in the cellar for twenty years before being sold.

Madeira Wine

Another fortified Portuguese wine comes from the islands of Madeira and is hence called Madeira wine. Like Port, it can be dry or sweet, depending on the variety, and is consumed either as an aperitif or as a dessert wine. Furthermore, it also uses distilled alcohol from cane sugar to boost its alcoholic content. There are different aging methods used and they result in different quality wines. The highest quality Madeira wine is aged naturally in rooms heated by the sun for a minimum of twenty years.

Portugal Wine Tours

If you are a wine lover, Portugal is a great country for a wine tasting adventure. You can start from the North and move slowly down to South or vice versa. There countless little estates, or quintas, that you can include on your itinerary. Gastronomic tourism has been developing rapidly in Portugal over the last few years and there are wonderful tours that take visitors to some of the most rural parts of the country, offering a truly unique and remarkable experience.

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Porto European Capital of Culture

Porto is a bustling industrial metropolis that rivals Lisbon both economically and culturally. In 2001, Porto was named “European Capital of Culture”. It is the home of many contemporary museums and galleries, including the Art Deco building of the Serralves Foundation with its splendid gardens and the ultramodern Casa da Música.

The city center has been proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site and boasts amazing examples of Gothic, Baroque, Neoclassical, Roman and Renaissance architecture. The fact that the center of the city was built into the cliffs of the Douro estuary gives it a recognizable charm. The twelfth-century Porto Cathedral is the city’s oldest building and represents one of its architectural landmarks, together with the remains of the city walls and a few other churches and fifteenth-century houses. The São Bento train station is also one of the city’s monuments with its painted tiles, which number over 20,000.

Best time to Visit Porto

Porto is best to visit in early spring and summer. February is also particularly pleasant because of the blossoming trees on the city’s streets. Winds from the sea in the summer months ensure that the temperature remains comfortable. Late summer, however, is the time of the rainy season in northern Portugal, so make sure to check the weather forecasts well in advance.

Porto Tourist Info

Like Lisbon, Porto is a great city to explore on foot, wandering through the little streets and allowing yourself to be surprised. It is very hilly and has many stairs cut into the cliffs, so be prepared for quite a lot of climbing. The waterfront, or Ribeira, is very popular with tourists, due to its bars and quality restaurants serving seafood. One can still find the traditional rabelo boats along the river, which were once used to transport wine casks down the Douro. Today, they have a purely touristic purpose and greatly contribute to the city’s allure. Porto has six bridges and is often referred to as the “City of the Bridges”, one of which is the metallic Dom Luís the First Bridge designed by a disciple of Gustave Eiffel.

Porto is a city that one should take time to get to know. There are numerous narrow streets that take the form of labyrinths and hide many unique and interesting restaurants, bars, bookshops, and galleries. It is also a very proud city with open and warm people who are willing to help you find your way to wherever you need to go or even suggest something that they think you might particularly like. Unlike Lisbon, Porto is not teeming with tourists throughout the year due to its slightly colder climate and this gives it a more authentic feeling. Be ready to explore and discover a historical city that has successfully combined modern urban development with centuries-old traditions.