The Wines From Portugal You Should Be Drinking

May 21, 2018

From heavy-hitting fortified dessert wines to new-wave table wines, let's pay homage and take a look at some of Portugal's appealing wine regions and their wines.

Douro

A UNESCO World Heritage site, Douro is one of the mountainous and rugged wine regions of Portugal, offering endless rows of terraced grape vines winding along curvaceous hillsides that rise above the Douro River. Try to imagine the Banawe rice terraces! Home of the world-famous Port wines, Douro is now also renowned for its fine, rich unfortified Vinho Tinto (aka Red Wine) and Vinho Branco (aka White Wine) that are made using a variety of indigenous red grapes, such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Barroca, and Tinta Roriz; and white grapes including Malvasia, Rabigato, Arinto, and Viosinho.

Douro Reds are bold, luscious, and concentrated, while Douro Whites are light-bodied and crisp.

Recommended Wines from Douro, Portugal

Porto Quevedo LBV 2011 - This is a great tasting dessert wine that is of dark ruby color with a concentration of red fruit and hints of black pepper. Full-bodied with good structure, lots of tannins, and great length.

Meandro Red 2015 - Goes down like velvet. It has floral scents combined with red fruit aromas, fills the mouth with intense fruit notes, showing a long, very fresh, and complex after taste. 

Tejo

Located in the heart of Portugal, Tejo is Portugal's oldest wine region with a heritage of winemaking excellence. Tejo has reinvented itself in the last decade to become the source of modern Portuguese wines. Its native red grapes include the bold Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, Castelão, and Aragonês, while its crisp white wines are made from the aromatic Fernão Pires and the lively Arinto, as well as Alvarinho and Verdelho. Tejo's pride and joy are its vibrant, refreshingly original white wines.

Recommended Wines from Tejo, Portugal

Cardal White 2015 - A zippy white wine with a fruity aroma and pleasant finish. An aperitif or one to pair with salads and grilled fish.

Quinta da Alorna White 2016 - If you're a fan of picnics and the outdoors, you'll be delighted with this lovely, low sugar, easily drinkable wine! An awesome food friendly white wine with tropical and citric aromas, pineapple and lemon hints sure to tickle your taste buds.

Quinta da Alorna Reserva Red 2012 - We love this less intense red wine for its value for money. Balanced, round and persistent in body, confirming floral and ripe berries hints. Recommended with lamb or roast meats.

Alentejo

Alentejo is a wine lover's paradise and Alentejo wines are increasingly getting international recognition. Its impeccable reds are rich with refined tannins and made with local red varietals Touriga Nacional, Aragonez, Castelão, and Alicante Bouschet. The white wines are distinctly tropical in a similar style to Chardonnay. However, there are progressive wine producers in Alentejo that use international favorites, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Viognier.

The Quinta do Quetzal winery focuses on the limited production of high-quality grapes, and is considered to be among the elite of the wine producers from the Alentejo region. Its Reserva Tinto (Reserva Red), a blend of Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, and Trincadeira is a very concentrated wine, with ripe fruit, silky tannins that ages for at least 20 months in French oak and has been awarded with Gold Medals both in the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and in Mundus Vini 2007. Their Guadalupe white wines are elegant, tropical-fruited, and perfect for those who are looking for more character, while the Guadalupe Red presents good structure, intense flavor, and complexity that is perfect for everyday enjoyment.

Recommended Wines from Alentejo, Portugal

Quinta do Quetzal Reserva Red - We adore drinking this wine with roast pork, pork chop & applesauce, or Lechon! 

Guadalupe Red 2014 - This is an upbeat red wine with an intense flavor that is perfect for everyday enjoyment, and at a great price. 

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