Portugal is home to a great variety of wines resulting from it's use of unique, regional castas (grape varietals), varied microclimates and soils, and specialized vinification methods.
Official Designations
The appellation system of the Douro region was created nearly two hundred years before that of France and has been adapted to modern European standards.
Quality Wine Produced in a Specific Region (QWPSR) or VQPRD - Vinho de Qualidade Produzido em Região Determinada. Wines with this designation are of the highest quality and represent a specific region. These wines are labeled Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) which indicates superior quality.
Wines that have strict regulations placed upon them but are not in a DOC region fall under the category of Indicacao de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR).
Regional Wine (Vinho Regional) requires production within a specific region.
Table Wines (Vinho de Mesa) requires only the producer and the designation that it's from Portugal.
Vinhos Verdes
Vinho Verde is produced from grapes that do not attain high levels of sugar. Therefore, Vinho Verde does not require an aging process.
The wines are produced in Northwestern Portugal in the historic regions of Minho and Douro Litoral. Vinho Verde is influenced by the nearby ocean and high humidity, characteristics of the region that can be observed in the wine's refreshing taste.
Vinho Verde wines are the most exported Portuguese wines after Port Wine. The white varieties are the most popular, but there are also red and, more rarely, rosé Vinho Verde wines.
Port Wine and Douro Wine
Port wines are made through a unique vinification process that includes their being fortified with distilled grape wine. The red varieties are the most common. These wines are produced in the beautiful landscape of the Douro Valley and the wine is exported from the city of Porto, thus acquiring its name "porto" (or "port" in English-speaking countries). There are several varieties of port wine: some of the most popular are the tawny, white, ruby, and Late Bottled Vintage (LBV).
Douro wines (Vinho do Douro), produced in the same region as port wines, are excellent table wines with some characteristics that are reminiscent of a port wine.
Dão Wine
Dão wine is produced in the Região Demarcada do Dão, a mountainous region with a temperate climate, near the Mondego and Dão Rivers in the northern region of central Portugal. These mountains protect the castas from maritime and continental influences.
The Dão wines, both red and white are flavorful and fruity. Some of the grape varietals used to produce them, such as the Touriga Nacional, are unique to the country and do not exist anywhere else. Many vintners consider these wines to be the best Portuguese table wines.
Bairrada Wine
Bairrada wine is produced in the Região Demarcada da Bairrada. The name "Bairrada" is from "barros" (clay) and due to the clay soils of the region. The Bairrada region produces both white and red wines although it is also notable for its sparkling wine.
Moscatel Wines
Moscatel is a sweet wine from the Setúbal Peninsula. The most prized is "Moscatel Roxo", a wine that is only released after aging 20 years in a cellar.
Alentejo Wines
Located in southern Portugal, Alentejo produces wines that are ideally suited to the casual wine drinker. The white wines of the region typically have an intense fruity bouquet and flavor. The red wine is mildly acidic with a bouquet of very ripe fruit with softer fruit on the palate.