The traditionalrabelo boat, used to transport Port Wine from theDouro Valley to the cellars near the city ofPorto.
Portuguese wine was mostly introduced by theRomans and other ancient Mediterranean peoples who traded with local coastal populations, mainly in the South. In pre-Roman Gallaecia-Lusitania times, the native peoples only drank beer and were unfamiliar with wine production.Portugal started to export itswines to Rome during theRoman Empire. Modern exports developed with trade to England after theMethuen Treaty in 1703. From this commerce a wide variety of wines started to be grown inPortugal. In 1758, one of the first wine-producing regions of the world, theRegião Demarcada do Douro was created under the orientation ofMarquis of Pombal, in theDouro Valley. Portugal has two wine-producing regions protected byUNESCO asWorld Heritage: theDouro Valley Wine Region (Douro Vinhateiro) andPico Island Wine Region (Ilha do Pico Vinhateira). Portugal has a big variety of local kinds, producing a very wide variety of different wines with distinctive personality.[citation needed]
"cupa", Roman tombstones in the shape of wine barrels, were used in the 3rd century AD inAlentejo, Museu deÉvora
In southern Iberian Peninsula, some archeological finds attest that the consumption of wine occurred around the 7th to the 6th century B.C. and production started in the 5th to the 4th century B.C.[1] Romans did much to expand and promote viticulture in their settlements in the province ofLusitania, most especially PortugueseEstremadura and the south of Portugal. In Northern Portugal, and according to the current knowledge, wine-making started with Roman rule.Strabo notices that theindigenous peoples in Northern Portugal mostly consumedzhytos (a form of beer) and wine was rarely produced or consumed; the wine, of low production, was immediately consumed in family banquets, all orderly sited and consuming by age and status, proving that wine was a fascination to them.[1] Wines were then produced across the territory for both local consumption as well asexport toRome.[2][3]
During theReconquista in the 12th and 13th centuries, with the populating (povoamento) of the conquered territories, areas due to religion the Arabs reduced wine production. During this period, some new varieties were added to the ancient ones, fromBurgundy came the French varieties. And during theperiod of discoveries,Henry the Navigator brought to the newly discovered island ofMadeira theMoscatel andMalvasia from theGreek Island ofCrete. In the Reign ofKing Carlos, theRegião Demarcada do Vinho Verde and theRegião Demarcada do Dão among Colares, Carcavelos, Setúbal, and Madeira were created. In 1979, Bairrada was added and in 1980 the Algarve region (Lagoa,Lagos,Portimão, andTavira) was finally demarcated. In 1998, theAlentejo region was demarked by the gathering several smaller demarked regions created in 1995.[citation needed]
Vineyards in Vinho Verde Demarcated Region inMinho,Portugal
Portugal has a large array of native varietals, producing an abundant variety of different wines. The wide array of Portuguese grape varietals contributes as significantly as the soil and climate to wine differentiation, producing distinctive wines from the Northern regions toMadeira Islands, and fromAlgarve to theAzores. In Portugal only some grape varietals orcastas are authorized or endorsed in the Demarcated regions, such as:[citation needed]
Theappellation system of the Douro region was created nearly two hundred years before that ofFrance, in order to protect its superior wines from inferior ones. The quality and great variety of wines in Portugal are due to noble castas,microclimates, soils and proper technology.[citation needed]
Official designations:
Quality Wine Produced in a Specific Region (QWPSR) or VQPRD -Vinho de Qualidade Produzido em Região Demarcada
These are the most protected wine and indicates a specific vineyard, such as Port Wine, Vinhos Verdes, and Alentejo Wines. These wines are labeled D.O.C. (Denominação de Origem Controlada) which secures a superior quality.
Wines that have more regulations placed upon them but are not in a DOC region fall under the category ofIndicação de Proveniência Regulamentada (IPR, Indication of Regulated Provenance)
Regional Wine -Vinho Regional Carries with it a specific region within Portugal.
Table Wines -Vinho de Mesa carries with it only the producer and the designation that it's from Portugal.
Vinho Verde: This region is mainly in theMinho province, and is in the extreme north-west of Portugal. There are six areas :
Monção
Lima
Braga
Penafiel
Basto
Amarante
Vinho Verde derived its name from the fact that the grapes used are 'green' meaning slightly under-ripe. Vinho Verde wines are now largely exported, and are the most exported Portuguese wines after thePort Wine. The most popular variety in Portugal and abroad are the white wines, but there are also red and more rarely rosé wines. A notable variety of Vinho Verde isVinho Alvarinho which is a special variety of white Vinho Verde, the production of Alvarinho is restricted by EU law to a small sub-region of Monção, in the northern part of the Minho region in Portugal. It has more alcohol (11.5 to 13%) than the other varieties (8 to 11.5%).[citation needed]
Douro wine (Vinho do Douro) originates from the same region as port wines. In the past they were considered to be a bitter tasting wine. In order to prevent spoilage during the voyage from Portugal to England, the English decided to add a Portuguese wine brandy known asaguardente. The first documented commercial transactions appearing in registries of export date as far back as 1679. Today's Douro table wines are enjoying growing favor in the world, maintaining many traits that are reminiscent of a port wine.[citation needed]
Dão wine is from theRegião Demarcada do Dão, a region demarcated in 1908, but already in 1390 some measures were taken to protect this wine. The Dão Wine is produced in a mountainous region with temperate climate, in the area of theMondego andDão rivers in the northern region of central Portugal. These mountains protect thecastas frommaritime andcontinental influences.[citation needed]
Bairrada wine, is produced in theRegião Demarcada da Bairrada. The name "Bairrada" comes from the Portuguese word "barro" meaning "clay", due to the clayey soils of the region. Although the region was classified in 1979, it is an ancient vineyard region. The vines grow exposed to the sun, favouring the further maturity of the grapes. The Bagacasta is intensely used in the wines of the region. The Bairrada region produces table, white and red wines. Yet, it is notable for itssparkling natural wine.[citation needed]
Alentejo wine is produced from grapes planted in vast vineyards extending over rolling plains under the sun which shines on the grapes and ripens them for the production. Some producers of this region still do wine in great potteries as in Roman times.[3]
Colares wine is type of wine produced in sandy soils outside Lisbon between the foothills ofSintra andRoca Cape. Because of Lisbon's urban sprawl, the lands available for vineyards became so small, that the demands has always been higher than the production, making it one of the most expensive Portuguese wines.[citation needed]
Port wine vines need to grow inschist rich soil and require a specific micro-climate. It is produced through a unique vinification method. The red varietals are the most common. The wine is produced in the beautiful landscape of theDouro Valley in Alto Douro region, a region that is classified asWorld Heritage byUNESCO.[4] The wine is exported from the city ofPorto, thus acquiring the namePorto (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 (L.B.V.). Wine cellars where port wine is stored to mature can be visited all year around in order to get information about the history of Port Wine and the Douro region.[5][6]
Moscatel is a liqueurous wine from theSetúbal Peninsula. Although the region has produced wines since the dawn of nationality, it was in 1797 that the wines of Setúbal were first mentioned. There is another variety of Moscatel wine, the "Moscatel de Favaios", in theRegião Demarcada do Douro, it is made from a differentcasta, and the "Galego" (white), while Moscatel Roxo is made upon acasta with the same name as the wine.[citation needed]
Garrafeira: A reserva red wine aged at least two years in a barrel and one year in a bottle; a white wine aged at least six months in a barrel and six months in a bottle.
Maduro: Mature (in opposition toverde). Mature wines are Portuguese wines produced in all regions except the ones produced in Vinho Verde region; due to this, the term "maduro" rarely appears on bottles.
Wine has been one of the most noted Portuguese exports. The country is the seventh largest exporter of the product worldwide, by value.[citation needed]
