Portugal: There is much more to it than just Port
The main grapes in Douro are Tinto Nacional, Tempranillo and Touriga Francesa for reds and Esgana and Verdelho for whites. In wine talk, the word clean is used to describe fresh wines that lack any off sensations. consistently merits stellar scores.
Some of the oldest and best wines in the world originate from the eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula. Tribes living in the Iberian Peninsula, including Portugal, naturally fermented wild grapes as long as 7,000 years ago. However, the first verifiable instance of winemaking in Portugal was by the Tartessian traders in 2000 BC.
The Phoenicians followed the Tartessians and brought new varieties from Greece and the Middle East. The Celts and Greeks also settled in the area and brought their vines. But it wasn’t until the Romans arrived that winemaking truly became a major industry.
In the following centuries, the English also played a huge role in developing Portuguese wines, not only Port but also red and white wines. Aside from trade with England, the Portuguese wine industry has historically been quite isolated and insular. One big and rather unfortunate exception was the success of Mateus and Lancers roses. These mass-produced, insipid rose wines accounted for the gross majority of Portuguese wine exports in the latter half of the 20th century. But in the new millennium, it’s the high-quality dry white, roses and reds from small to medium-size producers in the Douro Valley that are exciting the wine world today.
The Douro Valley is not only the largest wine region of Portugal but also the oldest. In 1756, the Marquis of Pombal created Regiao Demarcada do Douro. This was nearly two centuries before the French initiated their AOC system. Today, in addition to Port which also comes from this region, Douro makes many of the best dry wines of Portugal. The Dao region is best known for powerful and tannic reds, although some producers are experimenting with lighter more fruity wines. The Bucelas region is making some lovely full-bodied whites, while the Vinho Verde is now making delightfully fresh and clean white wines.
Knowing the 500 plus indigenous varieties of Portugal is a daunting task for even wine experts. Making things even more complicated is the fact that many older vineyards may be planted with multiple grapes so identifying the grapes of the resulting wines is nearly impossible. In many cases, even the winemakers are not sure of the exact varieties. These field blend wines may be interesting but vary quite a bit in quality. Newer vineyards are almost always planted with one variety which portends well for winemakers, consumers and the future of Portuguese wines.
As in many non-mainstream wine regions, knowing the right producer is critical. Excellent Portuguese producers who have wines available in Shanghai include Symington, Post Scriptum, Altano, Caves Alianca and Broadbent.