The home of port is now producing great table reds

‘No other classic wine region in the world has changed as much in modern times as the Douro valley in northern Portugal. The table wine revolution is one of the most exciting things to happen here, attracting dynamic producers making it a top quality red wine region.”

This is according to Christian Seely, director of historic Quinta do Noval, one of the Douro’s most beautifully-sited port estates. Like many of its neighbours in Cima Corgo in the heart of the Douro high above Pinhao, it is now producing table wines alongside port – but the question you might well ask is whether there are enough grapes for both.

“The reason this has been possible is due to a revolution in the way people plant vineyards in the last 25 years. Port has never been better, but there are enough good grapes to make table wines too,” says Seely.

Seely reckons the main challenge is increasingly hot weather and drought. “We need to change the grape profile, canopy techniques and allow controlled irrigation,” he says. Their preferred grape for port and table wine blends is touriga nacional, which does not like heat, so they are increasing plantings of heat resistant touriga franca and introducing more syrah.

Another port house at the forefront of Douro’s table wine revolution is Niepoort, on the other side of Douro river at Quinta de Napoles. Owner Dirk Niepoort understood early on that to make the best table wine you need different vineyards to those for port.

“With port we know what we are doing, it is just attention to detail – but with table wine it is a challenge,” he admits.

Niepoort believes old vineyards are the best for table wines. His acclaimed Batuta is made from 100 year old vineyards from nearby Quinta do Carril.

“I like old vines co-planted in old-fashioned field blends, as ripening is more even than when grapes are separated

into varietal plots. The average age of growers I work with is 75 years,” he says. Like their port, Niepoort’s top red wines are made from a blend including tinta amarela, touriga franca, tinta roriz and tinta cao.

“I don’t like over-ripeness, so I look for north-facing high altitude vineyards like Quinta do Carril which take longer to ripen, so you get concentration, freshness and elegance. I pick on acidity rather than alcohol,” he says.

Heading south from the Douro into the more remote Dao region on a wild granite plateau surrounded by pine forests and Sierra de Estrela mountains – the table wine revolution continues.

As in the Douro, there are challenges. “We lost 15 hectares in wild fires last year and this year yields are low from hail,” says Manuel Lourenco of Quinta dos Roques. “Touriga nacional is our important grape, but we are developing other grapes like alfrocheiro, jaen and tinta roriz (Spain’s tempranillo)”.

Roques is Dao’s leading quality estate today, but their rise to fame is recent. “My parents used to sell grapes, apples and hazelnuts from the farm to the local co-operatives,” says Manuel. “Today we own two estates producing 200,000 bottles.”

For years Dao region produced dusty earthy reds but attitudes are changing.

One of the largest producers is 100 hectare Quinta dos Carvalhais. They focus on reserve wines buying grapes from local growers. “When we started 80 per cent of grapes were non-authorised, but now 80 per cent are noble grapes like touriga nacional and tinta roriz; we are certainly witnessing a revolution here too,” says winemaker Beatriz Almeida.