We have spent the past few weeks tasting A LOT or Portuguese wine and we are consistently amazed by what we are tasting.  These wines are intriguingly diverse, delicious, and incredible values. When you hear of Portugal and wine, most minds jump right to Port, the famous fortified wines of the country.  As Port consumption has fallen over the past few decades, savvy Portuguese winemakers started making dry table wines from the traditional grapes used for Port.  These beautiful, fruit and spice driven reds opened the world’s eyes to the treasure trove of indigenous grape varietals this country has to offer.  Due to its relative isolation, Portugal is not awash in a sea of internationally ubiquitous varietals found in many other “value” regions.  Read on for some of our favorite new finds…

2007 Casa de Santar, Vihno Branco, Dao

The beautiful family run winery of Casa de Santar can trace its grape growing roots back to 1616.  Today Santar is the single largest landowner in the Dao region of central Portugal and has shifted its focus in recent times from the mass quantity to the great quality production of typical wines of the region.  There are two vineyard sites that are managed with varying local grape varieties; Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro and Tinta Roriz for the reds; Arinto, Cercial and Encruzado for whites.   The winemaking is in the hands of the well respected Pedro de Vasconcellos who has his winemaking practices both rooted in local traditions (field blended grapes, long fermentations and neutral oak aging) as well as progressive ideas such as barrique usage for his riserva wines.  The capacity of the Casa de Santar is over 3 million liters though only 1 million liters are selected for this wine to improve overall quality.  The Dao is a central river valley that has its own particularities in terms of wine making.  The Atlantic breezes mediate the temperatures and allow full bodied and robust reds to be abundant while crisp whites like this one just make you smile.

2008 Borges Quinta de Simaens, Vinho Verde, Minho

Internationally, vinho verde is the most widely distributed Portuguese table wine.  It is produced in the northwestern corner of the country, in the historically Celtic region of Minho.  There is no significant amount of red wine exported, for what is made is largely consumed within Portugal.  The vast majority of the whites exported are extremely light (practically clear), very mildly flavored, low-alcohol wines that are designed to quench the thirst, and nothing more.  Borges purchased the Quinta de Simaens in 1991 and quickly replanted with three important native varietals.  Perdena, or arinto, is widely considered the most important white varietal in all of Portugal, capable of producing distinct, ageworthy wines.  Avesso is gaining popularity as a varietal to produce wines with greater richness and boldness.  Trajadura makes up the rest of the blend, and is an important varietal over the border in Spanish Galicia, often blended with albarino and loureira in both countries.  Borges’ vinho verde is uncommonly rich and fragrant, rivaling the intensity of some of the great whites of northwestern Spain.

NV Caves Alianca, Tinto Bruto, Bairrada

The Bairrada region of Portugal is possibly the least represented amongst the vast array of Portugese wine regions though it may be one of the most interesting.  Located between the southern capital of Lisbon and the northern mecca of Oporto, the Bairrada is a coastal wine region that is considered the coolest and rainiest in the country.  The low rolling hills, heavy clay and limestone rich soils favor above all an indigenous grape called Baga.  Some producers liken Baga’s bold acidity and rigid tannins to the nebbiolo grape of Piedmont, and in some cases the wines can age very well.  The Caves Alianca is the most important producer in terms of overall quantity in the region and specializes on this unique Tinto Bruto, a sparkling dry red wine (our favorite) that is very typically  served with the local specialty of food, roast suckling pig.  It is made from 100% baga and is produced in the charmat method, where fermentation goes on in tank and the wine is bottled under pressure.   We were charmed by this wine and found it to be a jovial and energizing wine that can breathe life into any gathering.

2008 Montaria, Vinho Regional Alentejano, Alentejo

As a wine-producing country, one of Portugal’s great strengths is its diversity. At one extreme lie the fresh, light, zippy Vinho Verde wines from the damp, green, northern Minho and at the other there are the rich, concentrated red wines from the hot Alentejo in the south, with a whole spectrum of flavors in between. The Alentejo is where Portugal’s climate finally escapes the Atlantic influence and the scenery changes to large, gently undulating plains that experience baking hot summers and cold winters more typical of continental weather systems. Referred to as the ‘bread basket’ of Portugal, wheat is the most important crop here, with the poorer soils being reserved for olive trees, cork oaks and vineyards. Think of it as Portugal’s ‘new world’, with the potential to make extrovert, ripe wines with a taste of the sun about them. The Montaria Reserva displays this new world meets old world style given its blend of trincadeira, Alicante bouschet and aragonez.

2006 Borges Quinta da Sao Simao, Dao

The most recent acquisition for the historic Borges wine family, the Quinta da Sao Simao was the site of some of the most important work leading to the demarcation of the Dao region in 1908.  The region was prevented from producing great wines for a long time because of a statute that forced the growers to sell off their grapes to the bottom-line-driven co-operatives.  This statute was only lifted in the 1990’s, and the quality of the wines being produced has risen meteorically in the last decade.  The Dao region is only starting to reach its great potential, provided by the long, dry growing season, sandy soils and granite sub-soil.  The Sao Simao is composed of what some might consider the three most prized red varietals of Portugal.  Touriga nacional, a key component of Port, is judged by most to be the king of Portuguese red varietals.  Tinta roriz is the northern Portuguese name for tempranillo, the pride and glory of Spain’s Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Trincadeira is seen more often in the southern parts of Portugal, since it requires more sun and higher temperatures than what is usually found in the north.

2006 Borges Quinta da Soelheira, Douro

Established in 1756, the Douro region is the third oldest delimited wine region in the world, after the Hungarian Tokaj-Hegyalja region established in 1730 and Chianti in 1716.  The wines were popular with northern European countries, most notably England, who looked to Portugal when their French imports were disrupted by war.  The most famous wines produced in the region are fortified, though it’s important to note that the original exported Douro wines were not fortified.  The addition of spirits to the wine was a remedy to prevent spoilage during the long sea journeys the wine would have to endure.  The renaissance of Portuguese dry table wines is a recent phenomenon, partly in reaction to the decline of international interest and consumption of fortified wine.  The Quinta da Soelheira has been in the hands of the Borges winery for over a hundred years.  From this site, they produce both fortified and unfortified wines from the region’s array of indigenous varietals.  This version is a blend of the aforementioned touriga nacional and tinta roriz (tempranillo), alongside the lighter, aromatic touriga franca.