Portugal Diary » Wine http://www.portugaldiary.com A Blog about Portugal and Portuguese topics Mon, 03 Oct 2011 21:59:26 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Wine Tours in Portugal http://www.portugaldiary.com/portugal-wine-tours/ http://www.portugaldiary.com/portugal-wine-tours/#comments Thu, 20 May 2010 21:32:41 +0000 admin http://www.portugaldiary.com/?p=87 Anyone who has a taste for wines would not want to miss a wine tasting party or event.  Major airlines that serve only the finest wines on board have their catering departments sponsor regular wine tasting events, while just about all the major wineries in wine producing countries have them.  Apart from savoring the fine [...]]]> Anyone who has a taste for wines would not want to miss a wine tasting party or event.  Major airlines that serve only the finest wines on board have their catering departments sponsor regular wine tasting events, while just about all the major wineries in wine producing countries have them.  Apart from savoring the fine subtle aroma of exquisitely aged wines of various production years, wine tasting events offer ample opportunities for different folks of the same interests to meet and where new business partnerships and alliances can be forged.

Portugal vineyards

For many wine connoisseurs and dilettante wine lovers on vacation, taking part in wine tasting events in the countries they visit never fail to enrich their holiday experience.  When having holidays in Europe and you have that urge to sample the wines of the continent, add Portugal to your itinerary.  You could have most of the wine tasting experience in France, but Portugal has a unique tradition of wine making that would put a deep hole in your wine tasting experience if you missed it.

Portuguese Wine Regions

Visiting Portugal for the wine lover won’t be complete without touring the many wine producing regions of the country.  Wine lovers know what a Port Wine is.  It’s short for the city of Porto from where the wines are shipped for export.  Genuine Port Wines come only from the wineries of the Douro Valley region of Portugal with wine exports to England dating back to 1679. The region is now protected as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

Next comes the Vinho Verde from the Minho region which produces grapes that rarely require much ageing and are next to the Douro region in exporting wines.  Another notable variety produced in the region is the white wine Vinho Alvarinho.

One of its more popular wines is the Madeira wine that has a liqueurs quality and produced in the Setubal Peninsula of which the Madeira Island produces the most. Other wine making regions include the Alentejo and Ribatejo, each producing its distinct wine flavor and character and are tourist destinations on their own with their vast vineyards over rolling hills and plains.

One of the most expensive Portuguese wines are the Colares wines produced from the sandy regions outside of the capital Lisbon. They are located between the Sintra and Roca Cape foothills which, because of urbanization growth, have reduced much of the vineyards that resulted in demand exceeding production.  Hence, you have them highly priced.

(Before proceeding, if you have a stronger preference for other European languages, Portugal Web is translated in other languages including French.)

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Portugal is a popular destination for travellers because it has a multitude of attractions for tourists. Its rich heritage combined with its wonderful culture has put this country on the map as millions of people flock this European nation every year. However, one of the things that have made this country so popular has [...]]]> wines Portugal

Portugal is a popular destination for travellers because it has a multitude of attractions for tourists. Its rich heritage combined with its wonderful culture has put this country on the map as millions of people flock this European nation every year. However, one of the things that have made this country so popular has to be the exceptional wines that they are able to produce. There are all sorts of fine wines that come from all over the world but it would be safe to say that Portuguese wine has to be one of the best.
Perhaps the most popular wine to come out of this country is Vinho Verde. A lot of people are familiar with Vinho Verde and one does not have to be a connoisseur to have a pleasant experience of tasting this wonderful product. One thing that has made this drink so prevalent is the fact that it does not need to age. This is because it is made from grapes that do not contain too much sugar in them. Due to its low alcohol content and gassy taste, Vinho Verde is an excellent companion for seafood dishes. However, because of the low sugar content it is advisable to consume this drink while it is still young.
Aside from Vinho Verde there are a few other wines that have made the Portuguese famous among the world’s top connoisseurs. A popular companion for game and meat dishes is Douro wines that are produced in the Porto region. Douro originally had a bitter taste but has recently been developed into fine table wines. Bairrada is another world-renowned wine from this nation and it is known for having a very rich taste because of its full body.
Bairrada is produced in a region where the soil is mostly clay. The grapes used to produce Bairrada are exposed to sunlight and are allowed to mature. Lastly, there is also Alentejo which comes from the southern region of this country. Both the red and white variety of Alentejo has become a mainstay for the Portuguese themselves as they are considered to be of the highest quality.
Above are just a few examples of Portuguese wine that are available in the market today. Surely, there are more that may taste better for some, depending of course on the sophistication of one’s tongue. Nonetheless, it is needless to say that Portugal is definitely one of the best sources for top class wine.

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