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Wine is an integral part of Portuguese society. Rarely will you find a home without grape vines or a cellar filled with
barrels of home-made vinho.
Wine has been produced in Portugal for over two thousand years.
Despite its small area Portugal ranks sixth in the world as wine-producing country.
The number of
micro-climates and soil types confer the specific and unique features to Portuguese wines - a plus for the wine lover, especially in tandem with the number of grape varieties. |
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Portugal has possibly more indigenous grape varieties than any other country with well over 200. Some of the famous grape varieties include the white - Alvarinho, Arinto, Fernao Pires, Aragonez and the red - Castelao, Touriga Nacional and Trincadeira.
There are 11 official wine routes in
Portugal, five of which are within Central Portugal. Wine in Portugal is not just looked upon as a drink, but a traditional product full of history. |
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The object of the wine
routes are to promote tourism for Viticulture and
popularise the craft of making wine. |
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“Portugal is one of Europe’s greatest and most traditional wine countries. Yet it is also at the forefront of some of the world’s most innovative and imaginative winemaking
today. Tradition and modernity, a fondness for what went before, a fiery enthusiasm for what is to come, that’s the modern Portugal for you,”
Oz Clarke, BBC Food & Drink |
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