A picturesque view of boats carrying wine barrels on a river with a viaduct and evening city lights.

Discovery Series Explores Portuguese Wines

Portugal occupies the southwestern Iberian Peninsula, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Spain. Home to 250 native grapes and many international varieties, plus lots of regions with varying climates, Portugal boasts a stunning array of wine styles.

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Discovery Series

Explore Portugal’s Famous Regions

General map of Portugal showing the terrain.

Portugal is home to three distinct climates.

The northern coast is lush and green with abundant rainfall; the inland valleys feature blisteringly hot summers and very cold winters with minimal precipitation; and the southern coast enjoys a Mediterranean climate with warm summers, mild winters and little precipitation during the growing season.

Explore Portugal’s Famous Regions

Overhead landscape view of a vineyard with mountains and river.

The Douro Valley produces some of Portugal’s finest wines.

Among the world’s first demarcated wine regions, the Douro Valley’s boundaries were defined in 1756. About two-thirds of the valley’s production is labeled Porto DOC, devoted to fortified dessert wines. The rest is labeled Douro DOC, which is a dry table wine.

Explore Portugal’s Famous Regions

Minho is the coolest and wettest region, producing mostly whites.

Minho is in northwest Portugal, south of Spain’s Rías Baixas region. Most of the area’s production is labeled Vinho Verde DOC. Despite its name meaning green wine, wine under this label can be white, pink or red. Green implies youth or freshness and that the wine should be consumed when young.

Explore Portugal’s Famous Regions

White grape vines with bushels of grapes.

The Bairrada region, along the west coast, is named for the Portuguese word for clay.

Bairrada is most famous for its reds, spotlighting the baga grape. The unique soil and climate soften this highly acidic and tannic grape, producing full-bodied and age-worthy wines. Bairrada also produces most of Portugal’s sparkling wine.

Explore Portugal’s Famous Regions

Two glasses of red wine on a table next to a window with the sun shining in on the glasses.

The centrally located Dão region focuses on juicy red blends made from native grapes.

Besides its excellent value reds, the Dão region is known for its varietal whites, from the indigenous grape encruzado, which have long aging potential.