While Portugal has hung its hat on the signature fortified wines, Port and Madeira, the country has awoken the rest of the wine world to its tremendous potential in quality red table wine and mostly through native grapes.

Portugal shares its border with Spain on the west and a small stretch to the north while the eastern side joins the Atlantic.  The country spans only 380 miles north to south and, on average, about 100 miles east west.  The terrain ranges from mountainous north of Porto in the northwest portion of the country to rolling open plains in the south central Alentejo to flat on the Atlantic west coastal plain.  The Douro River cutting westward from Spain (where it is known as the Duero), carves out deep canyons rimmed by steep and rugged vineyard terraces.  Much of the region is still somewhat remote with small winding roads.  Soils in the hearty Douro region are rocky with an abundance of schist.  Climate, overall, is maritime with warm summers and cool, wet winters.  However, move a bit inland, and temperatures can soar to over 100 degrees for long stretches during the summer.  Rainfall ranges from around 80 inches in the mountains to less than 500mm in some inland regions.

Without question, it’s the Douro region in the northwest that produces most of Portugal’s finest reds.  While known, historically, for the infamous Port, the table reds emerging from this region has improved rapidly in quality over the last five years.  Testimony to this was confirmed as the Wine Spectator chose one of these wines for it #3 wine of the year in 2008 (Quinta do Crasto).  Most of the reds are a blend of more than twenty indigenous grapes with names such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo in Spain) and Tinta Amarela.  At their best, these wines are full bodied, robust and intense yet with mild tannins, deep in color with aromas of dark fruit, chocolate, tobacco and graphite and a sense of minerality on the palate.  Many of these wines are capable of being cellared for 8-10 years.  Some names to look for are Niepoort, Quinta do Cotto, Quinta do Crasto, Quinta do Vale Meao and Quinta do Vallado.  Prices can range from ~$20’s at the entry level to over $100.  When pairing these wines with food, think about hearty dishes of game, lamb or beef.