Growing Region Douro - Portugal

For centuries, Douro winegrowers have been delighting the world with their port wine. Now, international wine experts recognize that the region also has the perfect conditions for producing high-quality, non-fortified red and white wines. The Douro winemakers succeed in producing amazing wines that stand out from the rest and can be described as the most intense and complex wines in Portugal.

The region's two controlled designations of origin are geographically identical. The DOC Porto is reserved for port wine production, while winemakers under the DOC Douro produce only table wines. An incredible variety of grape varieties grow in the Douro region. There are still many small vineyards with what is known as a mixed set, a traditional blend of grape varieties. Some winemakers consider this “grape mix” to be the key to the highest quality.

Others believe that the best grape varieties are Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz, which are also used for port wine. Still others prefer Sousão (or Vinhão) because of its welcome acidity. What is certain is that growing individual varieties makes the daily work of winegrowers easier, as pruning, harvesting, etc. can be carried out at the same time and for the entire vineyard area of one variety.

The traditional vineyards with their old, spectacular stone-walled terraces are still preserved in the center of the Douro today – after all, they are also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. In other parts of the region, the landscape is characterized by modern terraces separated by earthen rather than stone walls, with the greater distance between the vines leaving enough space for tractors to pass through. On the less steep hills, the vines are usually grown vertically instead of in terraces.

There have also been major changes in the wineries themselves. The Douro Valley is probably the largest wine region in the world where significant quantities of grapes are still pressed by foot in flat, open fermentation vats called lagares. This method does not crush the seeds and stems of the grapes. In recent years, robots have increasingly taken over the footwork, so-called “robotic lagares” (or “robos” for short), which simulate the movements of the feet.

The DOC Douro is divided into three geographical sub-regions: The westernmost area, Baixo Corgo, is the coldest of the three sub-regions. Influenced by the maritime climate, the wines there are a little lighter. Cima Corgo, around the town of Pinhão, is the heart of the Douro. Protected from maritime influences by mountains, two-thirds of Douro wines are currently produced here. To the east, towards the Spanish border, lies Douro Superior. Wild, isolated, and with extreme weather conditions such as cold winters and scorching hot summers, yields here have always been very limited and sparse. Nevertheless, winegrowers have recognized the potential of the region in recent years and have initiated considerable new plantings. However, the fact that only 17 percent of the potential cultivation area is planted with vines proves that viticulture is very difficult on the rocky terrain.

The base wine for Portugal's port wines is produced and fortified in the vineyards of the Douro Valley. It is then taken to the port wine cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia, a town opposite Porto at the mouth of the river, to be aged. Port wine comes in a wide variety of styles, from young, fruity white, yellow-brown, and ruby red to the most expensive and exclusive vintage ports and aged tawnies. Vintage port is bottled after only two years of aging in barrels, thus retaining its red color and strong aroma. It benefits from further maturation in the bottle, gaining complexity in the process. Single Quinta vintage port wines come from private wineries. Colheita port wines are also made from grapes of a specific vintage, but are aged in wooden barrels for at least seven years before being bottled.

Tawny ports, on the other hand, are aged for ten, 20, 30, or 40 years. They are characterized by a lighter color, a soft, delicate flavor, and greater complexity due to the aging process in the barrel. Main white grape varieties: Viosinho, Malvasia Fina, Gouveio, Rabigato, Côdega, Donzelinho Branco, Esgana Cão, and Folgazão Main red grape varieties: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (Aragonez), Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinto Cão, Sousão, Bastardo, Mourisco Tinto, Castelão, Rufete, Tinta Amarela (Trincadeira), and Tinta Francisca.