Minho
Vin Vert

Vendange traditionnelle pour Vin Vert en haute pergolas (« vigne de pendu »), Guimarães, Portugal.

Le Minho est la plus grande région vinicole portugaise et se situe au Nord-ouest du pays, limitée au Nord par le Fleuve Minho et à l'Ouest par l'Océan Atlantique. Là sont produits des vins d'une acidité et d'une fraîcheur caractéristiques des appellations d'origine Vinho Verde DOC et du Vin Régional du Minho.

Le Minho est une région de sols majoritairement granitiques, riches en eau, avec un climat doux et humide d'influence atlantique.

La culture de la vigne dans la Minho a des traditions anciennes et il est possible de remonter son histoire jusqu'à l'époque romaine. La vigne y est cultivée en terrasses avec des vestiges d'une des plus anciennes formes de construction de la vigne : « vigne de pendu » ou encore appelée («raisinier»), la vigne est alors plantée prés d'un arbre et pousse en s'appuyant sur les branches de ce dernier. La majeure partie des nouvelles exploitations préfère néanmoins les méthodes modernes de construction de vigne. Dans cette région, les castes de raisins blancs sont très connues, les plus utilisées étant : Alvarinho, Loureiro, Trajadura, Avesso, Azal e Arinto, désignées ici par Pedernã. 

Douro
Vin de Porto

Bateaux typiques du douro à long gouvernail, moyen de transport traditionnel des Vins de Porto sur le fleuve du Douro.

Le Douro est la plus ancienne région Délimitée au monde, connue pour la grande qualité de ses vins et pour le très célèbre Vin de Porto, le vin généreux qui a été à l'origine de la Délimitation, ordonnée en 1756 par le Marquis de Pombal.

Le Douro se situe au Nord-est du Portugal, entouré par les montagnes du Marão et de Montemuro. La majeure partie des plantations est faite en terrasses, travaillées dans les versants des vallées tout au long du fleuve du Douro et de ses affluents. Les sols sont essentiellement de schiste même si ion trouve aussi des zones granitiques. Malgré le fait qu'ils soient difficiles à travailler, ces sols sont bénéfiques à la longévité des vignes et permettent des moûts concentrés en sucre et en couleur. La culture de la vigne dans la région remonte à l'occupation romaine, mais c'est au 17^ème siècle que le Vin de Porto a connu son grand essor, à la suite du Traité de Methuen entre le Portugal et l'Angleterre qui visait son exportation.

Les vignes du Douro présentent un paysage magnifique reconnu par l'UNESCO comme Patrimoine de l'Humanité depuis 2001. Entre les diverses castes cultivées, on retiendra la Touriga Nationale, la Touriga Franca, la Tinta Barroca, le Tinto Cão et la Tinta Roriz.

Dão

La région du Dão se trouve dans la Haute Beira, au centre Nord du Portugal, région protégée des vents par les montagnes du Caramelo, Montemuro, Buçaco et Estrela. Les vignes se situent entre 400 et 700 mètres d’altitude, en plateaux de sols de schiste et de granite de basse profondeur où abondent les pins, produisant des vins d’une grande capacité de vieillissement en bouteille.

Le climat d’influence continental du Dão présente des extrêmes, avec des hivers froids et pluvieux et des étés chauds et secs. À l’origine, la vigne a été exploitée par les religieux, principalement par les moines de Cister. En 1908, le Dão est devenue la seconde région délimitée portugaise. Avec l’entrée du Portugal en 1986 dans la CEE, les vignes ont été restructurées avec de nouvelles techniques vinicoles et le choix de castes de raisins appropriées. 

Le Dão offre une grande diversité de castes parmi lesquelles les rouges Touriga Nationale, Jaen et Tinta Roriz et Encruzado, Bical, Cercial, Malvasia Fina et Verdelho pour les blancs. 

Bairrada DOC

The Bairrada region unfolds itself through Beira Litoral, between Aveiro and Coimbra, until the coastal dunes. The Bairrada has a mild climate, tempered by proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Although wine production is there since the tenth century, it was in the nineteenth century that it became a region of quality red wines, white and sparkling wines.

This region of flat lands includes two types of soils that originate diverse wines: the clay, clay which originated the name Bairrada, and sandy soils. The Baga variety is the dominant red variety in the region. Grown in clay soils,it produces wines full of color and very rich in tannins, which gives them high longevity. In white grapes, planted in the sandy soils of the region, there are the varieties Bical and Fernão Pires, in the region called Maria Gomes, who originates delicate and aromatic white wines. The region's natural sparkling are widely used at the table, specially with the traditional Leitão da Bairrada (piglet).

Valpaços

The Wine  Region of Valpaços , located in ?Terra Quente Transmontana? .
Valpaços is a quality wine produced in Valpaços, but also in Mirandela. The winemakers of this region relied on conversion of their vineyards. The vinification is all made in stainless steel tanks and temperature control, old wines are aged in wooden barrels of new oak.
The wines of the region Valpaços are produced with selected superior grapes. The combination of the quality of the grapes with a micro-climate with exceptional features to produce a wine of superior results, into a wine that is awarded many times, internationally. The warm weather at the time of ripening of the grapes determines the concentration of sugars in it and sets a higher alcohol content in wines made from this grape.
The wine region Valpaços has some similarities to the Alentejo wines due to the warm weather that the two regions have,at the time of ripening of the grape.

 Yet it is different from the Douro Wine Region, because this is done selecting the best quality grapes for making fortified wines while in the region of Valpaços this selection is not performed.
Main characteristics of the wines produced in the region of Valpaços: The Wine Trincadeira or Yellow Ink is a wine that presents itself clear, with vanilla odor mixed with the wood, with velvety flavor and evolved.
The Red wines are very full bodied wines, with lots of color, soft and easy to drink. White wines are wines that have a correct acidity, which are fresh, light and with a floral scent.

Alentejo

Alentejo is one of the largest wine regions of Portugal, with about 22,000 hectares, ten percent of the total wine growing in Portugal. Hot and dry region of the south, is dominated by vast plains of poor soils. The many hours of sunshine and high temperatures in summer allow perfect ripening of the grapes, but also require irrigation of vineyards.
The vine cultivation in the region dates back to the Roman presence, after the founding of Beja, between 31 and 27 B.C.

 The traditional winemaking region is heir of the  Roman processes, such as fermentation in large jars made of clay.

In the 1980s Alentejo was the scene of extensive modernization on wine production, with numerous investments, new producers and cooperatives, resulting in the official demarcation of the region in 1988 and the international recognition of Alentejo wines.
In Alentejo wines punctuate the Trincadeira, Aragonez Castelão and Alicante Bouschet, resulting in full-bodied wines, rich in tannins and aromas of wild berries. The white varieties are Roupeiro,  Antao Vaz and Arinto, resulting in generally mild white wines, with aromas of tropical fruits.
The Region is divided into eight sub-regions in which DOC wines are produced: Reguengos, Borba, Redondo, Vidigueira, Évora, Granja-Amareleja, Portalegre and Moura. It also presents a high production of  Regional Wine, which allows the inclusion of other grape varieties, such as Touriga Nacional, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah or Chardonnay.
It is currently the fastest growing region of Portugal. Between February 2008 and January 2009 the wines of Alentejo, with Controlled Denomination of Origin (DOC) and Regional Wine, reached a market share of 44.30 per cent in value and 40 percent by volume

Madeira Wine

Madeira Island is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, west of the African coast, famous for Madeira wine,a very aromatic fortified wine,mentioned by Shakespeare and that came to be used as a perfume in European courts .
The islands are of volcanic origin and subtropical climate of mild temperatures, low temperature ranges and high atmospheric humidity. Although it doesn?t  seem the ideal climate for viticulture,  the adaptation of Mediterranean varieties and  the strategic position in the Atlantic, helped to create here one of the most famous wines in the world.
Wine production in Madeira dates back to the time of the discovery of the island in 1419. Early varieties such as Malvasia arrived on the island by order of Prince Henrique, imported from Candia, capital of Crete.

Later others were introduced : Tinta Negra Mole,  Sercial, Boal and Verdelho. Wine production was stimulated by the need to supply ships in the Atlantic routes between Europe, India and the New World.

Transported by ship, the barrels were subject to wide fluctuations in temperature, so the wines were fortified to withstand the journey, giving the wine a more aromatic result. Thus was born the winemaking process by "stuffing" in "bed" in which the wine is heated, and that gives Madeira wines unusual longevity, remaining unchanged for years long after bottling or opening.
The Denomination of Origin Madeira consists of about 450 hectares of vineyards of red  and white grapes, planted on the slopes of volcanic origin.  Tinta Mole is the most planted, though there are also less used varieties like Sercial, Boal, Malvasia and Verdelho giving four levels of sweetness to the wine (sweet, semi sweet, semi dry and dry).

Bucelas

Vineyard in Bucelas, near Lisbon, historical region of white wines, dominated by the Arinto variety.
Bucelas is a small region north of Lisbon, in Loures, which produces one of the most historic white wines of Portugal. It was elevated to a demarcated region in 1911 and is a Controlled Denomination of Origin (DOC).
It was in the eighteenth century that Bucelas wine became internationally known. During the French invasion the Duke of Wellington, commander of the Anglo-Portuguese troops against the Napoleonic armies, offered it to George III in introducing the English court, where its consumption has become a habit. Initially it was known as "Charneco", and later by the name of Lisbon Hock (Lisboa?s white wine).
The vineyards settle in "Caeiras" in the valley of the Trancão river,  in soils derived from  hard calcareous and marl . With a very cold climate in winter and mild in summer, the dominant variety is Arinto, with a minimum  of 75%, followed by Sercial and Rabo de Ovelha. Bucelas  white wines are dry, light,  earn golden shades when aged and complex aromas. Bucelas also produces sparkling wines with fruity aromas, of excellent quality.

Colares DOC

Small wine region around the village of Colares, between the Atlantic and the Sintra hills.

It is known for full-bodied red wines, with rich color and dense tannins, born by the sea, between sand dunes and cane palisades.

Colares region was demarcated in 1908, but the origin of their wines date back to 1255, when D. Afonso III ordered vine planting  from France. Its unique characteristics are mainly the fact of the vineyard being installed in a "sand floor", with vines planted in the sand directly without any rootstocks.

 Colares sandy soils managed to keep phylloxera away, so certain vineyards , not grafted, are among the oldest in Portugal. The traditional red grape variety of the region is Ramisco, with minimum 80% representation in the DOC wines of the region, as well as Malvasia, in white varieties.

Carcavelos DOC

Carcavelos is the smallest wine region in Portugal and is situated around the town of Carcavelos, in Cascais and Oeiras. The region is classified DOC, Denomination of Controlled Origin. With a winemaking tradition dating back to the Marquis of Pombal, who then owned vineyards, the region is distinguished by a liqueur wine, topaz, with almond flavors and aromas, acquiring a scent accented with aging.

Setúbal

The Setúbal peninsula, which has a mixed sub-tropical mediterranean climate , influenced by the proximity of the sea, the Tagus and Sado rivers, and the Arrábida mountains, has a winemaking tradition that dates back to Roman intense trading in the region. It is known for Moscatel wines, produced from moscatel grapes, creating red wines of intense color and full aroma which highlight the variety Periquita and elegant white wines elaborated with the predominant variety Fernão Pires, who exhibit a fruity aroma. The region, which comprises the DOC Setubal and Palmela was demarcated in 1907/1908.

Algarve

The Algarve is a region of maritime climate, due to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean and, simultaneously, hot and dry, due to the existence of mountains to the north (Espinhaço de Cão,Caldeirão and Monchique). It has a  reduced temperature range and quite a significant sun exposure. Given the huge development of tourism in the region, the wine sector was left behind, and only a few years ago investment returned to this economic sector.

The Algarve has four origin denominations - Lagos, Lagoa, Portimão and Tavira - although the sale of the wine is made under geographical indication, being the main varieties: Castelão Negra Mole (red), Arinto and Syria (white). These wines are soft and fruity.