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Portuguese wine was mostly introduced by the Romans and other ancient Mediterranean peoples who traded with local coastal populations, mainly in the South. In pre-Roman Gallaecia-Lusitania times, the native peoples only drank beer and were unfamiliar with wine production. Portugal started to export its wines to Rome during the Roman Empire. Modern exports developed with trade to England after the Methuen Treaty in 1703. From this commerce a wide variety of wines started to be grown in Portugal. And, in 1758, one of the first wine-producing regions of the world, the Região Demarcada do Douro was created under the orientation of Marquis of Pombal, in the Douro Valley. Portugal has two wine-producing regions protected by UNESCO as World Heritage: the Douro Valley Wine Region and Pico Island Wine Region. Portugal has a big variety of local kinds, producing a very wide variety of different wines with distinctive personality.
Alentejo is a Portuguese wine region in the Alentejo region. The entire region is entitled to use the Vinho Regional designation Alentejano VR, while some areas are also classified at the higher Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) level under the designation Alentejo DOC. VR is similar to the French vin de pays and DOC to the French AOC. In the southern half of Portugal, the Alentejo region covers about a third of the country and is sparsely populated. In 2005, South Oregon University scientist Gregory V. Jones identified Alentejo as the world's most challenged wine region from a climate change perspective. The region is noted for it vast cork production but has in recent years garnered attention for its table wine production. Some producers of this region still do wine in great potteries as in Roman times.
Almeirim is a Portuguese wine region centered on the town of Almeirim in the Ribatejo wine region. The region was initially a separate Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) region, but in 2003, it became one of six subregions of the Ribatejo DOC, which has the higher Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) status. Its name may still be indicated together with that of Ribatejo, as Ribatejo-Almeirim.
Cova da Beira is a Portuguese wine region centered on the Cova da Beira region between the Dão and Vinho Verde DOCs in the wider Beiras VR wine region. Cova da Beira was initially a separate Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) region, but in 2005, it became one of three subregions of the Beira Interior DOC, which has the higher Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) status. Its name may still be indicated together with that of Beira Interior, as Beira Interior-Cova da Beira.
Évora is a Portuguese wine region centered on the town of Évora in the Alentejo region. The region was initially a separate Indicação de Proveniência Regulamentada (IPR) region, but in 2003, it became one of eight subregions of the Alentejo DOC, which has the higher Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) status. Its name may still be indicated together with that of Alentejo, as Alentejo-Évora.
Granja-Amareleja is a Portuguese wine region centered on the town of Mourão in the Alentejo region. The region was initially a separate Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) region, but in 2003, it became one of eight subregions of the Alentejo DOC, which has the higher Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) status. Its name may still be indicated together with that of Alentejo, as Alentejo-Granja-Amareleja.
Moura is a Portuguese wine region centered on the town of Moura in the Alentejo wine region. The region was initially a separate Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) region, but in 2003, it became one of eight subregions of the Alentejo DOC, which has the higher Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) status. Its name may still be indicated together with that of Alentejo, as Alentejo-Moura.
Óbidos is a Portuguese wine region centered on the town of Óbidos in the Lisboa region. The region is designated as Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) after it was promoted from its former Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) status in 2006.
Palmela is a Portuguese wine region centered on the town of Palmela in the Setúbal Peninsula subregion. The wine region has the Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) status after having been elevated from its former Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) status. At the same time, the former Arrábida IPR, centered on the Arrabida hills, was absorbed into Palmela DOC.
Santarém is a Portuguese wine region centered on the town of Santarém in the Ribatejo region. The region was initially a separate Indicação de Proveniência Regulamentada (IPR) region, but in 2003, it became one of six subregions of the Ribatejo DOC, which has the higher Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) status. Its name may still be indicated together with that of Ribatejo, as Ribatejo-Santarém.
Tomar is a Portuguese wine region centered on the town of Tomar in the Ribatejo region. The region was initially a separate Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) region, but in 2003, it became one of six subregions of the Ribatejo DOC, which has the higher Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) status. Its name may still be indicated together with that of Ribatejo, as Ribatejo-Tomar.
Borba is a Portuguese wine region centered on the Borba Municipality in the Alentejo region. The region was initially an Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) region, then elevated to Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) status. In 2003, it became one of eight subregions of the Alentejo DOC. Its name may still be indicated together with that of Alentejo, as Alentejo-Borba.
Redondo is a Portuguese wine region centered on the Redondo municipality in the Alentejo region. The region was initially an Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) region, then elevated to Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) status. In 2003, it became one of eight subregions of the Alentejo DOC. Its name may still be indicated together with that of Alentejo, as Alentejo-Redondo.
Reguengos is a Portuguese wine region centered on the Reguengos de Monsaraz municipality in the Alentejo region. The region was initially an Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) region, then elevated to Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) status. In 2003, it became one of eight subregions of the Alentejo DOC. Its name may still be indicated together with that of Alentejo, as Alentejo-Reguengos.
Moscatel de Setúbal is a Portuguese muscatel produced around the Setúbal Municipality on the Península de Setúbal. The region is known primarily for its fortified Muscat wines known as Moscatel de Setúbal. The style was believed to have been invented by José Maria da Fonseca, the founder of José Maria da Fonseca, the oldest table wine company in Portugal dating back to 1834. J.M. Fonseca company still holds a quasi-monopoly control over the production of Moscatel de Setúbal today.
Vidigueira is a Portuguese wine region centered on the Vidigueira municipality in the Alentejo region. The region was initially an Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) region, then elevated to Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) status. In 2003, it became one of eight subregions of the Alentejo DOC. Its name may still be indicated together with that of Alentejo, as Alentejo-Vidigueira.
Tejo, until 2009 named Ribatejo, is a Portuguese wine region covering the same areas as the Ribatejo Province. It takes its name from the river Tejo (Tagus). The entire region is entitled to use the Vinho Regional designation Tejo VR, while some areas are also classified at the higher Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) level under the designation DoTejo DOC. VR is similar to the French vin de pays and DOC to the French AOC.
Minho, formerly Rios do Minho, is a Portuguese wine region covering the same areas as the Vinho Verde DOC. The region is classified as a Vinho Regional (VR), a designation similar to a French vin de pays region. The wines of the Minho and Vinho Verde are nearly identical except for the Minho VR allowing foreign grape varieties to be used that are excluded from the Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) regulations for Vinho Verde.
Arinto or Arinto de Bucelas is a white Portuguese wine grape planted primarily in the Bucelas, Tejo and Vinho Verde regions. It can produce high acid wines with lemon notes.
References
- ↑ Robinson, Jancis (1996). Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes . Oxford University Press, p.150. ISBN 0-19-860098-4.
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