Portuguese Wines Are Where It’s At

So you’ve got student loans but want to be able to drink wine like royalty. And by royalty, we mean buy a bottle that can age for 10-20 years for a grand total of $20-$40 bucks?

Look no further than the wines of Portugal.

The wines of Portugal are inexpensive and are SLAYING in terms of quality, making them a true must-know for Thurstqueens and Thurstkings alike.

Let’s take a few moments to chat about the history, most famous grapes, and top wine producing regions of this amazing place.

THE HISTORY OF PORTUGAL’S WINE SCENE

Until fairly recently, Portugal was associated with two types of wines. Port and Madeira. Portugal is definitely one of the older wine regions on the planet, as the Portuguese have been crafting wine since 200 BC.

A lot of the initial grapes growing in the country were planted by the Tartessians and the Phoenicians, and many of the indigenous grapes that grow here date back to those original plantings.

The first wine that really landed Portugal on the map was - you guessed it - Port. Port had more than its fair share of fans, including the English and the French.

At the time, Port was considered one of the, “manliest,” drinks around. It was typically enjoyed with cigars by rich dudes when their wives left the room after dinner.

Madeira had a similar reputation as being a drink of status, and was the drink the Founding Fathers of the United States of America drank after they signed the Declaration of Independence.

We can do a blogpost on the fortified wines of Portugal if you would like, but I wanted to devote this blog to the table wines coming out of Portugal. So without further ado, let’s chat about the top regions, the grapes they grow, and what to look for when purchasing wines from Portugal.

TOP RED GRAPES OF PORTUGAL

Touriga Nacional

Cabernet Sauvignon fans - rejoice! This full-bodied red with aromas of blackberries, blueberries, violets, and even marshmallows will be your new favorite red. Touriga has loads of fruit, alcohol, and plenty of age worthy tannins making this wine the perfect wine to hold onto in your cellar. Honestly, the strength to this grape makes Cabernet Sauvignon look like a wimp sometimes, yet I digress.

Touriga is one of Portugal’s star varietals, and can be fairly easily found in the USA. This wine is typically blended with other red varietals and you can probably find it listed on the back of a wine label.

Touriga Franca

Say hello to Touriga Nacional’s more floral cousin. Though this wine still has loads of black fruit aromas, Touriga Franca has a lot more perfumed qualities. You will seldom find single varietal Touriga Franca, instead you’ll usually find it in red blends with Touriga Nacional and other varietals like Tinta Roriz.

Tinta Roriz aka Tempranillo

The Portuguese name for Tempranillo is Tinta Roriz, and this tomato-ey, cherry berry, leathery varietal is often blended with other reds in port production. Tinta Roriz is also used for making those delicious table wines a lot of the regions of Portugal produce. Tinta Roriz adds a lot of drama to red blends in Portugal.

TOP WHITE GRAPES OF PORTUGAL:

Alvariñho

If you’re wondering if Alvariñho from Portugal is the same as Albariño from Spain - you’d be correct. Alvariñho is the Portuguese name for this floral, saline, mineral-driven varietal. Alvariñho is often used in crafting those fizzy bottles of delight - Vinho Verde.

Malvasia Fina

This aromatic white varietal that smells like pine and basil is simply beautiful. It can be found all over Portugal and produces stunning dry and herbal table wines - that are usually pretty affordable too. Not only that, but Malvasia Fina is often used in crafting White Port, something that isn’t found too often in the US. Definitely keep an eye out for this beautiful white varietal.

Bical

Move over, Chardonnay - there’s a new grape in town. Though the name means, “sour grape,” the future for this varietal is looking pretty sweet.

This crisp, fresh, acidic white grape is quickly becoming one of Portugal’s top white grapes. The versatile varietal can be blended in sparkling wines, aged in oak, you name it! Many winemakers are favoring using Bical over international varieties like Chardonnay and it is quickly becoming one of the most important white grapes of the region.

The top wine producing regions of Portugal -

THE CREME DE LA CREME - THE DUORO VALLEY

It is quite possible the Duoro Valley is the oldest wine region in the world. Winemaking in this portion of Portugal dates back to the Roman era. The Duoro Valley produces some of the top notch wines - and port of course - that Portugal has to offer.

The Duoro Valley received its claim to fame as a port producing region, earning the Duoro Valley an international reputation. There are over 80 different grapes that grow in the Duoro Valley, ranging from local varietals like Tinta Roriz and Touriga Nacional to international varietals like Gewürztraminer.

Definitely be sure to try wines from this part of Portugal, especially if big full-bodied and tannic red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon are your thing. Touriga Nacional is the answer to a Cabernet-lover’s prayers. This powerful, full-bodied, ruby-red and fruity wine has loads of intense tannins (and alcohol - yay.)

Touriga Nacional is great because it has a lot of the characteristics Cabernet fans love - but is priced at a fraction of the cost.

A WHITE WINE LOVER’S PARADISE - MINHO/VINHO VERDE

Who says Summer has to actually end, tho?

If you’re the type of person who could drink refreshing white wines year round, Minho/Vinho Verde is the place for you. Vinho Verde wines are crisp, slightly fizzy, somewhat herbal, almost lemonade-tasting white wines that are some of the most crushable wines around.

The best part about most Vinho Verdes is you can find a quality Vinho Verde for under $10.00, making these white, sparkly little beauties the perfect poolside wine. Vinho Verdes go great with seafood and are especially delightful with sushi. Because they are generally low in alcohol, Vinho Verde is a perfect weeknight wine.

If you actually visit Vinho Verde, you’ll notice there are red Vinho Verde wines as well. These wines are so tasty, they don’t get exported to the US much - probably because the Portuguese are drinking them all for themselves! Be sure to give some of those fizzy reds a try if you ever go visit.

BAIRRADA - A PARADISE IF YOU LOVE INKY ITALIAN REDS

This part of Portugal is slightly lesser-known in the United States than its two predecessors, but that does not mean you should ignore it. The name, “Bairrada” itself comes from the Portuguese word for clay, “barro.” The reason this DOC derives its name from the word for clay is because the soil here is - well - clay.

The number one grape used here is a grape called, “Baga.” These wines are rich and are very darkly hued. Because Baga has a lot of tannins, this is a wine that can age for quite a bit.

SPARKLY WINE ALERT

Bairrada also produces some beautiful sparkling wines. Some of these can be purchased in the $20.00 range. Because Bairrada is so close to the Atlantic Ocean, the cooler climate here makes this the perfect region for growing grapes such as Aringo and Bical and blending them with Chardonnay.

The sparkly wines that come out of Bairrada are zestier and less yeasty than Champagnes. They also have a killer price tag too.

DÃO : A PLACE FOR PINOT-LOVERS

Many compare the wines from Dão to France’s Burgundy region because of their elegance and restraint. Dão is a cold and rainy part of Portugal, with steeply sloping mountains and a lot of rain.

The climate over in Dão is pretty extreme. The high-altitude region receives lots of rain in the winters followed by blisteringly hot summers. This wine region is surrounded by granite mountain ranges like the Serra da Estrela, Serra do Caramulo.

The wine from Dão has plenty of acidity and spice that aren’t too heavy or tannic.

PICK OF THE WEEK: Casa Ferreirinha “Esteva” Duoro 2018 $12.99 @ Whole Foods

Cabernet-lovers: this wine is your friend.

The ripe - almost candied - red fruit sashays out of the glass on this one and bitch slaps you across the face. But it’s not a backhand, it’s more of an open palm of red fruit and honesty? If you like Cabernet Sauvignon? You may be kind of into it.

This wine is confident af with massive tannins, a little bit of vanilla and marshmallow. Though it is fun, flashy, and provocative, the tannins are soft and well integrated so your mouth isn’t going to feel like you sucked on a lemon rind after drinking a glass of this puppy.

There is a kiss of bitter sweet cocoa on this wine as well, which rounds out the ripe red fruit that is so dominant in the Esteva Duoro. I actually found I preferred this wine on the second day, when some of that fruit had a second to chill out. It was a lot more nuanced and velvety, which leads me to believe this wine is a red blend you can hang on to for a little bit and that it will drink beautifully even a year later.

For $12.99? That’s really not that bad at all. If you’re a fan of big, fuller-bodied and fruity reds definitely hit up your local Whole Foods and grab a bottle of this puppy.

THURSTQUEEN WORLD TOUR: PORTUGAL