Portuguese wine

Portuguese Wine is the result of traditions introduced to the region by ancient civilizations, such as the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, and mostly the Romans. 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.

History

The history of Portuguese wine has been influenced by Portugal's relative isolationism in the world's wine market, with the one notable exception of its relationship with the British. Wine has been made in Portugal since at least 2000 BC when the Tartessians planted vines in the Sado and Tagus valleys. By the 10th century BC, the Phoenicians had arrived and introduced new grape varieties and winemaking techniques to the area. By the time of the Roman Empire, the Portuguese regions of Alentejo and Lisboa were known for their wine exports to Rome.

Regions

Portugal has two wine-producing regions protected by UNESCO as World Heritage: the Douro Valley Wine Region (Douro Vinhateiro) and Pico Island Wine Region (Ilha do Pico Vinhateira). Portugal has a large variety of native breeds, producing a very wide variety of different wines with distinctive personality.

Douro

The Douro wine region is situated in the northeastern part of Portugal and is centered around the Douro River. Well known for its port wine production, the region is the third oldest protected wine region in the world.

Alentejo

In the south-central part of Portugal, the Alentejo region covers about a third of the country. The landscape is largely flat, with occasional hills here and there, and the climate is hot and dry, very similar to that of the neighboring Spain.

Types of Wine

Portuguese wines include table wines, sparkling wines, fortified wines and a distinctive variety of traditional wines that are a part of the country's cultural heritage.

Port Wine

Port wine is a type of sweet fortified wine which is exclusively produced in the Douro Valley. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, though it also comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties.

Vinho Verde

Vinho Verde is a unique product from the Minho (northwest) region of Portugal. Young and fresh, it is a casual, inexpensive, light and often slightly sparkling wine.

See Also

• History of Portugal
• Portuguese cuisine
• List of Portuguese wine regions
• Portugal–England relations