Wine in Portugal

Portugal produces some of the world's finest, oldest, unique and highest value-added wines, with a long history of success in international wine competitions. Portugal is considered a traditional Old World wine - with 8% of its continental land dedicated to vineyards. Only the highest mountain peaks are unable to support viticulture.

The region of Douro Valley together with Vinho Verde region, produce some of the world's finest, unique and highest value-added wines. Alentejo and Dão regions produce fruitful flavour wines, suitable for a casual wine drinker.

Two of Portugals wine producing regions are protected by UNESCO as World Heritage - Douro Valley Wine Region and Pico Island Wine Region in the Azores.

The seventh largest exporter in the world

With the quality and uniqueness of its wines, the country is a sizable and growing player in wine production, being in the top 10, with 4% of the world market. Wine has been one of the most noted Portuguese exports. The country is the seventh largest exporter of the product worldwide, by value.

First wine-producing region of the world

In 1758, the first wine-producing region of the world was created in the Douro Valley. The demarcated region had the aim to guarantee the production of excellent quality wines.

The appellation system

Portugal also has the oldest appellattion system in the world! The appellation system of the Douro region was created nearly two hundred years before that of France - in order to protect its superior wines from inferior ones.

The quality and great variety of wines in Portugal are due to noble castas, microclimates, soils and proper technology.

Read more about the classification of Portuguese wine here.

Wine-regions in Portugal

The country has a large variety of native breeds - about 285 - producing a very wide variety of different wines with distinctive personality.

This wide choice of local wine grape breeds, makes Portugal a country with distinctive personality in wine growing, which also brings diffultie - given that it would be easier to produce and market the more popular and international grape varieties.

Read more about the wine-regions in Portugal here.