One of the world’s largest wine producers offers more than just port and madeira
(All photos courtesy of wineries unless otherwise credited)Photo: (All photos courtesy of wineries unless otherwise credited)
Portugal has always seemed like an honorary Mediterranean country to me, though it’s at least 1,000 miles from the Med at the nearest point, and faces instead onto the North Atlantic. But it has a Mediterranean feel to it: It’s sunny and sensuous, with glorious beaches, tiled roofs, palm trees and bougainvillea, olive groves and fields of herbs … and wine. Lots of wine.
The great dessert wines Port and Madeira have been the country’s vinicological calling cards for centuries. But Portugal is now the world’s 10th-largest wine producer, and an increasing amount of what it turns out is luscious dry white, amiable rosé and serious red — almost always priced below what you’d pay for wines of comparable quality from Spain or France.
It’s not easy for wine lovers to get a handle on Portugal, though. There are six main regions, none with names that roll off the tongue: Douro (where Port comes from), Bairrada, Alentejo, Colares, Dão and Vinho Verde.
Then there are the varietal names. Some are Portuguese rebrandings of more familiar Spanish grapes. Alvarinho is called Albariño across the Spanish border; Aragonez (aka Tinta Roriz) is basically Spain’s ubiquitous Tempranillo. Others, though, are indigenous varieties with names likely to make even connoisseurs’ heads spin — Arinto, Loureiro, Fernão Pires, Touriga Nacional, Tinto Cão and Baga.
Broadbent Dão White 2020
1. Broadbent Dão White 2020 ($15)
An offering from Port and Madeira expert Bartholomew Broadbent, this is a perfect seafood wine, bright and quaffable, with refreshing citrus-and-green-apple acidity and all the character of many whites at twice the price.
Ilha do Pico Açores Branco “Terras de Lava” 2020
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2. Ilha do Pico Açores Branco “Terras de Lava” 2020 ($20)
Here’s something unusual — a white from the volcanic island of Pico in Portugal’s Azores, 900 miles west of the Portuguese mainland. Mostly Arinto, it shows minerals and a hint of brine, along with plenty of luscious fruit, and is lovely to sip.
Quinta das Arcas “Arca Nova” Rosé Vinho Verde 2022
3. Quinta das Arcas “Arca Nova” Rosé Vinho Verde 2022 ($20)
To an earlier generation, Portuguese rosé meant Mateus or Lancers. This one’s something else again, with a strawberrylike aroma and a seductive flavor of summer berries with a hint of tart red currants. It’s practically made for charcuterie or pepperoni pizza.
Herdade de São Miguel Escolha dos Enologos 2020
4. Herdade de São Miguel Escolha dos Enologos 2020 ($22)
Dark, vibrant and full of juicy fruit, this red from Alentejo is primarily Alicante Bouschet, a grape also grown in France and California. Dark red-black in color, with a peppery black cherry flavor, it’s tannic and vivid and could stand up nicely to barbecued ribs or spicy Mexican fare.
Esporão Quinta dos Murças Reserva 2015
5. Esporão Quinta dos Murças Reserva 2015 ($45)
A blend of about a half-dozen grapes from 40-year-old vineyards in Douro, this is a rich, complex red, with a nose evoking damp leaves, charred oak and blackberries and a dense concentration of fruit that lingers teasingly in the finish. Sophisticated stuff.
Quinta do Vallado Reserva 2019
6. Quinta do Vallado Reserva 2019 ($70)
A field blend drawing on more than 30 grape varieties, this is just a wonderful wine. Intense but not overstated, dark garnet in color, with dried fruit and a touch of smoke in the nose, it offers real elegance of flavor and perfect balance. With age, this reserve will only improve as it knits together even more handsomely — but on the other hand, it’s too good not to drink right now.
TIP JAR
» Portugal has at least 250 indigenous grape varieties, more than any other country.
» Vinho Verde translates to “green wine” or, more precisely, “young wine.”
This story first appeared in the February 2024 issue of Los Angeles magazine, on newsstands now; click here to subscribe today.
Dining and Cooking