Portugal remains the dark horse of Europe, goodness only knows why. With the Atlantic on one side and Spain on the other, Portugal has more than 250 thrilling indigenous grapes producing traditional, endlessly exciting and unique wines at keen prices. With so many climates and soil types, from the north’s sandy soil of the wet, green Minho, and the Douro, the world’s largest mountainous vineyard, to the hot, arid, granite and schist spots of Alentejo in the south, Portugal is a viticultural paradise.
Factor in the experiment-mad and sustainability-aware generation of winemakers and dynamic, hands-on, small estate owners who have revolutionised the industry and it’s easy to understand why the rustic, hot, lacklustre wines of yesteryear are no more.
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Admittedly the characterful wines and difficult to pronounce grapes such as fernao pires and castelao don’t help drinkers to get to grips with the country. Still, for all that, Portugal is the tenth bestselling wine country in the UK, and we are seemingly prepared to pay more for its unusual whites and reds than we do for those from Australia, Italy, Spain, South Africa and Chile, so the message is slowly getting through.
Indeed, the behemoth supermarket Tesco kicked off its recent summer tasting with two Portuguese wines, including the brilliant value for money, non-vintage Por do Sol Vinho Verde, see star buys. It’s worth paying a bit more for Morrisons’ 2024 The Best Alvarinho Vinho Verde, £9.75, made from the same grape as albariño from Spain but with less of a punchy saline whack and more of a light, spritzy, floral, lemon blossom spin.
Portugal is not just vinho verde. It’s the lesser-known grapes and regions that represent the most outstanding value, especially as these wines have become fresher and more approachable. The 2024 Adega de Pegoes, Selected Harvest, is a new wave, co-operative-sourced white from the breezy Setubal Peninsula, south of Lisbon (thewinesociety.com, £8.95). Made from four different white grapes — arinto, verdelho, chardonnay and antao vaz — and aged in French and American oak, it’s a greeny-gold, gloriously nutty, concentrated, stone fruit-stashed gem, and the best-value fuller-bodied sub-£9 white I’ve found this year.
If it’s reds you want, the Alentejo region is home to exciting fruit-first contemporary bottles, and Esporao’s 2024 Monte Velho, Alentejano overflows with bold, ripe, velvety, bramble aragones, trincadeira and touriga nacional fruit (thewinesociety.com, £10.50). Finally, plump for a great Douro red, Casa Ferreirinha’s majestic 2023 Vinha Grande Douro Vinho Tinto with gorgeous, floral, savoury black fruit and a fine minerally finish, nywines.co.uk, £15.50.
Portuguese stars
2023 Esporao Reserva, Alentejo, Portugal
14 per cent, Tesco, £20.50
Made from a hotch-potch of Alentejo grapes, bursting with ripe, inky, spiced raspberry fruit.
2024 Papa Figos Douro Tinto, Portugal
13 per cent, thewinesociety.com, £11.75
Brilliant crimson purple Douro red with masses of bright, juicy red berry-fruited charm.
2023 Quinta dos Carvalhais Encruzado, Dao, Portugal
13 per cent, haywines.co.uk £25.99
The Dao’s tasty, white burgundy-aping, oak-aged encruzado is all rich, flinty, herby finesse, plus a tangy finish.
Por do Sol Vinho Verde, Portugal
9 per cent, Tesco, £4.90
Great-value verdant, zingy, softly sparkling, stainless steel-fermented loureiro grape-led vinho verde.
This week’s star buys
2024 Passamano Frappato Syrah, Italy
14 per cent, Lidl, £7.49
Terrific April wine tour red. Nab this crunchy, spiced strawberry-fruited frappato and syrah grape duo right now.
2024 Chiaretto di Bardolino, Cantina Menegotti, Italy
12 per cent, corneyandbarrow.com £14.75
Dashing, darker pink with plenty of dried apricot fruit and that tasty classic Italian bitter nip on the finish.
2024 Villa Maria Private Bin Riesling, New Zealand
11.5 per cent, Waitrose, £9.50, down from £11.50
This tongue-tingling citrus and sweet green apple white pairs perfectly with spicy food.
2023 Casa Felina Merlot Feteasca Neagra, Moldova
13 per cent, Co-op, £6.75, down from £7.75
Easy-swigging, unoaked, red plum-packed Moldovan mix of feteasca neagra plumped up with merlot.
Dining and Cooking