Three Sip-Worthy Red Wines from Portugal

Whenever I taste wines from Portugal, I’m reminded that I need to plan a return trip. Having twice visited Porto and the North, I’m ready to explore the rest of this ancient, beautiful country. Now, with a few wines in hand, I can do a bit of that here at home. It may not be exactly the same, but sipping and dreaming about wine travel again sure comes close! How about you? Are you ready to hop on a flight to Lisbon or Porto and experience all things Portugal?

Now this. When you’re ready to taste a high-quality red wine from a country or region that may be not on the radar, consider those from… you guessed it – Portugal! Offering a depth of flavor and rich aromatics, red wines from Portugal express an authentic sense of place. Cultivated in many unspoiled and stunning regions and produced often in the same manner of thousands of years ago, a glass is meant to be enjoyed. Start pouring!

Photo Credit: Wines of Portugal

Portugal has the largest number of native grapes in the world – quite a feat for a country the size of the state of Indiana. The range of red grape varieties is vast, yet there are a few key wine regions that produce outstanding examples.

Hailing from the Douro Valley in northern Portugal is port wine, sweet and bursting with flavor. From ruby to tawny to white port, I challenge you to taste a port that doesn’t meet your expectations. While visiting the Douro Valley, I was impressed with the high quality port I tasted and inspired by the fact that it can be enjoyed throughout a meal! What? Click here to read With Vintage Bottles and Dry Expressions, Port Goes Beyond Dessert, my article published in the July 2020 print edition of Wine Enthusiast magazine.

Along the Douro River

Alentejo, located along the Portuguese-Spanish border, produces red wines of Aragones (also known as Tempranillo) that resemble those from Spain. The region also produces memorable red wines from a blend of local varieties such as Alicante Bouschet, Trincadeira, Afrochiero and Touriga Nacional. These savory wines are rife with dark fruit, spice, tobacco, leather and earthy flavors. For (much) more about the wines of Alentejo, see my article Authentic Alentejo-Your Questions Answered here.

Photo Credit: Wines of Portugal

Following are three exceptional and affordable wines, sent to me as samples, that are sip-worthy examples of the regions in which each is cultivated.

From the Dão, the oldest established wine region in Portugal, is Quinta do Escudial Touriga Nacional 2012 ($20). Produced in north central Portugal, this mountainous location with a temperate climate is in the area of the Rio Mondego and Dão rivers. This wine showcases a single variety, Touriga Nacional, considered Portugal’s finest red grape variety. On the nose I found black plums, blackberries, herbs, earth and exotic spice. Intense flavors on the palate included both florals and fruit – ripe black and red fruit, currants, cedar, anise, earth and herbs. Balanced and elegant with vibrant acidity and firm, integrated tannins, this is a wine to purchase over and over again.

From the Douro, Quinta do Portal Grande Reserva 2011 ($45) was a luscious blend of Touriga Nacional (60%), Tinta Roriz (30%) and Touriga Franca (10%). The Douro is clearly the most popular, famous, and respected regions in Portugal. Full bodied with a brilliant balance of fruit and acidity, wines from the Douro are considered age-worthy. This wine was no exception. With every sip, this classic wine from a spectacular vintage (2011 was the year when all Port Houses declared “Vintage”) melted in my mouth… if a wine can actually do that! Bright aromas of cherries, crushed raspberries, fresh plums, vanilla and hint of mint leaves were enticing entries. On the full, round palate, mouthwatering acidity and soft tannins framed complex flavors of red fruit and berries with notes of earth and herbs.

Many in-the-know winelovers are considering the Beira Atlantico Portuguese wine region as the epicenter of the “next big thing” for high quality wines from Portugal. In fact, the region boasts the highest altitude vineyards in the country. The wine I tasted, Beyra Reserva 2013, Beira Interior ($16), was a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Mencia. On both nose and palate, notes of minerality, dark fruit (those plums!) and blueberries exuded power, as was the firm tannic structure. Discover this region now! My bags are now packed for another trip to Portugal… as soon as I can!