Wines
Wine, a local product that you should taste in Portugal during your vacations. The country has amazing landscapes, where you will be able to relieve your senses. Located in Southwest of Europe, offers unique wines from North to South. In fact the country is divided in wine regions. This is perhaps one of the biggest differences, compared with other wine producers countries, which have specific regions to produce wine.
Grapes are thought to have been grown in Portugal for at least 4000 years. The Phoenicians probably introduced winemaking to the south, and the Romans spread vine cultivation and winemaking further upcountry.
In Portugal, you will find some of the most beautiful and ancient historical monuments, which coexist closely with contemporary architecture. You will find wine cellars from XVII or modern buildings which are prepared to receive you for a delicious wine tasting. Winemakers have nowadays more than just a wine tasting. It is possible to find amazing projects of enotourism in the whole country.
Portugal is divided into 14 wine regions (Portugal, Azores and Madeira Islands). You might find subdivisions in some regions, due to different aspects of the terrain, climate or even grape varieties produced. Alentejo has one third of the country’s wine production and the major part of the wine production and exports.
Portuguese Wine Regions:
Continental:
1. Vinho Verde
2. Trás os Montes
3. Porto& Douro
4. Távora & Varosa
5. Bairrada
6. Dão
7. Beira Interior
8. Lisboa
9. Tejo
10. Setúbal
11.Alentejo
12. Algarve
Islands
13. Azores
14. Madeira
You will find amazing wines in any wine region.
Portugal has more than 250 grape varieties to produce wine. The major grape variety is Touriga Nacional (red) and you will find varieties more common in some wine regions and others. In fact, grape varieties are produced only in one region, for example Encruzado ( white grape ) or even Jampal .
Taste Portuguese wines, if possible always with food pairing.
The production of the vineyards is amazing, due to the highest rates. Perhaps for the terroir, amazing Mediterranean climate, and a huge passion and love for the art of winemaking.
1. White Wine
a) Light, refreshing, fruity whites
b) Full-bodied whites
2. Rosé
3. Red Wine
4. Sparkling Wine
5. Port Wine
5.1. Tawny
Nutty-dried-fruit-figgy flavor, amber-colored to brown. You will be able to find under two names which are: Aged tawny (decades mentioned on the label, from 10 to 40 years) or Colheita (mentioning a vintage).
5.2. Ruby
Slightly sweeter and fruitier compared with Tawny. The finer quality of the spirit used combined with modern methodology on the vineyards, warehouses and cellars give a less tannic wine. Ruby Port will age and develop complexity.
5.3. White
You will taste and feel different levels of sweetness. Dry, medium-dry, and Sweet categories.
6. Madeira Wine
Madeira wines are slightly caramelized from wood-aging due to the influence of the heat and they are deliberately oxidized. Has a range from off-dry to very sweet. The main white grape varieties are Terrantez, Boal, Malvasia, Sercial, and Verdelho, while they use red grape Tinta Negra only.
7. Moscatel
Moscatel means Muscat and of course, it is influenced by the grape variety. Turned into sweet, fortified wine especially in the Setúbal Wine region, however, you will find it also in the Douro Wine Region. Most of the Portuguese Moscatel wines are young, fruity. In Setúbal you will find also Moscatel Roxo, which is a different grape.
One of the highlights of a visit the Saint George Castle is the opportunity to walk along the ramparts and enjoy the breathtaking views over Lisbon.
Portuguese wines have more than 300 different grape varieties. Learn more about these three notable grape varieties for white wines.
One of the highlights of a visit the Saint George Castle is the opportunity to walk along the ramparts and enjoy the breathtaking views over Lisbon.
POPULATION
LANGUAGE
POPULATION
Portugal has a population of about 10 million.
The population density is at its greatest in Lisbon, the capital and its suburbs, where about 1.9 million people live. The second largest city in Portugal is Oporto in the north.
Generally speaking, there are more people living in the country’s coastal regions than in the inland areas.
LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
From a Latin root, Portuguese is spoken by about 250 million people in every continent, and is the 5th most spoken language in the world and the 3rd, if we only consider the European languages.
The Portuguese-speaking countries are scattered all over the world. Portuguese is spoken in Africa (Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and São Tomé e Príncipe), in South America (Brazil) and in Asia, (East Timor, the youngest nation in the world), and it is also the official language in Macao Special Administrative Region of China.
In Portugal there are lots of people who are able to communicate in English, French and Spanish.
Market Tour in Portugal is a journey to the world of senses, discovering the Portuguese ingredients in the market stalls. You will be able to engage with locals, making questions, and always with a professional chef with you to visit the local market.
Pica Pau is a Portuguese petisco based on meat. It is possible to feature pork or beef (or even a mix of both) and as a delicious sauce, which is usually based on beer.