Portuguese Red Wine

While Portugal is undoubtedly best known for its sweet Port wines, the country’s dry reds – particularly those from Port’s Douro Valley – are now of almost equal repute. On the Douro’s famously steep terraces, dynamic producers such as Niepoort and Quinta do Noval craft complex, ageworthy wines from the same native varieties used to make the region’s famous fortified wine, such as Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca. In contrast to Port, Douro reds are fully dry, showcasing structure, dark fruit and freshness. Portugal as a whole boasts an incredible diversity of native grape varieties spanning the likes of Baga, Tinta Barocca and Alicante Bouschet, each of which boasts a distinctive character. And while the red wines of the Douro and Dão are structured and complex, the Alentejo region produces approachable, sun-kissed renderings.