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Port Wine, Vinho Verde and Others

WINES COMES TO PORTUGAL – EARLY

The Portuguese People first encountered wine when the Phoenicians entered the southern part of the country around 600 B.C. They brought varieties with them that become so well established that many have survive for 2.500 years and are grown elsewhere.

When the Romans invaded in 219 B.C. their activities extended as far north as the Douro River Valley, site of the present-day Port Wine Region. Roman artifacts can still be found there, including stone vats for crushing grapes by foot and large clay amphoras for fermentation and storage.

Even after Romans were forced out by successive waves of Swabe, Visagoth and Arab invaders, wine continued to flourish. The year-round care that vineyard required tied the native people to a permanent locale, providing an incentive for the invaders to encourage wine production. Vineyards at the Lorvão.

Portugal was established as an independent nation in 1143. Extensive records of wine production and exports are available since the kings collected taxes on all wines produced, and duties on wines shipped abroad.

From the North to the South, the country is wealthy in good wines and, apart from the unique Port and Madeira, there are more than one hundred different varieties of wines, ranging from table to special ones, all of them reflecting the individual character of their soil.

PORTO WINE

With an alcohol content of 19 through 22 percent, this wine is subject to very strict production regulations, and it is classified according to the grape crops, the sugar content, the amount of added alcohol, the age and the type of wood of the barrels used in their aging respective soil.

TINTO (Red) 

It is a young wine, rich in colour and sweet.

TINTO ALOIRADO (RUBIS Colour)

It has aged for a few years, has a golden red colour, equally sweet and with a strong fruity bouquet.

It is an older wine, the result of the combination of several special wines: it has a hot topaze colour: semi dry and sweet: it can be of very first quality.

ALOIRADO CLARO (Lighter Golden)

It is a wine which has reached the last stage of the ageing process in barrels. It has reached the peak of this career: aged golden colour.

These are the more common types of wines, but there are also numerous varieties of wine white Port Wine, especially within the dry and extra dry sector. The Port wine Institute assure the authenticity of any Port wine, whether it proceeds from a blend of several crops, or whether it is a vintage, a reserve, or a 10,20,30 or 40 years old Port. The Institute provides certificates of origin to all exported Ports and warranty seals to all Port wines bottled in Portugal.

MADEIRA WINES

Sweet and mellow ("Malvasia"). Dry and austere ("Sercial"), somber and semi-dry ("Verdelho") or semi-dry, rich and full ("Bual"): all the varieties of this wine have a refined fruity bouquet that you will relish as a dessert or as an appetizer.

It is a light bubbling wine, hardly sweetened with a low alcoholic content (approx. 10%), you will find it sometimes refreshing and other times warm: the white Vinho Verde is the perfect companion for seafood, fish and liver pate.

DOURO WINES (White and Red)

They are wines of excellent quality, with strong colours, and very fruity relish. The white wines are also served with fish and liver pate. The red ones are served with game, fowl and strong cheeses.

They have an alcoholic content ca. 11-13 percent, and have a fine and velvety flavor. The red ones have a beautiful ruby colour, and can be harmoniously combined with game, spicy meat and cheese. The white ones grilled meat and the strong cheeses of the region. The white wines are refined and aromatic.

ALENTEJO WINES

The most famous vineyards of the Alentejo region are those of Borba. Reguengos de Monsaraz, Vidigueira, Cuba and Alvito. The white wine production is more important than that of red wine. Nevertheless, both types are ideal companion for the delicious regional specialties.

The red wines are a perfect complement to game and real meat, whereas the white should be served chilled with fish, past and with not very spiced chesses.

BUCELAS WINES (White)

Very acid when young, and dry after aging: they should be served with not very spiced fish.

SETÚBAL WINES

Setúbal "moscatel" grape is grown in this region. The wine produced from such grape is smooth and perfumed, like honey, when it is five years old, or richer and even more subtle after reaching twenty five years of aging. It is to be served as a dessert wine.

ALGARVE WINES (White and Red)

These wines are light, velvety, fruity and not very full-bodied; its alcoholic, content is higher than 13 percent. The red wines are served with grilled meat and codefish. The white ones are the perfect appetizer. At the end of a meal, do not miss the hot burning bagaço (distilled liquor)., of the local liqueurs, such as the "amarguinha" (made from sour almonds). And do note that the bottle corks are of the finest quality. Two thirds of the cork used worldwide comes from Portugal. It is the cork that conceals the mystery surrounding the best special wines in the whole world.

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PORTUGAL

We are sure that you have already traveled through many different countries. And no doubt seen magnificent landscapes, visited unique monuments and come into contact with other cultures. But do you know Portugal.

Here are just a few good reasons for paying us a visit.

Our country lies at the westernmost end of Southern Europe, facing the Atlantic Ocean. We therefore have a different "climate", there’s plenty of sun, naturally, and a lot of human warmth.

With our long coastline, it is not surprising that so many boats have sailed in and out of our ports. We have long been open to the rest of the world and to international communication, having absorbed people from wide variety of origins. Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans (from whom we inherited the language that we speak). Nordic races and people from Mauritania.

In spite of so many different mixtures, our country is one of the oldest in Europe. In the twelfth century, Portugal gained independence from the other Iberian kingdoms, thanks to the determined efforts of Count Afonso Henriques, who become our first king. A century later, after the conquest of the Algarve, our kingdom was finally complete. Exactly as it today. At the end of thirteenth century, our king D.Dinis founded the first Portuguese university in Lisbon, but soon transferred it to the beautiful city of Coimbra. It is one of the oldest in Europe.

In the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, we were the first Europeans to sail to Africa, to the Far East and to the furthest reaches of South America returning to Europe with a whole host of rare treasures. Globalization is nothing new for us. After a dynasty crisis that placed us under Spanish dominion, the throne returned to Portugal in 1640, because although we are a discrete people, we nonetheless have a great sense of independence.

In the eighteenth century, D, João V, an absolutist king and lover of the arts, ordered the building of the immense palace and monastery at Mafra, as well as the great Aqueduct that brought water to the city of Lisbon.

In the nineteenth century the monarchy was weakened by a series of partisan struggles and was finally overthrown in 1910, the year when the Portuguese Republic was created.

We have been members of the European Union since 1986,but we still continue to be proud of our special virtues.

With such a history, you will notice that our art is rather different from those that you already know. Above all, you notice certain features that are peculiar to our nation: the "Manueline" style of architecture, and exaltation of the period of the Discoveries, the way in which we have developed the art of the azulejo or decorative tile, and, of course, our Fado music, which sings of nostalgia.

You will be pleasantly surprised by the wide range of different of different interest that this small country has to offer. That’s why we’ve sorted it into seven regions.

Seven separate reasons for visiting us.

LISBOA E VALE DO TEJO

In the name that evokes the sound of a melody, and bathed in a very special light, Lisboa is the ancient city that has been the capital of Portugal since 1255.

It began with a castle, by the name of St.George, built atop one of its hills. Around this is the the Moorish quarter of Alfama,with its narrow streets and steps, conquered in the name of Christianity in 1147 by the first king of Portugal, D.Afonso Henriques.

As it stretches westwards along the northern ban of the great Tagus estuary, Lisbon turns to face the Atlantic, the great ocean that inspired the Discoveries. The memories of this golden age are forever preserved here by the Torre de Belém and the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos,both classified as world heritage. Eastwards the city has an entirely new look, reflected in the modern architecture of the EXPO’98 site.

Between these two spaces lies a Lisbon that is very different from other capital cities, with its polychrome tiled façades, wrought-iron balconies, breathtaking views and museums full of rich treasures.

By night, the city’s old quarters come alive with the sound of fado-singing and guitar-playing, which is the very soul of Lisbon. But the many open-air cafés, bars and discotheques reflecting in the water of the River Tagus show that the night will be a long and lively one.

Now, if you will, consider some of the other exceptional reasons for visiting this European capital: white sandy beaches bathed by the ocean, excellent golf courses, a casino, a romantic town, Sintra, nestling in a beautiful landscape and classified as world heritage. All this is to be found right next to Lisbon.

If you want to venture a little further afield, you’ll find much more to see: monasteries and medieval towns, like Óbidos, a city that belonged to the Knights Templars,Tomar, and Fátima, one of the world’s largest centers of pilgrimage devoted to the cult of Virgin Mary. Discover for yourself other monuments classified as world heritage which are to be found not far from the capital.

If you’re traveling through the endless green plains stretching from the banks of the Tagus, beware: this is where the pedigree fighting bulls are bred, as well as the speedy Lusitanian horse, whose mares were said to be fertilized by the wind…

alentejo

Beyond the southern bank of the River Tagus, there stretches an immense and gently undulating plain known as Alentejo. It is impossible not to feel enraptured by this landscape, a wonderful example of the harmony that can still exist between man and nature. Particularly dramatic here are the vibrant colors of spring or the impressionistic ochre tones of autumn, as well as the brilliantly white houses, with the edges of their doors and windows as painted blue or yellow. Standing like watchful sentinels in the midst of this great immensity are the so-called "eagles ‘nests": centuries-old towns hidden behind walls and quietly awaiting your peaceful "assault".

Follow the trail of the many cultures that come together in these plains to enrich the nation’s presente: there is clear evidence of Roman, Mudejar and Jewish civilizations. Would you like to go back even further in time? The Alentejo is extremely ricj in archaeological remains that tell of the changes in human life over thousand of years.

Afterwards, rest at one of the several Pousadas housed in historical buildings. Besides enjoying the region's great hospitality, which is in fact an omni presented features of Portuguese life, you can also sample its excellent cuisine, seasoned with aromatic, herbs, and the unique desserts made with recipes devised by monks and nuns, washed down with the region’s fine wines, the fruit of the Alentejo’s intense sunlight.

ALGARVE

This is the southernmost region of Portugal and the one most frequently visited by the sun. Is this why the sand of the Algarve beaches is so golden and why its backdrop of sheer cliffs has such a rare ochre hue?

The clear warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean invite you to bathe in them and engage in all manner of sporting activities.

Choose a hotel close to the beach, with the sea always just a step away. Of course, if you prefer a more private and personal type of accommodation, there are many tourist villages with their brilliant white houses built in the traditional style, a reminder of the Moorish presence.

If you enjoy playing golf, don’t leave your clubs at home. There are many golf courses in the Algarve with magnificent views over the sea, where you can play all year round.

Don’t forget to visit the picturesque cities and towns along the coast like Albufeira and Tavira, be sure to have lunch in a small restaurant where fresh fish is always on the menu. If you are fortunate enough to be traveling by yacht, you can dock at the marinas of Liamoura,Lagos or Vila Real de Santo António.

If you enjoy contemplating distant horizons, visit Cabo de São Vicente, Europe’s most south-easterly point, from where you can see the promontory of Sagres, which gave its name to the School of Navigation founded by Prince Henry the Navigator. This important landmark for ships sailing from the Mediterranean to western ports was the place from where Prince Henry devised and directed the fortunes of the great Portuguese Discoveries.

AÇORES

In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean are nine islands which signal the westernmost limits of European territory. Some believe that they were once part of the mysterious island of Atlantis.

If you want to unwind and forget the stresses of everyday life, the Azores are the perfect setting.

Imagine nine islands where nature can still be seen in all its original splendor, the climate is mild and temperate, the landscape is green and peaceful and, in spring, the roadsides are lined with blue and white hydrangeas.

Certainly you have never heard of a place with blue and green lagoons, folled according to legend with the tears of a green-eyed prince and a blue-eyed princess, who cried so much when they were not allowed to marry.

The Azores are the only place where you can eat food cooked in iron pans with hot steam of the geysers springing from the earth.

You will find all this and much more on theses islands, baptized with the names of São Miguel, Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico, Faial, Flores and Corvo. First visited by the Portuguese in the fifteenth century, they still retain much of their ancient heritage, with their crowning glory being the city of Angra do Heroismo (on the island of Terceira), classified as world heritage.

MADEIRA

The island of Madeira is the delight of all visitors: a subtropical climate, an exuberant vegetation of exotic flowers, fruits and wines imported from the distant islands of Cyprus and Crete, and hotel facilities that are the envy of many other major tourist destinations.

Situated in the Atlantic Ocean, 700 km from Casablanca and 900 km from Lisbon, the island was the first discovered by the Portuguese navigator João Gonçalves Zarco in 1419. Soon afterwards it become a stopping off point the waves on their way to the distant lands of the Orient.

Funchal is the complement its special tourist vacation with a variety of cultural events that reveal much of the island’s history. Particularly impressive are the carnival festivities in February, the flower festival in April, the wine festival in September and the famous display of fireworks over the bay on New Year’s Eve.

The whole island is a festival of great and exuberant beauty. Sheer cliffs overlooking the sea, swimming pools dug out of the rocks, high mountains shrouded in mist, narrow paths by the side of the water channels of "levadas", along which you can walk and delight in the magnificent landscape.

Embroideries exemplify the talent and ability of Madeiran handicraft, another of the island’s treasures. Together with the island’s wickerwork, am art that has been handed down through generations of Madeirans, these small masterpieces will make impossible for you to forget Madeira.

$o km to the north east of the island lies a long sandy beach on the small island of Porto Santo, the first part of the archipelago encountered by the Portuguese and quite flat in comparison with the "mother island". Here you should make sure to visit the house in which Christopher Columbus lived at Vila Baleira, the island’s picturesque capital.

BEIRAS

Between the two great rivers – the Douro and the Tagus – is the Beiras region, which forms the very heart of Portugal. Why not rent a car and come and discover its intense contrast for yourself? Along the coast are great expanses of sandy beaches, dunes, lagoons. Atlantic pine forests and cities that reflect the life of the sea. Inland are the rugged mountains, where schist and granite abound.

You will certainly appreciate the woods, lakes, deep ravines and mountain disappearing from sight, with the great massif of the Serra da Estrela standing proudly in the midst of them all, the highest mountain range in mainland Portugal. Beneath the ground are immense reservoirs of mineral waters that spring forth at the spas, where you will feel like relaxing in the shade of cedar and laurel trees.

Make sure you plan an itinerary that take you to the historical villages of the Beira province. These are places that express much of our long history, ancient fortresses built to defend our territory and dating back to the times of the Roans, Visigoths, Moors and Christians. Visit them and share in the everyday life and culture of the local inhabitants.

Don’t forget to stop and admire the region’s many noble and austere cities, such as Viseu,Guarda or Castelo Branco. As you enter them, cast a glance at their houses, above which there generally towers the imposing granite mass of a cathedral, bearing witness to all the history that has happened here.

As you move closer to the coast, the hills gradually become smaller, but down in their depths are to be found some quiete remarkable caves. From its sources in the Serra da Estrela, the River Mondego wends its way down to Coimbra and encircles this ancient university town, enlivened by the songs and traditions of its students, Come and hear the guitar being played here.

PORTO E NORTE DE PORTUGAL

Both the capital and the gateway to the northern region. Porto has a very ancient name that tells of its special vocation for seafaring and trade. It also has the honor of having given its name to the nation of Portugal and to a very special wine that has enlivened many a dinner table and brought great conviviality to the world’s most elegant clubs.

The unusual architectural splendor of Porto’s old houses, built on the slopes of the steep hills overlooking the River Douro, makes it impossible to confuse this with any other city in the world.

Behind these rugged crags, subtly disguised by the riverside area known as the "Ribeira", there rises a city that discreetly invites discovery. So take your time as you wander through its streets, beginning at the historical center, already classified as world heritage.

Then you should take the old tram to the beautifull Foz do Douro and feast your eyes on the Atlantic Ocean. And you cannot afford to miss a visit to the Port wine cellars of Gaia on the southern bank of the river. This is also the ideal place for seeing Porto from "the other side". We can guarantee you that you’ve never seen such a view.

Make sure you keep at least one day reserved for a boat trip up the River Douro, on whose beautiful terrace banks grow the grapes from which Port wine is made.

Now you can set off to discover the North of Portugal. Stretching all the way to the country’s northern border is the lush green Minho province, its shores dotted here and there with enchanting seaside resorts. After a visit to the Peneda-Gerês National Park, head for the imposing mountains of Trás-os-Montes. Nestling in its valleys are many soas and ancient cities and, in the valley of the River Côa, there is a unique open-air display of rock paintings and carvings, also classified as world heritage.

Enjoy a peaceful rest in one of the old manor-houses or Pousada, practiced in the traditional Portuguese art of providing a warm welcome. And make sure to return in 2001, for that is the year when Porto will be the European Capital of Culture, with a whole host of surprises.