Baga

Say it: BAH-gah

Bairrada’s signature grape. Tough and austere when young, great Baga ages for decades into something often compared with Nebbiolo. It is also picked early for pale blanc de noirs sparkling wine and rosé.

In the glassSour cherry, red plum, tobacco, earth; high acidity and powerful tannins.

Wines made with Baga

Dão Red

Red

Dão DOC Tinto

Elegant, fresh reds from granite soils. Often called Portugal’s answer to Burgundy for their finesse and ability to age. Touriga Nacional, Jaen and Alfrocheiro are the classic trio.

Critics: up to 91 pts

Bairrada Red

Red

Bairrada DOC Tinto

Tannic, high-acid reds from Baga grown on clay-limestone. Traditional Garrafeiras can age for 30 years or more; modern producers make lighter, gentler versions for earlier drinking.

Critics: up to 91 pts

Bairrada Sparkling

Sparkling

Espumante Bairrada

Bairrada is the centre of Portuguese traditional-method sparkling wine, made by second fermentation in bottle. Styles range from crisp whites to Baga-based blanc de noirs and rosé.

Portuguese Rosé

Rosé

Rosado

Portugal introduced much of the world to rosé after the Second World War through lightly sparkling, off-dry brands such as Mateus and Lancers. Today most Portuguese rosé is dry and crisp, often from Touriga Nacional or Baga.

Bottles to try

Quinta das Bágeiras Garrafeira Tinto

Red

Quinta das Bágeiras · Bairrada

€35Special

Producers to try

Quinta da Pellada (Álvaro Castro)

Seia · Dão

Álvaro Castro’s estates at the foot of the Serra da Estrela make some of the Dão’s most celebrated, finely balanced wines.

Casa da Passarella

Lagarinhos, Gouveia · Dão

A historic estate in the Serra da Estrela foothills, revived in the 2000s and known for wines from old field-blend vineyards.

Luís Pato

Óis do Bairro, Anadia · Bairrada

A Bairrada icon nicknamed “Mr Baga”. Experimented with taming Baga’s tannins and makes Pé Franco from ungrafted vines planted in sand.

Filipa Pato & William Wouters

Óis do Bairro · Bairrada

Luís Pato’s daughter and her husband make light-touch, biodynamic wines under the motto “authentic wines without make-up”.

Quinta das Bágeiras

Fogueira, Anadia · Bairrada

A traditional family estate making long-lived Baga Garrafeiras in old lagares and crisp, bone-dry sparkling wines.

Caves São João

São João de Azenha · Bairrada

A historic merchant house with a huge cellar of old Bairrada and Dão reds, released decades after the harvest.

Buçaco Palace Hotel

Mata do Buçaco · Bairrada, Dão

The neo-Manueline palace hotel in the Buçaco forest has made its own legendary, very long-lived red and white wines for over a century, traditionally served only at its own hotels.

V Puro

Mealhada · Bairrada

A Bairrada project of winemaker friends Nuno Mira do Ó and João Soares. Its Outrora is a pure Baga from very old vines near Mealhada.