Wine regions of Portugal

Portugal’s green northwest, between the Minho and Douro rivers. Vines once climbed trees and tall pergolas so farmers could grow food underneath; today most are trained on wires. The region makes fresh, light whites, often with a gentle prickle, as well as serious single-variety Alvarinho and Loureiro and inky, sharp Vinhão reds.

The remote northeast, shielded from Atlantic rain by the Marão and Alvão mountains. Small family vineyards and cooperatives make rustic, characterful reds and whites, often from old mixed plantings of local grapes.

Steep schist terraces along the Douro river and its tributaries, and the home of Port. The finest vineyards are in the hotter Cima Corgo and Douro Superior. Since the 1990s the Douro has become just as known for dry reds and whites, many from old field-blend vineyards where dozens of varieties grow side by side.

A small, high plateau just south of the Douro, named for the Távora and Varosa rivers. Cool nights and high natural acidity make it a natural home for traditional-method sparkling wine, built on Malvasia Fina, Cerceal, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

A granite plateau ringed by the Serra da Estrela, Caramulo and Buçaco mountains, which block both Atlantic rain and continental heat. Vineyards sit among pine forests at roughly 400–800 m. Dão reds are fresh, elegant and long-lived, and Encruzado makes some of the country’s finest whites.

A gently rolling coastal strip between Aveiro and Coimbra. It is the land of Baga, a demanding red grape that gives tannic, high-acid wines able to age for decades, and the heartland of Portuguese traditional-method sparkling wine.

A large, high, thinly populated region along the Spanish border, around Guarda and the Serra da Estrela. Old vineyards of local grapes such as Síria, Fonte Cal and Rufete are getting new attention for fresh whites and light, perfumed reds.

A long coastal strip north of the capital and one of Portugal’s largest regions by volume. Most of its wine is good-value blends, but it also holds three historic micro-appellations close to Lisbon: Colares, Carcavelos and Bucelas.

The valley of the Tejo (Tagus) northeast of Lisbon. The fertile riverside Campo once produced bulk wine. Many producers have moved to the poorer Bairro and Charneca soils for more concentrated wines from Fernão Pires, Castelão, Trincadeira and Touriga Nacional.

The peninsula across the Tejo from Lisbon. The Serra da Arrábida hills shelter vineyards from sea winds. It is famous for Moscatel de Setúbal, a rich fortified Muscat, and for juicy reds from Castelão grown on sand around Palmela.

Rolling plains of cork oak, olive and wheat covering about a third of Portugal. Strong sun gives ripe, generous reds from Aragonez, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet and Touriga Nacional, and full whites from Antão Vaz. It is also the home of talha wine, fermented in clay amphorae as in Roman times.

Better known for beaches than wine, the south coast has a growing number of small estates. The local red grape Negra Mole gives pale, savoury reds and rosés; Síria (here called Crato Branco) and Arinto make the whites.

A steep volcanic island in the Atlantic, about 1,000 km southwest of Lisbon. Vines grow on small terraces called poios, often trained on low pergolas. Madeira wine is fortified and then aged with heat, which makes it one of the longest-lived wines in the world.

A mid-Atlantic archipelago about 1,500 km west of Lisbon. On Pico island, vines grow in currais, tiny plots walled with black lava stone that shelter them from wind and salt spray. The wines are taut, salty whites from Arinto dos Açores, Verdelho and Terrantez do Pico.