Douro

Douro wine holds a prestigious position within the world of fine wines and is a proud testament to Portugal's rich viticulture. Named after the scenic Douro River Valley in Northern Portugal, these wines captivate the senses with their intensity and character. They are borne out of steeply terraced vineyards that lend the landscape an unmatched splendour.

The Douro region was delineated back in the 18th century, making it one of the world’s oldest regulated wine regions. It’s particularly known for its fortified Port wine, a dark, sweet, and rich beverage that has become synonymous with Portugal. However, the Douro region has witnessed an evolution in wine production in recent years, with an increased focus on unfortified, dry wines that are gaining international acclaim.

Douro wines boast a broad palette of colours and flavours, depending on the grapes used and the techniques applied during vinification. Quintessential Douro red wines can be described as big, bold, and muscular, while the whites often exude an interesting complexity with vibrant acidity. The region’s unique terroir, a challenging blend of schistous soils and baking heat, interspersed with the cooling influence of the Douro River, imparts a distinctive minerality and robustness to the wines.

These wines are often blends, with notable grapes including Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, and Touriga Franca for reds, and Rabigato, Gouveio, Viosinho, and Malvasia Fina for whites. Many vineyards employ traditional methods, such as foot-treading in large, shallow granite troughs known as 'lagares'. This gives Douro wines an added layer of historical and cultural intrigue.

Douro wines, be it the distinguished port or the up-and-coming table wines, are a celebration of Portugal's wine-making heritage. They encapsulate the uniqueness of the region, providing wine connoisseurs an experience of assertive flavours and uncompromising quality.

Buy Douro wine below.