Portugal’s Douro Valley is one of the oldest and most historic regions in the world of wine. Officially demarcated and regulated since 1756, UNESCO designated the region as a World Heritage Site in 2001 for its unique landscape and centuries-long history of viticulture. It currently holds the title of European City of Wine for 2023, an annual award that celebrates local traditions and promotes tourism in places where wine is an integral part of the culture. With its spectacular landscape, intriguing grape varieties, ancestral winemaking techniques, and exceptional quality wines, the Douro Valley is a one-of-a-kind region that wine lovers shouldn’t miss.
The terraced hillsides of the Douro Valley are an unforgettable sight. Dizzying arrays of vineyards, interspersed with olive trees, create a patchwork mosaic across the precipitously steep slopes. Bordered on the west by the Marão Mountains, the region is largely insulated from the cool, windy influence of the Atlantic Ocean. Locals aptly describe the weather – cold and wet in the winter and hot and dry in the summer – as “nine months of winter and three months of hell.”
Long renowned for its production of sweet, fortified Port wines, the last 30 years have seen the flourishing of dry table wines from the Douro Valley, which now comprise nearly half of the region’s total wine production. Nearly all Port producers have incorporated table wines into their portfolios and some newer producers focus on them exclusively. Having recently returned from a trip to the region, I can say two things with confidence: first, that many of the Douro’s table wines are of superb quality, and second, that they are significantly underappreciated and undervalued in the market.
If you’re unfamiliar with Douro Valley wines, the region is best known for field blends: indigenous grape varieties grown side-by-side in the same vineyard, all picked and fermented together. With 64 indigenous red grapes and 46 indigenous white grapes authorized for use in the Douro DOC, a single field blend can contain dozens of different varieties. Common red grapes include Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo across the border in Spain), Tinta Barroca, and Tinta Cão, while white wines often include a combination of Viosinho, Rabigato, Códega do Larinho, Gouveio (Godello in Spanish), Arinto, and Malvasia Fina.
The Douro Valley also makes table wines from single indigenous varieties, as well as from international varieties like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah. International grapes and single varietal bottlings are a significant departure from the region’s long-standing traditions of Port production, but winemakers are hoping global consumers will find the familiarity of these styles appealing. You’ll find single-variety wines made from indigenous grapes labeled under the Douro DOC appellation, but local regulations limit table wines made from international varieties to the broader Duriense VR regional appellation.
Most table wines from the Douro Valley are red, but white wines are rapidly growing in popularity, as are the increasing number of rosés, skin contact whites, and sparkling wines. The best red wines strike a balance between power and elegance, with red and black fruit flavors that are ripe but not jammy. Touriga Franca, Tinta Cão, and Sousão lend spicy and peppery notes to a blend, while Touriga Nacional and Tinta Barroca contribute distinct floral and earthy aromas. Despite the hot climate, the wines are surprisingly high in acidity, and the alcohol levels are remarkably restrained. The whites range from highly aromatic, light-bodied wines with fresh crunchy fruit aromas and flavors to more complex, fuller bodied styles fermented and aged in oak.
Wineries in the Douro Valley combine traditional winemaking practices passed down through generations with modern technology. Many still crush their grapes by foot for hours each day, in shallow granite tanks called
lagares. Others reserve manual crushing just for small batches of their top-quality wines and rely instead on machines with silicon “feet” designed to mimic traditional foot-treading. Fermentation takes place in both old-fashioned granite lagares and modern temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks, and an increasing number of winemakers are experimenting with alternative vessels, including egg-shaped ceramic tanks and clay amphora.
The Landscape
For centuries, tenacious farmers have transformed the Douro Valley’s rugged hillsides into land suitable for planting and cultivating grapevines. Part of what makes the landscape astonishing is its medley of distinctive vineyard styles. But the contrasts between the vineyards are more than just visually striking – they also reflect the continuing evolution of viticulture in the region.
The oldest vineyards are the
socalcos, stepped terraces with high stone walls constructed by hand, many of which date back hundreds of years. Carved out of the steep hillsides like staircases, these terraces have vines planted in orderly horizontal rows across the bottom of each step. Unsuitable for mechanization, socalcos are extremely labor-intensive and costly to manage. This includes upkeep and maintenance of the UNESCO-protected stone walls, which vineyard owners must repair if damaged by heavy rain or landslides. Because of their protected status, existing
socalcos can no longer be torn down or converted to any other vineyard layout.
Socalcos at Taylor Fladgate’s Quinta de Vargellas;
Photo Credit: Taylor Fladgate
More modern terraces called
patamares have grown in popularity since the 1970s and 1980s. These curved terraces follow the smooth contour of the slopes and are supported by steep earth ramps rather than stone walls. Although workers must still prune and harvest the vineyards by hand,
patamares can accommodate small tractors, making them considerably less expensive than
socalcos to construct and maintain. A downside is that the earth-banked ramps take up a lot of space, which limits the number of vines farmers can plant.
Patamares at Fonseca’s Quinta de Santo António; Photo Credit: Fonseca
Where the slopes are less steep, it is increasingly common to see vines planted in vertical rows perpendicular to the hillside. Known as
vinha ao alto, modern vineyards planted in this fashion are still largely hand harvested, but farmers can use machinery for most other vineyard tasks thanks to the wider spacing between rows.
Vinha ao alto vineyards can accommodate many more vines per acre than the
patamares but this layout is only feasible in areas where the incline of the slope is less than 30 degrees.
Vinha ao alto vineyards at Taylor Fladgate; Photo Credit: Taylor Fladgate