Douro
Douro
A couple of hours drive inland from the historic trading city of Oporto the picturesque Douro Valley, with its steep terraces and wide meandering river, is the beating heart of Portuguese wine. The Douro is most famous for its delicious, fortified Port wines, made from a blend of traditional grapes and boosted with distilled spirit to ward off oxidation. Produced in a range of styles, from rich, juicy non-vintage ruby ports, to the delicate, lighter tawny bottled at anything from 10 to 50 years of age, Port is Portugal's most famous export. While Port remains at the forefront of the Douro's production, the region is developing an excellent reputation for its table wines. Made from a range of grapes, most prominently Touriga Nacional, a native variety most famous for its use in the finest vintage ports. Touriga Nacional's thick skins and rich flavours create bold, powerful wines with excellent structure and tannin.
