Portugal is split into 14 wine regions and grows more than 250 native grape varieties. For a first wine tasting in Portugal, seven names are enough: Vinho Verde, Douro, Dão, Bairrada, Lisboa, Península de Setúbal and Alentejo. North means fresher and more acidic, south means riper and rounder. Everything else is detail you can learn glass by glass.
This is the map we draw on the table during our tastings in Graça, in the order we usually pour.
Vinho Verde: light, fresh, often a little fizzy
The green, rainy north-west. “Verde” means young, not green wine. Whites are low in alcohol, crisp and sometimes slightly sparkling. Look for Alvarinho (from Monção e Melgaço, richer and more serious) and Loureiro (floral, very fresh). Perfect with grilled fish and a hot afternoon.
Douro: the steep valley of Port and big reds
Terraced slopes along the Douro river, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape. Famous for Port, but the dry reds are now just as good: dark fruit, structure, a bit of rockrose and spice. The grapes to remember are Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz. For Port itself, read our guide to the types of Port.
Dão: granite, elegance, age-worthy wines
A plateau surrounded by mountains in central Portugal. The wines are more elegant and fresher than in the Douro, and they age very well. Encruzado makes some of the best whites in the country; Touriga Nacional is at home here too.
Bairrada: Baga and bubbles
Close to the Atlantic, between Porto and Coimbra. Known for the Baga grape, which gives tannic, high-acid reds that need time, and for Portuguese sparkling wine (espumante). Locals drink it with roast suckling pig, leitão.
Lisboa: the region around the capital
A long strip north of Lisbon, cooled by the ocean. Lots of easy, good-value wine, and a few historic curiosities: Bucelas for sharp Arinto whites, and Colares, near Sintra, where the vines grow in sand. A Lisbon wine is always on our tasting list, because it is the one you can find next to your hotel.
Península de Setúbal: across the river
Forty minutes south of Lisbon. Soft reds from the Castelão grape and the sweet, orange-blossom Moscatel de Setúbal. It is the easiest region to visit on a wine day trip from Lisbon.
Alentejo: warm, generous, and home of amphora wine
The big, hot south-east plain. Ripe, round reds from Aragonez, Trincadeira and Alicante Bouschet, whites from Antão Vaz. The Alentejo also keeps an old tradition of fermenting wine in clay amphorae, vinho de talha, which natural wine lovers should try. More on that in our natural wine guide.
And the rest
Tejo, Algarve, Beira Interior and the others make good wine too, and the islands are worth a special mention: Madeira for its fortified wines that last for decades, and Pico, in the Azores, where vines grow inside black lava stone walls.
North to south in one table
| Region | Style | Grapes to remember |
|---|---|---|
| Vinho Verde | Light, fresh whites | Alvarinho, Loureiro |
| Douro | Port, structured reds | Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca |
| Dão | Elegant reds and whites | Encruzado, Touriga Nacional |
| Bairrada | Tannic reds, sparkling | Baga |
| Lisboa | Easy wines, Colares, Bucelas | Arinto, Ramisco |
| Península de Setúbal | Soft reds, sweet Moscatel | Castelão, Moscatel |
| Alentejo | Ripe reds, amphora wine | Aragonez, Alicante Bouschet, Antão Vaz |
Taste five regions in one hour in Lisbon
Reading about regions only goes so far. Our Portuguese wine tasting at POP pours five wines from small family producers, usually Vinho Verde, Douro, Dão, Alentejo and Lisbon, for €35 per person. It takes about an hour, every day at 15:00, 17:00 and 19:00, at Rua da Senhora do Monte 38C in Graça. Book your tasting and leave knowing which region to look for on a wine list.
Questions we get asked
How many wine regions are there in Portugal?
Portugal has 14 official wine regions, from Minho (Vinho Verde) in the north to the Algarve, plus Madeira and the Azores.
What is the most famous Portuguese wine region?
The Douro, because of Port wine. For everyday drinking, Alentejo and Vinho Verde are the most common in Portuguese restaurants.
What is the main red grape of Portugal?
Touriga Nacional is the best-known, grown in the Douro, the Dão and many other regions.
Can I taste wines from several regions in Lisbon?
Yes. At POP in Graça, the 5-wine tasting covers five Portuguese regions in about an hour, from €35.