Portuguese wines: more than Mateus

When many people think of Portuguese wine, they think of Mateus, the sweet, fizzy rose in a flask-shaped bottle which was a classic 1970s holiday souvenir. However, Portugal has so much more to offer when it comes to wine, and the country is finally achieving wider recognition. Madeira and Port are two of the most popular and widely known wines originating in Portugal, but the country is also producing a huge selection of distinctive reds and whites.
Wine production in Portugal has really stepped up over the last two decades in particular as old-fashioned laws intended to protect traditional Port production have been relaxed. As a result of this, more modern machinery has also been introduced alongside the traditional wine producing methods, freeing producers to produce a wider selection of wines and be more experimental in their growing.
The majority of Portuguese wine is made with grapes native to the country, resulting in unique characteristics. The Douro Valley is one of the oldest and most beautiful wine producing regions in the world, with thousands of years of history, and it is known as the epicentre of Port production. However, producers have been diversifying here in recent years as the micro-climates of the area allow a huge variety of different grapes to be grown here. The region is now becoming equally as famed for its rich, powerful and complex red table wines. Other prominent wine producing regions include Vinho Verde, Alentejo and Algarve, to name just a few.
One great characteristic of Portuguese wines is the fact that they tend to be much more affordable than their French and Italian competitors, although there are plenty of luxurious options too. We can offer a wide range of complex, rich and delicious Portuguese wines for great prices, so you can discover just why Portugal is gaining so much international recognition in recent years.