Wineries in Portugal

Quality is the top priority for Portugal's winemakers

Portuguese wineries are called quintas, and wineries are called caves. It is mainly winemakers with smaller quintas that dominate Portugal's winegrowing scene. They produce their very own, indeed unique, high-quality wines, contributing to Portugal's annual wine yield of 6 to 7 million hectoliters. In terms of volume, this puts the small country in 11th place in the world rankings. With about 230,000 hectares of vines, Portugal is number 6 in the world. This is a statement from Portuguese winemakers: for them, quality is the top priority.

Young winemakers guard a unique wine legacy

The quality of Portuguese wines has its origins in centuries of winemaking tradition. At Portugal's family-run wineries, the old customs are passed down from fathers to sons. The younger generation benefits from the experience of the elders, who, unlike in the past, are also highly educated. Today's young winemakers travel to other winemaking countries and receive training at special academies. The new generation of winemakers also considers itself the guardian of a valuable and unique treasure: the abundance of native grape varieties. No other European country has such a wide variety of autochthonous grape varieties as Portugal. Of the approximately 500 autochthonous grapes called castas, around 340 are permitted for wine production.

From these rare vines, Portuguese winemakers prefer to produce red and rosé wines and, especially in Vinho Verde, white wines as well. Portugal's most famous wine, however, is port. It tastes of baked apple, honey and roasted almonds and has been world famous for centuries!

Niepoort Vinhos - the inventors of the fabulous wine

The home of Port wine is in the Douro Valley, where the Niepoort Vinhos winery has been based for over 170 years. Founded in 1842 by Franciscus Marius Niepoort, the traditional Douro winery is now run by the fifth generation, Dirk Niepoort, and is one of the most sought-after wine houses in the country. With its range of products, it is broadly positioned: Douro produces port wines from Ruby to Vintage Port, dry red wines from Fabulous to Redoma to Batuta, and dry white wines from Redoma Branco to Moscatel and Riesling Dócil. The portfolio of Niepoort Vinhos also includes the dry red and white wines of the Rótulo and Conciso series from the Dão region and red wines made from Baga grape in Bairrada.

World famous for Tawny Ports and Garrafeiras

Niepoort Vinhos is world-famous for its Tawny Ports, but also for its Garrafeiras - high-proof port wine that has to mature for five years in oak barrels and another two years in glass jugs to obtain its unmistakable aroma. In recent years, the winery has been showered with awards and prizes for its innovative ideas. Wine & Spirit magazine awarded Niepoort Vinhos the title of "Winery of the Year," while the American magazine Wine Enthusiast named it "European Winemaker of the Year.

Interplay of tradition and modernity

Dirk van der Niepoort, the conceptual head of the winery, is considered one of the 50 most influential winemakers in the world and is one of the most famous personalities in the Portuguese wine industry. He has been running his family's traditional winery since 1987, trying to lift the "treasure of the Douro" in his own way. His recipe for success: Dirk van der Niepoort masters the interplay between tradition and modernity as perfectly as hardly any other Portuguese winemaker. Thus, with Quinta de Nápoles and Quinta do Carril in the Douro Valley in the top port wine region of Cima Corgo, he bought his own vineyards and had them replanted on 15 hectares of vineyards and the 60-year-old vines on 10 hectares repaired. Today, the combination of traditional and modern grape varieties produces impressive Douro wines of outstanding quality.

Fabulous wine - a reinvention of dry red wines

With the first Fabelhaft wine, Dirk van der Niepoort presented the wine world in 2002 with a cuvée that is considered a reinvention of dry red wines. From the classic Port grape varieties Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Amarale and Tinto Cão, the winemaker created a complex wine that is also wonderfully drinkable - a revelation not only for red wine lovers! A special feature are also the labels, which are provided with drawings by Wilhelm Busch and are now legendary. Schhon deshab, because there is a separate label for each export country. In the meantime, Fabelhaft wines can also be purchased as white wines and rosés.

Elegant and fine red wines from ancient Baga vines

Inspired by the success of the Fabelhaft wines, Dirk van der Niepoort set out for other underrated wine regions of Portugal. His great passion for the Baga grape variety and for the terroir of the Bairrada region led him to buy small parcels of ancient vines in the Cantanhede area. The aroma of the old Baga vines ripens there on slate, granite and noble limestone soils. Wines with light color and low alcohol levels are produced, elegant and fine drops with enormous aging potential.

"Lagar de Baixo" a complex wine that combines in itself old and young vines

With the purchase of Quinta de Baixo, Dirk Nieport finally revived the red wine brand "Lagar de Baixo". The classic wines are made from a combination of very old and young vines. The result is a complex and serious wine that convinces with youthful freshness and emphasizes the finesse of the Baga grape. In the Dão, the enterprising winemaker found vineyards of Touriga Nacional, Jaen and Alfrocheiro vines growing on granite soils from which he creates dry red and white wines in the Rótulo and Conciso series.

Quinta do Vale Meao - In the beginning there was a dream

The history of the Quinta do Vale Meao winery began in the 19th century.Dona Antonia Adelaide Ferreira, at an advanced age, had the dream of creating a flagship wine region on Monte Meao on the left bank of the Douro River.The "Ferreirinha" already owned the largest vineyard there, but bought another 300 hectares of land at an auction in Vila Nova de Foz Côa. It took her from 1887 to 1895 to make her ambitious project a reality and establish more than 50 new quintas. An enormous effort for the already aged lady, who was not granted to enjoy the success of her spectacular enterprise for long. In 1896, the now legendary winemaker died.

Organic red wine from the smallest plots

To this day, Quinta do Vale Meão is family owned and is one of the best wine producers in the Douro. Francisco Javier de Olazabal (called Vito), head of the winery from the 1970s, together with his children Francisco (called Xito), Luísa and Jaime, ensured that his great-great-great grandmother's dream lived on.Over a period of years, he bought back all the shares of the "Ferreirinha" family, now widely spread, and set about continuing the long tradition of the winery in the vineyards of Quinta do Vale Meãodie.

Wine from the smallest plots in high altitudes

Francisco Javier de Olazabal plan: invest more in the small plots in the high altitudes and get the best out of the vines growing there on granite soils. They are worked organically and not fertilized, except with the cereals and nitrogenous plants planted between the rows of vines. Success should prove him right. Wines from there today stand for elegance, freshness and finesse. They have changed stylistically from extremely dominant and fat black fruit to floral fine cherry and a mineral note.

Exceptional cuvées from autochthonous grape varieties

The autochthonous grape variety Touriga Nacional forms the backbone of the wines. Blended with the spicy Touriga Francesca as well as the vines of Tinta Barocca and Tinta Roriz/Tempranillo and the rare Sousao grape, a highly exceptional cuvée is created. It is fermented in lagares and aged in barriques and represents great wines from the hottest part of the Douro Valley near the Spanish border on the "Upper Douro". The hot and low-rainfall zone with slate and clay soils today stands for powerful red wines with rich aromas of black cherry, blackberry and chocolate as well as a high spiciness.

Portuguese top league of wine producers

With a sense of centuries-old wine knowledge and his openness to innovation, Francisco Olazabal developed into one of Portugal's best and most sought-after oenologists and wine producers. Today, only exceptional wines are produced at Quinta do Vale Meão, such as Portugal's most expensive red wine. Today, the "Ferreirinha" winery belongs to the Portuguese upper league, which would certainly please the ancestor of Francisco Olazabal, even if it is today with "only" 84 hectares rather one of the smaller wineries. The number of bottles produced is also limited: With the "Meandro" - the second wine from the still somewhat younger vines -, Quinta do Vale Meão makes a total of about 200,000 bottles of first and second wines.

Quinta do Passadouro - Wine from the Heart of the Douro

The Quinta do Passadouro winery is located near the town of Pinhao in the heart of the Douro, where the famous port houses have always been based. From this highest classified vineyard region called Cima de Corgo traditionally came the best vintage and the late bottled vintage of classic port wines. No wonder, because the best vineyards there in the Pinhao Valley have always been reserved for port production. The younger grapes from the less well situated vineyards were used to make table wine.

The vision of winemaker Jorge Serôdio Borges

No one in the Douro region had ever thought of producing high-quality red wine until Belgian-born winemaker Jorge Serôdio Borges bought the Quinta do Passadouro winery in 1991. Himself from a long-established Portuguese family that was the fifth generation of the port wine trade in the Douro, he had a vision: "I came to this beautiful place to vinify a great red wine with these fantastic conditions from old vines." His goal: to create a red wine of the highest quality by retaining some grapes from a portion of the best vineyard sites and blending them together.

A perfect terroir for red wine

At his 20-hectare quinta, built in 1873, Jorge Serôdio Borges found the best conditions for his ambitious plan: 50 to 70-year-old vines of the autochthonous varieties Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca,Tinta Roriz, Sousão and Tinta Barroca, growing there on slate soils, in amphitheater-style vineyards. The climate extreme: hot during the day and very cold at night, which makes the grapes ripen more slowly than in other regions of the Douro Valley. The slopes steep and divided into narrow terraces, could only be cultivated by hand. It was a natural choice to practice organic farming and not to use chemicals.

and not to use chemicals. All in all: a terroir perfect for a high quality, fresh and varietal red wine with recognizable character of origin. Jorge Serôdio Borges red wines from the Douro are now world-class and award-winning, such as Passadouro Tinto, Passadouro Passa Red, Passadouro Passa Rosé and Passadouro Reserva Tinto.

New technologies and traditional manufacturing processes

Excited about the possibilities of the region, Jorge Serôdio Borges later bought the Quinta do Sibio winery with around 20 hectares of vineyards. He invested in new technologies and stuck to traditional manufacturing processes. The grapes for the winery's port wines are still crushed exclusively with leg power and fermented in traditional “lagares” made of granite stone. The result: Highly endowed port wines such as the Quinta do Passadouro Ruby Reserva Port, Vintage Ports and various “late bottle vintages” vintages.

The Quinta Vale Dona Maria stands for sensational port wines

The Alto Douro, the spectacular wine-growing region in northeastern Portugal, has been home to Quinta Vale Dona Maria for over two hundred years. The history of the ancient winery in the heart of the Douro Valley is no less spectacular. Since 1868 it has belonged to the van Zeller family, which is one of the real “port nobility” of Portugal: the famous port wine house Quinta do Noval was owned by the van Zellers for many generations and is also the largest port house in Portugal today, which goes by “Sogrape”. goes back to the founding of Christian van Zeller's great-uncle. Excellent wines have always been part of the van Zeller family's portfolio, as have the best terroirs in the Douro Valley. When the family inheritance was divided in 1993, the youngest son, Cristiano van Zeller, secured the Quinta Vale Dona Maria with the aim of continuing the family's centuries-old winemaking tradition. Within a short period of time, he formed the winery into an independent noble quinta that plays in the top wine league in Portugal in terms of quality.

Excellent terroirs on the banks of the Douro

Christiano van Zeller's vineyards are located in the oldest protected wine region in the world. Around 30 grape varieties grow on a total of 31 hectares of cultivated land and they are very old: many of them have been growing on the banks of the Douro for over half a century. The mixed sentence is part of Christiano van Zeller's philosophy. In his new vineyards at Quinta Vale Dona Maria, the grape varieties are planted together, which will later be blended together for the wine. When it comes to red varieties, the local Touriga Nacional is in the lead, while Malvasia Fina, Codega and Rabigato are the white varieties. They are all grown “organically” at Quinta do Vale Dona Maria, i.e. without chemicals.

Perfect vineyard care for a perfect wine

Perfect vineyard care is the starting point for a perfect wine is the philosophy of Christiano van Zeller. He attaches great importance to ensuring that the grapes with their mineral notes are selected for their quality after the harvest. Only the best and ripe grapes are sent to the cellar for processing, where they are still crushed according to the old tradition. The maceration of the grapes in the lagar is still essential for the quality of the Quinta's red and port wines. At the end of a long production process, fine, intense and at the same time fresh and dry red wines with intense fruit aromas are created. In 2001, Cristiano van Zeller and his oenologists Sandra Tavares da Silva and Joana Pinhão received the highest recognition: specialist journalists and oenologists rated it as the best red wine in Portugal.

And it's not just Cristiano van Zeller's red wines that are of top quality: the "Late bottles vintages" - the port vintages from the winery on the Douro that have been stored in barrels for four and six years - are just as important as the top vintage "Vintage", which matures for ten or more years the best in the country. The winery's rare and high-quality port wines are powerful, elegant and captivating with their dark garnet red.

Good Portuguese wine is Christiano van Zeller's concern even outside of his own Quinta. To strengthen the outstanding quality producers in the Douro region, he founded the world-famous wine producer group “Douro Boys” - a hand-picked group of brilliant, young winemakers who today produce the Douro's top wines.

Quinta da Lixa – A special success story

The Quinta da Lixa winery has a comparatively young tradition. In 1986, far in the north of Portugal, the Meireles and Teixeira families came together to produce Vinho Verde in their family vineyard near the small, charming town of Lixa. It was to be the beginning of an almost unbelievable success story. The families actually planned to market the light, fresh and sparkling wine by the glass in the surrounding Felgueiras district. But when Vinho Verde became fashionable across the region and became more and more popular, the vineyard area around the town of Vila da Lixa quickly no longer sufficed to meet the great demand. The family bought the Quinta da Lixa, which has since stood for the name of the successful company. Near Amarante, the Quinta da Lixa winery now also offers workshops where visitors can create their own Vinho Verde. The winery also includes the region's only Wine Experience Hotel. The Monverde Hotel even offers wine therapy treatments at the spa.

Classic Vinho Verde wines and traditional cuvées

After the great initial success, Quinta da Lixa continued to grow rapidly. The winery, which serves wine by the glass, has become one of the largest wine producers in Portugal. After switching to bottling and purchasing additional estates, a team led by oenologist Carlos Teixeira began marketing the wine nationally in 1994. Quinta da Lixa now has over 105 hectares of its own vineyards and almost 500 hectares are cultivated. The Quinta da Lixa now produces around four million liters of wine every year. As classic Vinho Verde wines, they are bottled both as pure grape varieties and as traditional cuvées. The spectrum ranges from red and white wines to sparkling rosés.

Local grape varieties as a guarantee of quality

What unites all wines from Quinta da Lixa are the local grape varieties from which they are made. They have specialized in the cultivation of indigenous vines. Grapes of the Loureiro and Alvarinho vines grow on the slopes of the small mountain Seixoso. Wines made from Loureiro grapes are elegant, with floral notes, citrusy aromas and fresh acidity. Alvarinho is undisputedly considered the finest white wine grape in Portugal. It produces intense wines with aromas of tropical fruits and lime. Other autochthonous vines grown on Quinta da Lixa are Trajadura, Arinto, Vinhao, Touriga Nacional and Espadeiro.

Individual wine varieties from the Quinta da Lixa winery

Individual wine varieties are the trademark of the Quinta da Lixa winery. For example, a team led by oenologists Carlos Teixeira and Diana Mereiles created the very popular rosé Quinta da Lixa Espadeiro, which is made from the Espadeiro grape variety. The grape is naturally fresh and extremely fruity and passes these characteristics on to the wine. Fruity aromas and a pronounced finish are part of the typical character of the white wine Quinta da Lixa Trajadura. Anyone who wants a particularly fine wine will be delighted with the Quinta da Lixa Alvarinho. The ingredients are perfectly coordinated and are characterized by a long-lasting finish. The fruity note also comes into its own in this wine and gives it that special something.

Joao Portugal Ramos Wines – Wines from the “Magician”

The hinterland of the southern Algarve is not only the home of Portugal's most famous red wines, it is also home to João Portugal Ramos, who is, in a sense, a revolutionary in the Portuguese wine industry. Without him, the history of wine growing in the Alentejo would probably have been very different. João Portugal Ramos brought the largely unknown wine region out of its slumber and brought the landscape with its huge cork oak forests, extensive olive groves and hilly vineyards that stretch to the horizon into the focus of the wine industry.

Impressive ambassador of Alentejo wine

Viticulture is in João Portugal Ramos’ blood. He was born into a family with a long history in Portuguese winemaking. It was only logical that he pursued a career as a winemaker. In 1980, after completing his studies in agricultural sciences in Lisbon and successfully completing further training at the “National Viticulture Studies Center”, a study center for viticulture, in Dois Portos, he began working as an oenologist in the Alentejo. It didn't take long for his reputation as a proven wine expert to precede him: well-known producers from all of Portugal's important wine-growing regions hired João Portugal Ramos as a consultant. To date, he is one of the most impressive ambassadors of Portuguese viticulture.

Wine reflects the nature of the earth

João Portugal Ramos learned two things during his time as an oenologist: wine reflects the nature of the earth in which it grew and the experience of those who made it. It was only logical that he would start his own wine-growing project at some point: in 1989 the time had come and he planted his first own vineyard on five hectares in the shadow of Estromez Castle in the Alto Alentejo region on the northern foothills of the Serra de Ossa mountains - the Quinta Joao Portugal Ramos Wines. Estremoz, known as the “Marble City” for its eccentric “bonecos” (overly decorated terracotta figures), became Joao Portugal Ramos' home in 1988. “Estremus” now became the name of the high-quality and elegant wine that João Portugal Ramos made there. The red wine is strictly limited and the few bottles that are produced are a rarity with great aging potential.

Careful care and the latest cellar technology

Today the Quinta of Joao Portugal Ramos Wines is located in the middle of around 40 hectares of its own vineyards. This is the place where the Aragonez, Shiraz/Syrah, Trincadeira Alicante, Bouschet and Cabernet Sauvignon vines grow and, thanks to careful care, state-of-the-art cellar technology and above-average commitment, combine to create very special wines. Over 600 barrels made of Portuguese and French oak, each containing 250 liters of red wine, are stored in the Quinta's temperature-controlled barrique cellar, where they receive their finishing touches.

“Marquês de Borba” - the symbol of viticulture in the Alentejo

Another flagship product of João Portugal Ramos was created in the neighboring region around the city of Bora. In 1997 he introduced a wine for the first time under the name “Marquês de Borba”, which bears the name of an uncle, a “Marquês de Borba”. The wine is now world famous and is considered a symbol of viticulture in the Alentejo. After the Alentejo, João Portugal Ramos also dedicated himself to the Tejo, Beiras, Douro and Vinho Verde wine regions with the aim of offering all customers around the world wines that best represent each Portuguese region. A special highlight, for example, are his Falua wines from the Ribatejo/Tejo.

Excellent wine from the “Wizard of Estremoz”

João Portugal Ramo's contributions to Portuguese wine have often been recognized. Portugal's largest and most renowned wine magazine “Revista de Vinhos” named him “Winemaker of the Year” in 2000 and “Senhor do Vinho” (Wine Lord) on the 25th anniversary of his winery. The US magazine “Wine&Spirit” declared his winery “Winery of the Year” in 2002 and the Swiss magazine “Salz & Pfeffer” called him “The Wizard of Estremoz”.

And the course for a successful future has already been set. Today, three of the world-famous winemaker's five children work at the family winery: João Maria as an oenologist, Filipa in marketing and son João Maria in development. Together with him, João Portugal Ramos created the Pouca Roupa brand - the next chapter can be opened in the success story of Joao Portugal Ramos Wines.