White 17,5-18/20 or 94-95/100 pts 0.75l
Description
Our white table wines selection from Portugal with a guarantee of 17,5-18/20 or 94-95/100 rating points ♦
Currently there are 32 recognized and protected wine Denominations of Origin and 10 Geographical Indications in the entire Portuguese territory.
White wines are normally made from the fermentation of skinless grapes, and the varieties used do not have to be white. Red varieties and castes often result in very smooth and aromatic white wines, with predominant flowery and fruity aromas.
Depending on the varieties of grapes used and the climate and soil characteristics of each region, white wines can be smooth and rich in texture or full-bodied and earthy.
Portugal has many native grape varieties, winemaking techniques and knowledge that translates into quality and distinctive blended wines. The most used varieties used in white wines are: Alvarinho, Arinto, Antão Vaz, Avesso, Azal, Bical, Boal, Cercial, Chadornnay, Códega do Larinho, Encruzado, Verdelho, Loureiro, Malvasia Fina, Rabigato, Fernão Pires, Sauvignon Blanc, Viosinho, Samarinho, Vital, Roupeiro, Trajadura and Moscatel.
The Wineanorak's guide wine to Portugal gives us a clue in looking at Portugal’s wine regions, saying: it’s helpful to split the country mainland in two, by drawing a line about a third of the way down. This separates the northern regions of the Douro, Dão and Bairrada, and the central and southern regions of the Alentejo, Ribatejo and Estremadura. As a useful generalization, the future for the northern regions lies in focusing on high-quality, top-end ‘terroir’ wines, while the strength of the southern and central regions is their ability to produce accessible, full flavoured well succeeded wines and at affordable prices: new world-style wines with a Portuguese twist.
Choosing this wine you will obtain a white wine with a tasting note of 17,5-18/20 or 94-95/100 points of one of this Portugal’s wine regions.
Product images are for illustrative purposes only.
History
Wine was always filled with symbolism, according to Roman law and the early Christian texts, thus having played a cultural role in western society like no other agricultural product.
Rome was the first destination of Portuguese wine exports but most modern exports developed with the Methuen Treaty signed between Britain and Portugal in 1703.
It is considered that the first vineyards were planted in the Iberian Peninsula (the valley of the Tagus and Sado Valley) around 2000 B.C., by the Tartessos. Around the tenth century BC, the Phoenicians introduced new grape varieties and took over the wine trade. The Greeks developed the culture of the vine and brought new methods winemaking and the Celts contributed with new grape varieties. Around the second century BC, the Romans arrived and helped modernizing the culture of the vine.
It was with the creation of Portugal and the reclaiming of the Portuguese territory from the Moors in 1249 that, under the orders of king D. Afonso III, that religious, military and monastic orders settled extensive regions of the country. They created active agricultural colonies, thereby substantially extending the area destined for wine production and paving the way for it becoming Portugal’s nº1 export product from the 15th to the 18th century, when, during its overseas expansion drive, Portuguese ships and caravels carried both the Portuguese flag and its wine to the four corners of the earth.
But it was only in the late 17th century that the cultivation of the vine truly spread across all Portuguese regions. In 1756 the Port wine was already so famous and its importance so great that was created the first demarcated region of the world in Douro area.
Although the phylloxera plague destroyed vast areas of vineyards in the 19th century, a gradual recovery process was started and vigorously pursued so that in the beginning of the 20th century several wine regions were demarcated. In 1986 the wine regions were redefined and new ones were created after Portugal became member of the European Community.