Portugal has more native grape varieties than France. Most people who drink wine regularly do not know this, because Portuguese wine spent decades being sold abroad as cheap and cheerful. That has changed. The regions worth knowing now are genuinely interesting, and the prices have not yet caught up with the quality in most of them.
Vinho Verde: not just the green bottle at the supermarket ¶
Vinho Verde from the Minho is the most recognisable Portuguese wine internationally, and the most misunderstood. The category includes a lot of cheap, slightly fizzy white wine designed for volume. But the serious producers. Quinta da Lixa, Soalheiro, Anselmo Mendes. Make dry, mineral whites from Alvarinho and Loureiro that are among the best food wines in Europe at their price point. The key word to look for on the label is 'seco.' It means dry and tells you you are not in the fizzy-sweet segment.
The Douro: red wine country with a surprising white ¶
Everyone knows Port comes from the Douro. Fewer people know that the Douro also produces table wines, both red and white, from the same Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, and Rabigato grapes used in Port production. The reds tend to be structured and age-worthy. The whites are a more recent development and at their best are textured, aromatic, and very good with food. Quinta do Crasto and Ramos Pinto are reliable starting points.
Alentejo: the region that changed Portuguese wine's reputation ¶
The Alentejo is where much of the quality revolution in Portuguese table wine happened from the 1990s onwards. The climate is hot and dry, the yields are low, and the wines tend to be ripe, generous, and immediately approachable. Herdade do Esporao is the most visible producer internationally. At Cupola Plus we also use wines from smaller Alentejo producers. Herdade da Malhadinha Nova and Cortes de Cima among them. On the tasting menu pairing.
Setubal: the region worth learning ¶
The Setubal peninsula, directly south of Lisbon across the Tejo, is where Margarida grew up and where she thinks the most undervalued Portuguese wines are made. The region's signature grape is Moscatel de Setubal, which produces a fortified dessert wine of real complexity. But there are also dry whites from Fernao Pires and reds from Castelao that are worth seeking out. Quinta de Camarate and Jose Maria da Fonseca are the most accessible entry points. Neither is expensive.
The wine list at Cupola Plus is 90% Portuguese. If you want to work through the regions with a glass in hand, ask when you book and we will put together a tasting progression with your meal.