NEW YORK, NY, November 16th, 2022 – Beloved for its tasty cuisine, delicious wines, and slew of outdoor activities (and breathtaking scenery to boot), it’s no surprise that globetrotters of all travel styles flock to Portugal year in and year out. While hopping the next flight to the Iberian Peninsula may not be in the cards for you, mentally escaping to Portugal via its versatile, site-specific wines offers a solid alternative. Not sure where to begin? We’ve got you covered.
Indulge in Contemporary Fado Music with Portuguese Sparkling (Vinho Espumante)
Great music paired with delicious wine is one of the easiest ways to create an instant mental transport to your favorite wine-producing regions – enter contemporary Fado paired with Portuguese espumante. Hailing from Lisbon, the Fado genre represents an emotional style of music with undertones of love and melancholy; however, we find that the ensemble of stringed instruments and expressive lyrics brings us straight back to our latest jaunt to Portugal’s stunning capital.
To create your mental getaway at home, simply YouTube some Fado music and pop a glass of Portuguese vinho espumante (sparkling wine). Crafted from a number of indigenous (Maria Gomes, Arinto, Bical) across some of the country’s coolest and highest-altitude regions, these pleasantly fizzy bottles are perfect for pairing with light appetizers or cheeses and are equally enjoyable to sip on their own.
Take a (Mental) Seaside Surfing Break via Portuguese White Wine (Vinho Branco)
Serious surfers around the globe are no stranger to the immense delights of catching waves along Portugal’s rugged Atlantic coast. The country’s most popular spots include Coxos Beach, Nazaré, and beyond, located northeast of the capital city of Lisbon. After a long day in the water, there’s no better refresher than a glass of Portuguese white wine.
Portugal’s white wine scene spans a variety of grapes and styles, from spritzy, lighter-bodied Vinho Verde to medium-bodied, mineral-laden wines from Douro to fuller-bodied, oak-aged bottlings from Trás-os-Montes. The young and refreshing wines of Vinho Verde promise low alcohol and bright acidity, whereas textured, fuller-bodied wines from inland regions offer rich, food-friendly offerings that come to life with a variety of equally savory (especially smoked) foods.
Enjoy Regional Delicacies with a Glass of Portuguese Red Wine (Vinho Tinto)
Portugal’s still red wine scene is by and large the most versatile of them all. From tangy, light-bodied expressions to richer and rounder options to flavor-packed, full-bodied bottles, there’s really no style that Portuguese reds don’t cover – and beyond simply pairing well with regional cuisine, these wines go the limits with international favorites, too.
For richer bottlings, look to reds from Alentejo. Crafted from the grape varieties of Trincadeira and Aragonez, Touriga Nacional, these dense wines offer perfect pairings with beef, pork, and other richly-sauced meats (we recommend trying a bottle of Aragonez with thyme-seasoned lamb for a perfect seasonal pairing).
Equally robust red wines are produced across the Douro and Bairrada regions of Portugal. While the former are produced from Touriga Nacional-dominant blends, the latter emphasize the local Baga grape, which produces savory, high-acid wines perfect for fans of Gamay, Nebbiolo, and Pinot Noir. Pair with seasonal stews, mushroom-based sauces, or Portuguese-inspired porco preto for an out-of-this-world winter supper.
About Wines of Portugal
ViniPortugal is a private and non-profit interprofessional association, created with the aim of promoting and supporting Portuguese wine production, both domestically and internationally. ViniPortugal’s Mission is to promote the image of Portugal as a country that produces wines of excellence, by valuing the brand Wines of Portugal and contributing to a sustainable growth of both volume and average price of Portuguese wine, as well as its diversity. Eight professional associations representing trade (ACIBEV, ANCEVE and AND), production (CAP, FENADEGAS, FENAVI and FEVIPOR) and demarcated regions (ANDOVI), integrate ViniPortugal.
For more information about Wines of Portugal, please visit www.winesofportugal.com.
