Douro

Douro is a dramatic river valley in northern Portugal, the home of Port and, increasingly, of outstanding dry red wine. Expect powerful, dark, structured reds from a blend of indigenous Portuguese grapes.

Where the Douro is

The Douro valley runs east from near Porto toward the Spanish border, and it is one of the most visually extraordinary wine regions anywhere: near-vertical schist slopes terraced by hand over centuries, dropping to the river below.

It is protected from Atlantic weather by the Serra do Marão mountains, which makes it hot and dry — genuinely extreme in summer. The schist bedrock is critical: it fractures vertically, letting vine roots drive deep to find water in a region with very little rainfall.

Three sub-zones run from west to east, getting progressively hotter and drier:

• Baixo Corgo — the coolest and wettest, producing lighter wines and much of the volume for inexpensive Port.
• Cima Corgo — the heart of quality production, home to most of the great Port estates (quintas).
• Douro Superior — the hottest, driest and most remote, increasingly a source of excellent dry reds.

The grapes

The Douro uses indigenous Portuguese varieties, usually field-blended. The main red grapes:

• Touriga Nacional — the most prestigious. Deeply coloured, powerfully floral (violet, bergamot), with firm tannin and blackberry fruit.
• Touriga Franca — more perfumed and elegant, adding finesse.
• Tinta Roriz — the same grape as Spain's Tempranillo. Structure and red-fruit character.
• Tinta Barroca — sweetness and body.
• Tinto Cão — small berries, high acidity, good ageing.

For white Port and dry whites: Gouveio, Malvasia Fina, Rabigato and Viosinho.

Port, in brief

Port is a fortified wine: grape spirit is added partway through fermentation, which stops the yeast before all the sugar is converted. That leaves the wine sweet and raises the alcohol to around 20%.

The main styles:

• Ruby — young, fruity, aged in tank.
• Reserve Ruby — a step up in concentration.
• Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) — from a single year, aged four to six years, usually filtered and ready to drink.
• Vintage — declared only in exceptional years, bottled young and aged for decades. Throws heavy sediment and needs decanting.
• Tawny — aged in wood for long periods, losing colour and gaining nutty, caramel, dried-fig character. Sold with an indication of age: 10, 20, 30 or 40 years.
• White Port — from white grapes, often served chilled with tonic.

Tawny and Vintage are quite different drinks. Vintage is about fruit and power; Tawny about oxidative, nutty complexity.

The dry reds

The Douro's dry table wines have become one of the most interesting stories in European wine. Made from the same grapes and vineyards as Port but fermented fully dry, they are dark, dense and structured, with black fruit, floral lift from Touriga Nacional, firm tannin and a schist-driven mineral edge.

They frequently offer better value than comparable wines from more famous regions.

Food pairings

Dry Douro reds:

• Roast lamb, beef and game.
• Grilled sardines and octopus, in the Portuguese manner.
• Hard cheeses.

Port:

• Vintage or LBV with blue cheese — Stilton with Port is one of the great pairings; sweetness against salt.
• Tawny with almond tart, crème brûlée or nutty desserts — matching the wine's own oxidative character.
• Chocolate desserts with Ruby.

What to buy

For dry wine, the Douro is excellent value; look for estate bottlings from established Port houses, which often have access to the best old vineyards.

For Port, a 10 or 20 Year Old Tawny is the most rewarding starting point and does not require cellaring or decanting. LBV offers much of the Vintage character for far less money. Buy Vintage Port only if you are prepared to wait, or to decant carefully.

Serve dry reds at 16 to 18°C, Tawny lightly chilled at around 12 to 14°C, and white Port cold.