Finally, get some insights from Ana Pereira about the exciting wine country Portugal. Ana is a passionate Portuguese wine lover and has her own wine business (Spread the wine) where she presents exciting wines from selected family wineries.
1. What makes Portugal so exciting as a wine country?
Portugal is a very small country (92 072 km²), with a strong influence of the Mediterranean culture.
It has a huge historic background, having been exposed to many invasions in the past, but it also has the influences of the cultures known during the maritime expansion. Its physical environment varies enormously, creating several distinct geographic regions: the highlands in the north and center, with temperatures ranging from minus 10ºC to 40ºC; the vast plains in the south dominated by extensive estates; the Madeira island with a sub-tropical climate; and a long coastline that represents about 50% of the Portuguese border. This geographic diversity and inspiring history shaped the culture of the people, their economy and society and scattered it into small, isolated, regions, each one its own strong personality.
If we transfer these characteristics to the present country, Portugal has a lot to offer:
- Gorgeous landscapes
- Cities and remote villages
- The Portuguese genuine hospitality of its people
- Versatile gastronomy, very traditional and diverse, with Mediterranean flavours
- Unique inimitable wines, with indigenous grape varieties
- Natural conditions for wine tourism
2. What are the biggest challenges Portugal as a wine country faces in the next few years?
In spite of the large tradition of Portugal as a wine country, it is still quite unknown, especially for its high quality and diversity. That is, in my opinion, the result of the disarticulation among the governmental entities and, as a consequence, the dispersion of financial means. Portugal needs a strong promotion of its wines and brand.
Portuguese producers have a small dimension and the sector is quite fragmented, when compared to other countries, and a reduced economic capacity. It needs reorganization of the resources and a focused professional approach in the communication. These last years, Portugal has been receiving a lot of different international recommendations in different areas: our wines, our cities, our beaches, gastronomy, and many more.
I think that this will bring more tourists and more awareness to our wines but we have to know how to profit from this good wave.
- We have exceptional conditions for the wine tourism
- We have to promote the diversity and our identity
- We have to keep improving our viticulture methods and our winemaking skills, although we have been working, with success, int hose areas for the alst 20 years.
- We have to promote alliances among small producers, synergies between wineries and tourism promoters
It is time to stop just promoting the bigger wine companies and face the fact that most of our producers are very small, many of them family owned businesses with niche wines and wines that tell stories, tell about our culture and history, our tradition and values. And this is what is really different about Portugal, that’s what more and more consumers are looking for, and that’s what we have to communicate. That is very hard but it is also more rewarding because, at the end, this segment is less sensitive to price changes and word economic crises.
But I think that the next couple of years is very challenging and promising to Portuguese wines.
3. Which is your favorite wine region?
Since I have different wine regions represented in my portfolio, this is not an easy question. But I would say that, being born and raised in Trás-os-Montes, his wines definitely reach my soul. But I love so much the elegance and minerality of Dão, the powerful Douro wines, the easy approach of the Vinho Verde and the warm up wines coming from Alentejo. Knowing Portugal as well as I do, drinking each one of this wines is like travelling around each region.
4. What are your favorite wines?
A good wine normally has the capacity to keep people talking and laughing around a table, until dawn! That is my favourite wine. Ideally, it is made with Encruzado, if it is a white, or a good blend of Touriga-Nacional and any other Portuguese variety.
5. What you should not miss to see when visiting Portugal
Here’s my concise, yet comprehensive, Guided Tour in Portugal:
1. City Life:
Lisbon, the beautiful capital. So much to see, to feel. While there, taste the Pastéis de Nata, the Patanisca de Bacalhau and go to a Casa de Fado to listen to one of the World Cultural Heritage musics. Not far from Lisbon stays Sintra and its mystical castles and palaces.
Porto and the Port Wine cellars (World Heritage). And if you come early in February, Porto is the capital of the wine and has lots of exciting wine tastings like Simplesmente Vinho, a niche alternative event, or Essência do Vinho, a more conventional wine exhibition. While there, don’t miss a concert at Casa da Música. For a quick tour around historical Porto and its gastronomy, you should go on a food tour with André, from Taste Porto Food Tours. Visit one of the last storybook towns left in Europe: Bragança, the northern town in Portugal. That is my home town and if by any chance we happen to be around at the same time, I will be pleased to be your guide tour and to recommend you where to eat the famous Bísaro pig with cuscos!
2. Wine Tourism
You cannot skip a tour to a Monte (wine estate) in Alentejo. My recommendation is the eco-chic rural hotel Herdade do Vau, where you can fully enjoy the hospitality of the owners, feel the silence and the laziness of a very warm region. Ask them to serve you their wines – Riso -with a typical açorda or migas de bacalhau. That will be heaven on earth!
3. Beaches
The most recommended and beautiful beach is Dona Ana, at Lagos (Algarve) but if you have the change of driving along the Atlantic coast you’ll find lots of charming desert little beaches that will invite you for a lazy day. Stop by Peniche beach and you’ll probably be able to see Mcnamara breaking another world record, on the top of a huge wave!
And don’t miss a grilled, freshly picked fish in one of the seaside restaurants.
4. Villages:
To enjoy city life and miss the mystic rural places is missing half of the fun. From north to south there’s lots of recovered old villages but I can recommend you Candal, in the Schist Villages route. And going a little more to the north, you’re already in Douro, the magnificent region where Port wine is grown and not comparable to any other in the world. Spent the whole day wandering around the vineyards (I may recommend some that are not open to public) and enjoying the overwhelming views and spent one resting night at Casas do Côro, a 5-star village hotel, surrounded by the walls of the old castle of Marialva.
5. People:
Portugal is a safe country and Portuguese love to host people from abroad. We are nice, we love to smile, we love a good chat and we are proud of our country. Don’t be afraid to talk to everyone, ask everything you need and, at the end, be prepared to make new friends.
Don’t forget to complement your tours with Portuguese wine and food. They’ll teach you a lot about Portuguese essence. It is very inexpensive to eat in Portugal and sometimes the most humble restaurants are the best ones. I tried to leave you a few tips about it, but I recommend you to have a look at the blog Catavino , and follow the gastronomic experiences of an American family living in Porto for about two years now.
I am sure that before you finish this trip you’ll be already planning next one. Enjoy Portugal!
Ana Pereira
Spread the Wine
