What You Should Know About Portugal Wine

In America when we think of wine country, Napa Valley comes to mind. But Portugal has been a wine country since long before there was such a place as America or Napa Valley. Theories about the beginning of Portugal wine date back to the days of ancient Greek mythology. Lusitania, an ancient Roman province in what is now Portugal, was named for Luso, the son of Bacchus. Bacchus was the god of wine and feast. Of course, this is all myth and cannot be proven.

What can be proven about Portugal wine is that a treaty was developed in 1703 between the Romans and England for the export of what would now be Portugal wine. The Portuguese Douro Valley Wine Region can boast of one of the world's first appellation systems. An appellation system is used to identify where wine grapes are grown.

There are about 500 varieties of grapes, or castas, grown in Portugal vineyards. These include varieties of red, white, generous, and liqueurous castas. Each wine growing region is dedicated to growing its own types of Portugal wine grapes.

World famous Port wine comes from the Alto Douro Region of Portugal and exported from Porto. This Portugal wine is most commonly red, but also comes in white, tawny and ruby.

Moscatel is a Portugal wine made from liqueurous grapes grown in the Setubal Peninsula of Portugal. Moscatel wines are unique because of the extra special care in aging and handling the wine before it can be exported. A Moscatel must age at least 20 years before it is considered good enough to drink.

Colares Sand Wine is one of the most expensive of all Portugal wines because of the the high demand for this unique nut and fruit tasting wine. Colares comes from the region nearest Lisbon and with urban growth of the area there is little space left for vineyards. Therefore the supply cannot meet the demand and the price is higher. Most wine lovers agree that Colares Sand Wine is worth every penny.

Portugal wines have won wine tasting competitions around the world, from Spain to New York City to Hungary. Portuguese wines and vineyards have earned rave reviews in prestigious trade magazines like Wine Enthusiast Magazine and Decanter Magazine. Everybody who knows and loves wine loves Portugal wine.

There is no need to travel to Portugal to buy Portugal wines for yourself. You can easily find fine Portugal wines at a local wine shop or even online. If you are unsure which wines are from Portugal, check the label or ask your wine merchant for help. If he doesn't sell Portugal wines, be sure to ask him to order some for you. It will be worth the wait.

Portugal's economic future in limbo

The situation in Portugal remains uncertain as the government, economists and investors take opposing views. The government is optimistic, economists expect a haircut, and investors are cautious.

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