On the coast between Porto and the city of Coimbra – famous for its university reminiscent of Hogwarts – lies the Bairrada wine region. Green and hilly is this Portuguese piece of land, where wine has been grown for over 1000 years.
Bairrada is a sub-region of Beiras, quite low-lying and strongly influenced by the Atlantic. The Romans already cultivated wine south of Anadia, but when Coimbra became the political center of the kingdom at the time, wine production in Bairrada really got going.
Bairrada – From Bad Reputation to Comeback
In the early 18th century, the complex, tannin-rich red wines of Bairrada enjoyed great popularity and arrived in large quantities in Vila Nova de Gaia, the famous city opposite Porto directly at the mouth of the Douro. From there they were exported to Great Britain, because the British had (and still have) a preference for Port wine. The producers either blended them with their Bairrada wine or sold their Bairrada entirely as Port wine.
In 1756, the Portuguese government had enough, and thus put an end to the adulteration. The then Prime Minister of Portugal, known as the Marquis de Pombal, implemented a geographical restriction to protect Port. To teach the local winemakers a lesson, the vineyards of Bairrada in central western Portugal were cleared. From then on, the land was to be used for grain production.
This drastic measure hit the region hard. The subsequent rebuilding of the wine culture of Bairrada took not only decades, but over two centuries. Because even when the first Regiäos Demarcadas (RD) were founded and later through EU accession to the quality status Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) rose, the Bairrada region remained excluded.
In 1979, Bairrada was allowed to return from its wine exile and received, thanks to the persistent pressure of the winegrowers, the RD status. In 1990, the coveted DOC finally followed.
But the trauma runs deep. To this day, the long-established wine families are sensitive to interference from the state. For this reason, Vinho Regional Beiras is also produced more frequently in the region, which is subject to significantly fewer restrictions than DOC wines and gives the winemakers more freedom.
The Berry and the Production
By now, there are around 20,000 hectares of vineyards in Bairrada, with one grape having particularly established itself: Baga or also Tinto Bairrada dominates the vineyards of this Portuguese land with a strong 70 percent.
Literally translated, Baga means “berry”. The grape variety produces small fruits with a very thick skin, which are characterized by a high tannin content. No other appellation in Portugal is so strongly dominated by a grape variety as DOC Bairrada by the Baga grape.
And yet, it is a miracle that precisely the temperamental Baga established itself after the phylloxera catastrophe. Because this grape does not like moisture at all, and the Atlantic region was at least in the past very wet.
Anyone who wanted to produce a good wine here had to have nerves of steel and hope for a dry autumn. Because it takes a long time for the grapes to achieve the necessary phenolic ripeness, and so the harvest had to be postponed far back into late autumn.
Only a few winemakers in Bairrada had enough courage and confidence, and so for a long time they produced very hard, underripe wines that did not do justice to the reputation of Baga.
Yet the Baga grape has a lot of potential and is capable of producing full-bodied, aromatic wines with lush tannins and stable acidity.
Young Baga red wines smell intensely of forest berries, but are usually quite closed. Aged versions, on the other hand, are complex and full-bodied. Only after 10 to 15 years do Baga wines develop the necessary maturity. Then they show very versatile aromas of black cherries, prunes, as well as tar, eucalyptus, and pine.
Atlantic, Soil and Climate Change
Bairrada DOC red wines may be blended with other wines, provided they contain a minimum of 70 percent of the Baga grape variety. Touriga Nacional is mainly used for blending, but recently French grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are also often used, which, due to their Atlantic proximity, pair very harmoniously with Baga.
The soil of the coastal region is a loamy and calcareous clay soil (barro = clay) that tends to slope slightly. The Vouga river in the north and Mondego in the south, as well as the Serra do Caramulo and Serra do Buçaco mountains in the east, are the natural borders of DOC Bairrada.
Almost the entire Bairrada region was shaped by the Atlantic climate. But climate change is becoming noticeable: While in the past periods without rainfall were very short and winemakers struggled to get their harvest through safely, rainfall has decreased sharply in recent years. This is also noticeable in the exceptionally good vintages, which are now occurring more frequently than ever before.
The traditional production of Bairrada red wines prescribes fermentation without destemming. This means that the grapes are not removed from the grape stems, but fermented with the wood.
This procedure produces very powerful and tannin-rich red wines that must reach a certain age before they become drinkable. Unfortunately, the quality of the fruit is often lost, fading during the long maturation period before it becomes drinkable.
This fact is now driving many winemakers to destem their grapes after all, thus producing wines that become drinkable much earlier and exhibit a beautiful fruity aroma.
Among the best red Bairradas are older wines that are fine and light, yet at the same time retain a beautiful complexity. These wines are among the best red wines in the country.
The Whites and the Sparkling Wines
Bairrada white wines are made primarily from two grape varieties that dominate the wine regions: the grapes Bical and the variety with the beautiful sonorous name “Maria Gomes”, also known as Fernã Pires.
Bical wines are characterized by ripe yellow fruit, exude an aroma of tropical fruits, and can be enjoyed even better when well aged.
Maria Gomes wines are lighter and more palatable with beautiful fruit, but do not match the quality of the excellent red wines. Most red wines from Bairrada are varietal, while the whites are more frequently blends.
A high proportion of white grapes is processed into sparkling wines, which are exquisite, but still do not achieve DOC status. Nevertheless: Bairrada is the leading region among sparkling wine producers in Portugal. Above all, the red Espumantes enjoy very special attention and popularity, because the interplay of fruit, tannins, and acidity creates an interesting and versatile bouquet.
The largest wine producers in Bairrada are the six regional cooperatives: Alianga, Fonseca, Barrocäo, Messias, Säo Joäo, Luis Pato. Sogrape is also based in Bairrada, whose most famous wine is probably the Rose Mateus.
About the Author
Inara Muradowa is an SEO expert and corporate blogger. In addition to technical search engine optimization and SEO consulting, she actively supports companies with the conception and writing of professional blog posts.
