The Dão is one of Portugal's most famous wine regions. The area has a long winemaking history dating back to the ancient Romans. Today, the region's high-quality red wines are particularly popular with connoisseurs.
The landscape of Dão, located in northern Portugal, is characterized by vineyards around the eponymous river Dão, a beautiful northern tributary of the Mondego.
With 20,000 hectares of vineyards, the region is one of the largest in Portugal. It is part of the larger Beiras region, which stretches across Portugal and is bordered only by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and Spain to the east. Since 1990, the Dão wine region has been classified as a Designation of Origin (DOC) region .
Excellent climatic and geographical conditions
The Dão region has a continental and partly Mediterranean climate, characterized by long, dry summers and relatively cool winters with little rainfall. The Dão region is almost exclusively made up of granite soils, which allow vine roots to penetrate deeply into the soil.
Granite soils are ideal for viticulture, and this is reflected in the quality of the wines produced here. Furthermore, the rock is quite crystalline, coarse-grained, and contains a high proportion of minerals such as quartz and feldspar.
The vineyards are occasionally interrupted by forests. Several mountains in the west protect the region from Atlantic winds and excessive rainfall, which greatly enhances the quality of the wines.
The Dão is also a plateau located at approximately 500 meters above sea level. This means that day and night temperatures differ quite significantly.
What's unique about the Dão region is that it has a very fragmented vineyard structure. This is because the Dão region is cultivated by a large number of winegrowers relative to its size: over 100,000 winegrowers are active in the region, cultivating vines on their small plots.
The climatic conditions described above, combined with the mostly local grape varieties, result in wines with a pleasant structure that still exhibit a high degree of fruitiness. They also provide plenty of character, and the acidity and sugar content are generally well-balanced.
Red wines in the majority
Red wines are traditionally grown in the Dão region. This Portuguese wine-growing stronghold is known primarily for excellent wines made from the Alfrocheiro Preto, Aragonez, Touriga Nacional, Jaen, and Rufete grape varieties.
But a whole range of other varieties are also permitted for cultivation there. Wines in this region are typically aged for four years before being sold, as their quality only truly comes into its own after this period.
However, most wines from the Dão region can be stored for several more years, allowing them to mature to their full potential.
White wine is grown much less frequently in the Dão region. The varieties Arinto do Dao, Cerceal, Verdelho, Bical, and Encruzado are commonly used for white wine production.
History of wine in Dão
Winemaking in the Dão region has a long tradition. The ancient Romans brought the first vines to the Dão region, and since there was a high demand for wine in the city of Viseu, a lot of wine was produced.
When phylloxera wreaked havoc in French vineyards in the 19th century, the region played a significant role in solving the epidemic: a large number of vines were imported from the Dão to rescue the winegrowers from this catastrophic situation – with success.
The region was first recognized in 1908, when the Dão was recognized as the country's second independent region. In the second half of the 20th century, viticulture in the Dão was organized through cooperatives, which led to an overly generous vinification of the grapes grown.
However, in recent decades, more winemakers have been able to establish themselves again who place particular emphasis on high quality – and this is paying off: some of Portugal's best wines now come from this region.
The most important grape varieties of Dão
In the Portuguese wine-growing region of Dão, red wines dominate. The most widely planted grape variety is Touriga Nacional, followed by Tinta Roriz.
National Tour
This is an indigenous grape variety from Portugal, which is also widely cultivated in the Douro Valley . The vines exhibit vigorous shoot growth and produce relatively low yields. However, they are very resilient. Genetic analyses have shown a close relationship to the Tinta Barroca variety.
Touriga Nacional was long used primarily for port wine production. Only in recent decades has the variety been increasingly used for traditional red wine.
Wines from Touriga Nacional are rich in tannins and have a very varietal, spicy, and slightly cool flavor with a relatively high alcohol content and a balanced acidity. They contain complex spicy notes and resinous aromas, combined in a dark color.
Tinta Roriz
Tinta Roriz, also known by its Spanish name Tempranillo, is Spain's most important red wine variety. Due to similar climatic and geographical conditions in Portugal, Tinta Roriz is also widely cultivated here, especially in the Dão region.
This Pinot Noir-derived variety produces a robust, fragrant, and fruity flavor. The relatively low alcohol content of 11-13 percent offers high aging potential in wood. Tinta Roriz is particularly characterized by mild, soft tannins, making it a great drink even when young.
Jaen
Jaen is a very high-yielding grape variety that is also relatively widespread in western and central Spain. It is an indigenous variety of the Dão region.
Rufete
Rufete is a grape variety native to both the Douro and Dão regions. Rufete wines are quite light and pale in color, and prone to rapid oxidation.
Arinto do Dao
This is an indigenous white wine variety. It produces delicate, acidic wines with citrus aromas. Arinto do Dão is also known as Pedernã and is widely planted in the Bucelas region.
Conclusion
The Portuguese wine region of Dão boasts some excellent wines characterized by their high diversity. Some Dão red wines, in particular, have attracted considerable attention among sommeliers.
The area around the Dão River is also extremely impressive, which, combined with its long wine-growing tradition, makes the region a very interesting choice for your next wine tour.
You can find out more about wines from Portugal in our blog .
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