We are located in the north, the green land of Portugal. The sun isn't quite as merciless there as in the south, and the occasional rain provides the flora with vital moisture.
The glorious Douro River has formed one of the most beautiful landscapes of the Iberian Peninsula, and indeed of all of Europe. This magnificent region boasts delicious wines and delightful culinary offerings.
Like a snake, the curved vineyards stretch through the entire valley at all altitudes and locations, leaving endless traces of vineyard terraces that have been cultivated for over 2,000 years.
Near the Spanish border, the mountainous country even reaches considerable heights, which are used for winter sports during the cold season. Here, nature is allowed to flourish, so much so that wolves are now even native to the area.
The river originates in the heart of Spain, in the province of Soria, and then winds its way 897 kilometers, almost precisely from east to west, through Iberia. Approximately 140 kilometers as the crow flies east of the city of Porto, where port wine originates, the Douro enters Portuguese territory. It carves a breathtaking valley into the landscape. The steep, centuries-old vineyard terraces rest in black slate at elevations of up to 700 meters.
These masterpieces are the work of many generations and produce the wine for which Portugal is so acclaimed worldwide . A floral diversity surrounds the houses, which, along with fields and trees, also find space on the mountains.
Upstream - The Douro
The river is the defining feature of the region. From the Spanish border to the Atlantic Ocean, it winds past wine producers and terraced quintas carved into the mountains. Thanks to its beauty and impressive history, the region has achieved UNESCO World Heritage status.
The journey upriver is one of the most scenic routes in the world. As spring arrives, more and more boats head out onto the water to catch up on the cool wintering season.
In the past, the Douro was used to ship barrels from the higher regions to the port wine cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia and Porto. However, evidence of the Douro's use as a waterway dates back to the time of Roman occupation. The Douro is still navigated today, but it is nowhere near as important as it was in pre-motorized times.
The three locations of the Douro Valley
Alto Douro (High Douro) is the world's first protected wine-growing region. Only here may the historic port wine be produced. As early as 1756, the then Prime Minister, the Marquês de Pombal, had the area mapped and defined its boundaries by law .
He limited wine production to the slate-rich soils of the Douro region, which developed in the Precambrian period. The slate soil is interspersed with granite veins on both sides of the Douro Valley, extending beyond the country's border into Spain.
Port wine isn't the only wine produced in this famous region. In the 1950s, the port wine house Ferreira launched Barca Velha , a red wine made from grapes from the higher elevations of the Douro Valley, which are now among the most sought-after locations.
Winemakers often failed to tame these vineyards, but more and more invested in the necessary equipment and learned viticulture techniques under these extreme geographical and climatic conditions. Since 1979, the wine-growing area has been restricted not only to port wine, but also to table wines.
The Douro region enjoys the highest wine standard, the DOC . The steep slopes are extremely difficult to cultivate and must be pruned and harvested by hand. While the Douro region is now famous for its wines, it is still a surprisingly quiet and slow-paced place with a very hospitable culture.
The valley can be divided into three areas from west to east: Baixo Corgo, Cima Corgo and Douro-Superior.
Baixo Corgo
Baixo Corgo, meaning "below the Corgo" in Portuguese, is the subregion with the mildest climate and the highest rainfall in the Douro Valley. Humidity is high and temperature differences are small.
Baixo Corgo represents the western part of the Douro Valley and extends from the town of Peso da Régua to the Corgo River. The region is home to 14,000 hectares of vineyards, representing 50% of the total Douro area.
Although Baixo Corgo was the very first sub-region to be planted, the wine produced here is considered to be of lower quality compared to the other two.
Cima Corgo
The name of this subregion means "above the Corgo" and, with 19,000 hectares, is the largest part of the Douro wine-growing region. The region is centered around the village of Pinhão, where most of the quintas (wineries) are located.
The climate on Cima Corgo is very dry and hot. The landscape is rather barren, extremely steep, and rocky. 40% of the Douro region's total production takes place here.
Douro Superior or Douro Corgo
The "Upper Douro" is the hottest and driest wine-growing subregion in the north and extends to the Spanish border. Douro Superior is home to 8,700 hectares of vineyards and is the source of many high-quality wines.
The Douro Superior is the least accessible of the three Douro regions. As it is the youngest of the three and still very wild, it is still in a growth phase.
The grapes of the Douro
The Douro Valley is one of the most beautiful regions in Portugal, known for its terraced wine country, handed down and inherited for generations, and the “Golden River” that adorns the steep hills.
Vineyards planted on slate are mostly used for the production of port wine, whereas the granite-based land is used for the production of table wine.
There are now over 40 indigenous grape varieties in the Douro. The most important are probably the reds: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz (=Tempranillo), Bastardo, Tinta Amarela, Tinto Cão, Tinta Barroca and Castelão. And the whites: Viosinho, Donzelinho branco, Gouveio, Rabigato and Malvasia Fina.
For a long time, the many different grape varieties in the Douro remained unidentified and barely studied. Mixed plantations were the norm, and most winery owners didn't even know what they were planting.
That changed in the 1970s. At that time, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão, and Tinta Barroca were identified as the most important dark red grapes.
This launched a new movement in the Douro, producing quality wines and focusing on specific grape varieties. Some winemakers shifted their focus to a single grape rather than several, allowing them to further improve the quality of each grape. Of course, the old wineries with blended grape varieties still exist and will continue to do so for a long time.
And from the Douro we now go to the Minho in the green soul of Portugal, the Vinho Verde .
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Inara Muradova 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.
