Enjoying Portuguese and Spanish Wines

Portugal's climate, soil and excellent varieties of traditional grapes have helped make this small country a world leader. Portugal is renowned for producing quality wine, but its reputation is not based solely on popular table wines. Portis a wine fortified with brandy spirit and aged for extended periods of time. The popular wine is always sweet, and comes in a variety of flavors and price levels.

Types of Port Wine

  • Vintage Port: A quality wine that is aged two years in oak before spending the next 15 years aging in the bottle.
  • Single Quinta Port: An excellent value, this popular wine is often very close to vintage quality.
  • Late Bottled Vintage Port: A wine that has been aged in wood for five years longer than Vintage Port.
  • Tawny Port: Wine that has been aged twenty to thirty years, resulting in a tawny color.
  • White Port: A heavy aperitif wine, varying in style, often with a hint of oxidation.

Spain's World Class Wine Industry

Spain ranks number three behind France and Italy in wine production, but many will argue it's the undisputed leader in quality. Spanish wines offer history and tradition, which are combined with modern winemaking technology to produce vintages of unique character.
 
Spain produces eleven varieties of wine from more than forty regions, ranging from the generous dry wines to the sparkling wines, the rosé and the valuable Gran Reservas. You can find a Spanish wine for just about every occasion and every type of meal.

A Quick Language Lesson

If you're not fluent in Spanish, here are four important terms that will help you in selecting the perfect Spanish wine:

Spanish

English

envejecido

aged

bodega

winery or warehouse

cepa

vine or grape stock

cosecha, vendimia

vintage, year

Visiting Wine Regions of Spain and Portugal

Travel opportunities are virtually unlimited in both Spain and Portugal, and with the use of the rail system, tourists can easily visit multiple regions of each country. The Minho Valley is a popular destination for many wine connoisseurs. Linking northern Portugal and Spanish Galicia, the Minho Valley is among the world's last great concentrations of small family-owned vineyards.
 
In addition to traditional wine tours and annual festivals, bike tours are also very popular in this region. The Minho countryside makes for fine bike riding, with views of woods, fields, stone walls, river valleys, and quaint villages. As the vineyards are close together, travelers can visit several vineyards in one day.