Once known only for its collectible port wines, today Portugal's formerly stodgy Douro Valley rocks. The region's winemakers have put their considerable talent towards producing world- class table wines and most oenophiles agree that the region is producing the most exciting dry red wines in Portugal. The vines grow on the same dizzyingly steep schist hillsides as the port vineyards. And, for the most part, the key grape varieties are drawn from the 40 authorised for port production. Top varieties in the blends include touriga nacional, tinta roriz (known as tempranillo in Spain), tinta barroca, tinta cao and touriga francesa accented with a dollop of spicy tinta da barca.
Surely one of the most spectacular and dram- atic wine regions in the world, it is hard to believe anyone went to the trouble of planting vines on the Douro River's steep, gorge-like walls. The hillsides are so precipitous that the steep, stony mountainsides have to be blasted to fragmentise the stone and soften the inclines for replanting. Labour, too, has been an issue, as the region's youth have fled these dry, remote, craggy canyons for city life.
Winemakers are fighting back, with highway access, stunning vineyard hotels and an infectious passion for excellence. The finest Douro table wines are rife with black-raspberry and plum fruit punctuated spicy overtones. These wines pack a tannic heft, so serve with meaty or full-flavoured winter dishes.
Quinta do Portal, Auru 2007 (pictured)
Dense, juicy fruit with spice and profuse violets. Firm tannins, youthful with defined floral and blueberry palate.
Available for 1,580 Macau patacas at JCM Holding (tel: 853 6682 1078)