Map The Wine

Map / Portugal

Douro

The terraced valley of the Douro river, birthplace of Port and one of the oldest regulated wine regions in the world.

ÉvoraPortalegreViana do CasteloCastelo BrancoGuardaBragançaVila RealBragaFaroBejaSetúbalLisboaSantarémLeiriaCoimbraAveiroPortoViseuAlentejoAlgarveBeira Atlântico and BairradaBeira InteriorLisboaMadeira, Pico and the AzoresMinho and Vinho VerdeTejoDouroPeso da RéguaPinhãoVila Nova de Foz Côa
The shaded area contains the region, and the rounded shape shows its rough extent; the gold dot marks its centre. Drag to pan, or use the buttons or Ctrl and scroll to zoom. Other regions of Portugal are linked on the map.

Where it is

The Douro valley runs east from near Porto to the Spanish border, in northern Portugal. It has three subregions: Baixo Corgo, Cima Corgo and Douro Superior, which become progressively hotter and drier upriver. The Alto Douro wine region is a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape.

History

The Douro was demarcated in 1756, among the first regulated wine regions in the world. Port was shipped from Vila Nova de Gaia, opposite Porto, where the lodges still age it.

Grapes and wines

More than a hundred grape varieties are permitted. Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Tinta Barroca and Tinto Cão are the main red grapes. Port is a fortified wine made by stopping fermentation with grape spirit, in styles including Ruby, Tawny and Vintage. The Douro DOC covers the dry table wines.