For A Country Smaller Than Indiana, Portugal’s Red Wines Are Worldly

It’s quite easy to be forgotten when you live in the shadow of Italy, France and Spain, especially when California, Washington and Oregon toss their weight around from the other side of the Atlantic.

Throw in Chile, Argentina and Australia and it’s quite easy to forget Portugal makes fantastic and big red wines worthy of our attention.

Portugal is, for good reason, known for its formidable fortified wines and often this leaves the vintners of the Douro region (especially) playing second fiddle to lesser Iberian offerings. Don’t get me wrong, the ports of Douro are responsible for putting dessert wine on our tables, but far too oft overlooked are the chewy table reds of the region that rival and exceed nearly anything Portugal’s Spanish neighbors put on the same table.

The Douro region will always be remarked upon for port, but the vast valley of the east-west flowing river of the same name’s terraced mountains and crags present gracious and bigger than you would think wine for any occasion.

As with any wine country adventure, you’ll need to find a home base and that is typified by the Quinta Do Vallado wine hotel, now in its 300th year of operation.

Its charm is matched only by the service and the free bicycles provided to each guest give you an opportunity to head into Régua for a snapshot of life unchanged and the vineyards that adorn each and every terraced hillside.

At less than €100 an evening, there are few better ways to explore the region and taste yourself to love at first sip whether you choose to leave this oasis or simply laze around their all-day tastings of the region’s wines.