The Douro is one of the most beautiful wine regions in the world. Its landscapes of centuries-old terraced vineyards are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The region follows the winding course of the Douro River from the Spanish border to about 100km from the city of Porto. The vineyards are planted on more than 40,000 hectares and more than half of them are located on slopes with a gradient of more than 30%.
Local grape varieties. Traditionally, Douro wines were produced from about fifty grape varieties, but in the 1970s five red grape varieties became established: Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca and Tinto Cão. The white varieties are constituted by Gouveio, Malvasia fina, Moscatel, Rabigato and Viosinho.
Wines of great quality. The red wines produced in the Douro are generally complex, opulent, structured, with intense fruit and full of finesse. The white wines, produced from vines at high altitudes, have fresh, fruity notes and an invigorating acidity.
