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Varietal: Red Blend
Includes red wines where there is either no predominant variety or the blend is proprietary.
Country: Portugal
Portugal is a relatively small but diverse wine producing nation. Apart from supplying most of the world’s cork, it also makes two of the world’s most popular fortified wines, Port and Madeira. With a wealth of indigenous varieties, varied geography and modern wine producing technology, Portugal is now exporting a selection of unique and interesting quality table wines. Climates have a big impact on the style of wine. Regions within a stone’s throw of the coast are heavily influenced by the moderating effects of the Atlantic Ocean, whereas slightly further inland, temperatures rise considerably and precipitation drops dramatically. Even between neighboring regions these differences have a big impact on the styles of wine made. The difference between the coastal region of Minho (responsible for light, spritzy, Vinho Verde) and the wines of the Douro (home of Port) is a case in point. Southern Portuguese regions such as the Alentejo are showing promise with native varietals, Castelão, and Trincadeira, and white skinned grapes such as Arinto.
Region: Tejo
Tejo is a wine region in central Portugal which covers the same area as the Ribatejo province, just inland from the major city of Lisbon. The wine appellation's name was changed from Ribatejo in 2009. The entire region may use the Tejo VR (Vinho Regional) designation, similar to the French IGP/Vin de Pays, while some areas produce wines labeled with the higher-level Do Tejo DOC (Denominação de Origem Controlada).
A warm, dry area, it is also Portugal's only landlocked region – although it is influenced considerably by the Tejo river. As is the case in neighboring Alentejo, Tejo's top wines are mostly red. Like many parts of Portugal, Tejo's vignerons are looking to the future, planting international varieties like Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon alongside traditional varieties like Touriga Nacional, Castelão and Trincadeira; wines are often blends of both types. The white wines are dominated by aromatic, gently spicy Fernão Pires.
Sub-Region:
Type: Sparkling
Sparkling wine is a wine with high levels of carbon dioxide in it making it bubble. The carbon dioxide is a result of natural fermentation, either in a bottle or a specially designed tank, or as a result of carbon dioxide injection.
Sparkling wine is usually white or rosé but there are many examples of red sparkling wines. The sweetness of sparkling wine can range from very dry "brut" styles to sweeter "doux" varieties.
When one thinks of sparkling wine they usually think of Champagne, but this wine is exclusively produced in the Champagne region of France and many sparkling wines are produced in other countries and regions. Most countries reserve the word Champagne for a specific type from the Champagne region of France. The French terms "Mousseux" or "Crémant" are used to refer to sparkling wine not made in the Champagne region. German and Austrian sparkling wines are called Sekt. The United States is a significant producer of sparkling wine with producers in numerous states. Recently the United Kingdom, which produced some of the earliest examples of sparkling wine, has started producing sparkling wines again.