The Dão and Vine In Central Portugal

The Dão and Vine In Central Portugal

Region " Dão " is located in the region of " Beira Alta " north central Portugal , near the Serra da Estrela.

Geographical conditions are excellent for the production of wine , characterized by steep hills with " Caramulo " mountains " Montemuro ", " Buçaco " and " Estrela " which protect 20,000 hectares of vines from the wind. Situated at an altitude of 400m to 700m

If you have the chance to visit this region of Dão , you 'll probably have to look far to find vineyards. For an important wine region as it is a bit of a surprise that the vines do not dominate the landscape.
It is still a common sight to see small farms with vines planted around the perimeter of small vegetable plots.

The soil is mostly covered with pine and maize . It produces wines with excellent aging potential. on schist soils ( south area ) or granitic shallow

.
The vineyards are planted in terraces , as in the Douro Valley , and produce
red varieties such as Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro , Tinta Roriz ( Spain Tempranillo ) , Preto , Tinta Pinheiro, Rufete . and Jaen

For white varietals mean while , we find , Encruzado , Bical , Cercial , Malvasia Fina and Verdelho , Rabigato and Uva -Cao , they are very aromatic , fruity and well balanced. The reds are full-bodied , aromatic and may gain in complexity after aging in bottle

Dão is sometimes equated with Burgundy Portugal. This is not due to a physical similarity between regions, but because of the style of wine. Like red Burgundy , a good Dão is not based on the power of its effect, but aims to subtlety and finesse.

Modern fruity wines are increasingly common . But even these modern versions retain their essentially Portuguese character .

A key to this individuality is the blend of grapes used : you will not find international superstar grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

The climate in this region is somewhat under the influence of the Atlantic. Thus the winters are cold and rainy while summers are hot and dry .