Douro

Douro is an appelation  in northern Portugal that is famous for being the home of port wine. The region takes its name from the Duero river that flows east to west from the Spanish border to Oporto, where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Though Douro is best known for its fortified wine, total production is fairly evenly split between port and table (non-fortified) wines.

The area is split into three sub-regions, each expressing different aspects of Douro’s hot climate. Starting at the Spanish border is the arid Douro Superior. This emerging sub-region is covered in terraced vineyards and makes up about 20% of available land in Douro.

Near the town of Pinhao is Cima Corgo, where most high-end vintage port originates. Cima Corgo (upper Corgo) is the largest of the three sub-regions and accounts for almost half of total Douro wine production. The steep vineyards of Cima Corgo are predominantly composed of schist with sizable granite deposits. Vines nearer the river tend to ripen much earlier than those at higher elevations, meaning harvest is often completed in multiple sweeps of the same vineyard.

Baixo Corgo (lower Corgo) is the westernmost of the sub-regions and is best suited to table wines. The area is cooler and wetter by comparison to its neighbours, but also more accessible meaning more bulk wine operations can operate.