Portugal has a territory of no more than 100,000 square kilometers. And its wine-making history is relatively short. But it has unique advantages in climate and soil. With a mild marine climate which features warm, moist summer and cool, humid winter, Portugal is especially suitable for grape growth. The further east and south, the more diversifi ed the climates become. The composition of the soil has great diversity too. There is granite, slate and shale in the north and inland, while sandstone and limestone in the south and coastal areas. All kinds of soil are available, which is conducive to the cultivation of native grapes and contributes to the great wine varieties in Portugal. From dry to sweet, from light to full-bodied, you can fi nd whatever wines you like in Portugal.
Over the past decades, Portugal has succeeded in innovating its wine industry. It is known worldwide as the "Kingdom of Wine" and the "Kingdom of Cork Plugs". According to the ranking of European wines exported to China in 2017, France ranked the fi rst place, and Portugal the fourth, following Spain and Italy. Portuguese wines rank the ninth in the world. In 2017, China imported 9.58 million liters Portuguese wine, worth 23.53 million US dollars, an increase of 29.2% and 18.4% over the previous year respectively, which made Portugal the ninth wine supplier for China. The amount of bottled wine reached 7.72 million liters.
Most wine enthusiasts are familiar with Port, a Portuguese fortifi ed wine. In fact, besides fortifi ed wines, Portugal also produces a variety of high-quality red wines, white wines and most distinctive sparkling wines.
If we see the word "Espumante" on the bottle, it means it is sparkling wine from Portugal. “Espumante” means sparkling wine in Portuguese. Portuguese sparkling wines have many similarities with champagne in style. Most of them are dry, crisp and well-balanced with fine bubbles, mineral flavor and smooth taste. Its aroma is diverse and complex, which features a slight floral fragrance, as well as a hint of gypsum, toast, orange, orange peel, herbs and honey. In the cool and humid Bairrada region, Filipa Pato winery blends two local red and white grapes, Baga and Bical, to produce a highquality traditional peach red sparkling wine. In the hot and arid Alentejo region, Herdade do Espor00o, Portugal's largest winery for fermentation wine, has also brewed sparkling wines similar to champagne with acid Ant00o Vaz and Arito. This proves that even if it is as hot as in Portugal, it is still possible to produce sparkling wines of excellent quality.
Brand Introduction :
Mateus
Mateus is a semi-sweet peach red sparkling wine brand from Portugal. It was founded in 1942 and emerged on the market at the end of World War II. Once this wine was introduced, it became very popular in North America and North European markets. From the 1950s to the 1960s, its production grew rapidly. In the 1980s, the brand began to present white wine. Peach red wine has accounted for more than 40% of Portugal's total export of meal wine. The manufacturer of the brand is the family company Sogrape, which is also Portugal's largest winemaker.
Product: Mateus Natural Peach Red Sparkling Wine Mateus Natural Peach Red Sparkling Wine is produced in Mateus Winery and made of Baga, which is mainly planted in Bairrada, where this variety accounts for 90% of all the red grapes. This is very rare in Portugal. Baga has a small size and thick skin. Wine made of this kind of grape features deep color, high acidity and heavy tannins. If unripe Baga is used, the wine brewed is very bitter and hard to drink. However, if the production process is exquisite and the grapes are ripe enough, Baga wine has rich fruit flavor and a long aging period.
Alianca
Founded in 1927, Caves Alianca has a history of wine making for more than 80 years. Since its establishment, the wines produced by the winery have been exported to Brazil, Africa and European countries. Today, in Portugal and more than 60 countries that account for 50% of its export sales, Alianca has become the symbol of high-quality wine, sparkling wine and brandy. Alianca produces excellent wines, including red wine, white wine and sparkling wine, many of which have won high honors, such as Quinta dos Quatro Ventos. Product: Alianca Selected Dry Sparkling Wine The wine is made of 75% Chardonnay and 25% Baga, which ages for 36 months in the bottle. It has rich and persistent bubbles, the aroma of baking, butter and exotic fruits, and elegant, fresh and soft taste.
This article is from Food2China.
