Portugal

Portugal includes mainland territory and Atlantic archipelagos. The Portuguese mainland lies in the south-west of Europe and has a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. The distribution of mountains and plains is uneven: in the north, mountains are more widespread, while in the south, plains occur more frequently.

The climate of Portugal varies depending on the terrain, latitude and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. The north is generally cooler than the south. Summers are usually hot and dry, while winters in the north are colder. On the Atlantic islands, rainfall occurs more often.

Portugal has a long tradition of winegrowing. Winegrowing and wine production are considered significant components of the cultural and economic heritage. In documented winegrowing landscapes, steep terraces supported by stone walls can be found, where in some cases only one or two rows of vines have room. After the appearance of the phylloxera, some terraces were made wider and laid out more regularly to improve the amount of sunlight reaching the vines.

Portugal regulates wines within the framework of European Union wine law through protected designations of origin and geographical indications. Portuguese wine law distinguishes, among other things, still wines, liqueur wines, sparkling wines, quality sparkling wines, sparkling wines with natural carbonation, and vinified variants. For wines with a designation of origin or a geographical indication, the competent regional wine commission is the authority determining the certification requirements for labelling. Records must include, among other things, blending, bottling, distillation, sparkling wine and liqueur wine production, and the use of oak wood pieces.

Official regulation of several designations of origin began in 1907 and 1908. The Instituto da Vinha e do Vinho was established in 1986 following Portugal’s accession to the European Communities; at the same time, Portuguese law on designations of origin was aligned with the law of the European Communities.