Our Favorite Portuguese Wines

The New Wave of Portuguese Wine

The usual sales pitch on Portugal is that your dollar goes further there–that your $19.99 gets you $45 worth of wine. This, we’re happy to report, is largely true.

But we’re here to talk about style. Portuguese wines are having a moment, and it’s become clear that a region most closely identified with inky dessert wines is in fact a bastion of dry, elegant wines that tie together the best aspects of our favorite European regions while offering a distinct Iberian inflection.

The whites are simultaneously textured and crisp and bring to mind the crisper side of White Burgundy; the reds are bright, peppery, and floral, embodying a very delicious middle ground between light Beaujolais and heartier Rhône blends.

These are some of our favorite Portuguese wines–the ones we’ve been taking home with us most often and can’t stop thinking about.

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The 6 best wines from Portugal right now

Muxagat, Tinta Barroca, Portugal 2018

The Douro region in Portugal is synonymous with Port, but it’d be a mistake to only look there for fortified dessert wines. It should also be on your radar when you want juicy red wines that offer great quality for the price. This bottle is just that. It’s made with tinta barroca grapes that are grown at altitude, which keeps this wine brighter and easier to drink than many of the big, inky reds from the region.

Maçanita, Branco 2019

Though Portugal has a reputation for sweet wines, it's an under-the-radar source of bright, refreshing whites too. This one is made from the rare grape viosinho and will remind you of Chablis. It tastes like ripe pear, grapefruit, and saltwater.

Textura, 'Dão Textura da Estrela' Branco, Portugal 2018

Luis Seabra is considered one of Portugal’s greatest winemakers. His style emulates White Burgundy as he ages some of the wines in the same style. This adds toasty notes to go along with bright lemon, lime, and refreshing acidity.

Luis Seabra, Xisto Cru Branco 2018

Knowing Luis Seabra is one of Portugal’s premier winemakers, this is his premier white wine. It’s a blend of a few rare indigenous grapes, which he picks from old vines in the Douro near the Spanish border. The wine is an amazing example of Luis’s skill- think as refreshing as Chablis- but also has the spicy, savory notes you might expect from White Burgundy.

Niepoort, Lagar De Baixo Tinto Bairrada Baga 2018

While the Niepoort family is world-renowned for its Port wines, those now only make up 25% of the winery’s production. That’s thanks to Dirk Niepoort, who took over in the late ‘80s, and now has hall of fame status in Portugal. Unlike most Portuguese reds, his are bright and super savory. This is a biodynamic, medium-bodied wine he makes with baga grapes from the region of Bairrada.

Luis Seabra, 'Mono C' Castelão 2018

A lot of reds from the Douro in Portugal are big, inky wines that are best consumed in mid-January when your fleece onesie is nowhere to be found. This is not one of them. Instead, this bottle Luis Seabra is more nuanced and crazy refreshing. This is made in a style to keep the red light and refreshing using wild yeasts and a low impact style of fermentation. You’ll like this if you like Beaujolais, barbera and syrah.

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