Portugal is a mountainous country carved out of the western edge of the Iberian Peninsula. Its winemaking roots are ancient but its origins are obscured. There is archaeological evidence of seafaring Phoenicians in this region that date back to the 10th century BCE and Greek colonies established by the 7th century, but the  first documented record of the vine belongs to the Romans in the 1st  century.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, winemaking continued uninterrupted (though diminished) through Germanic invasions and even through the Moorish occupation that followed, a culture that - although itself abstinent - was very tolerant of alcohol consumption by its Christian subjects. As elsewhere in Europe, Christianity played a major force in preserving and developing the country’s winemaking traditions.

Although Portugal is neighbors with Spain, the two countries resemble each other very little, and, in fact have been politically at odds throughout history.  Because of this long standing opposition, Portugal embraced the ocean, both in terms of trade, culture and cuisine. Portugal was in fact a leading force in the Age of Discovery during the 15th century. Pioneering figures such as Henry the Navigator and Vasco da Gama discovered exciting new places - Madeira, the Azores Islands and Brazil among them. Exotic spices from the Far East: gold from Brazil, ivory, coffee and peanuts from Africa, and  pineapples, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes from the New World resulted in great wealth for the Portuguese during this time. The newly established colonies created ready-export markets and the long sea voyages of these wines helped shape two of Portugal’s most unique and historical wines: Port and Madeira.

Portugal joined the European Union in 1986, and established its quality DOC system shortly thereafter. On any mention of Portugal in wine circles, most think of the fortified beverage Port, which is still the country’s most renowned export. This is, however, changing. Today, the winemaking landscape in Portugal is a complex and delicious recipe, of which Port is only one ingredient (albeit still an important one). Due to the influx of funding and expertise, a renewed commitment to quality wine, and hundreds of unique indigenous grape varieties, the transformation over the last twenty years has been staggering.