The Field Guide
Portugal
The most self-sufficient wine country in Europe, built almost entirely on grapes you'll find nowhere else. From the Douro's terraces to Alentejo's plains, Portugal never bothered to plant the international stars — and is better for it.
Atlantic to Alentejo · seven regions
Portugal
The history
Port made the Douro famous and the rest of Portugal invisible. Behind the fortified trade sat hundreds of native grapes, quietly kept.
The land
Schist terraces on the Douro, granite in the Dão, Atlantic sand at Colares, and the hot Alentejo plain — every corner its own climate.
Wine styles
Dark, floral Touriga Nacional; tannic, ageworthy Baga; the teinturier Alicante Bouschet of Alentejo; and Madeira's near-immortal Sercial.
The underdogs to drink
Start with the grapes worth the detour. More guides land as we publish them.
Whatever you drink now, there’s an underdog you’d like more.
One overlooked wine at a time: what it tastes like, the famous one it can replace, and the catch. It’s the list our wine club will be built from.
Join the Pack