Connect with Port:
The Douro Demarcated Region covers over 250,000 hectares in Northeast Portugal within the Douro River basin. Only fortified wines from grapes grown and produced in the Douro Demarcated Region can be called Port. The fortified wine is produced under specific, traditional methods of fermentation, adding grape brandy, ageing and storage. Situated along the Douro River and its tributaries, Port’s soil is schistose with some granite around the edges. The region is protected from humid Atlantic winds by the Marão and Montemuro mountain barriers, resulting in cold winters and hot, dry summers.
Region
43,480 hectares of growing area
3 sub-regions
People
21,432 growers
39,000 farmers
Production
8.6 million cases sold (2016)
7.2 million cases shipped (2016)
€308 million total sales (2016)
Primary Grape Varietals
Bastardo
Mourisco Tinto
Touriga Francesa
Tinta Amarela
Tinta Barroca
Tinta Cao
Tinta Roriz
Touriga Nacional
Donzelinho Branco
Gouveio
Malvasia Fina
Rabigato
Viosinho
Unique Fact
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Douro Demarcated Region is the third oldest protected wine region in the world. The Companhia Gerald a Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro (also known as the Douro Wine Company) was founded in 1756 by the Marquis of Pombal to guarantee Port wine’s high quality, combat fraud, and stabilize prices. The wine region’s borders were delimited by 335 stone markers, and the next year a comprehensive classification system was established.
