Dão is one of Portugal's best-known wine regions. The area has a long winemaking history dating back to the ancient Romans. Today, its high-quality red wines are particularly popular among connoisseurs.
The landscape of Dão, located in northern Portugal, is characterized by vineyards surrounding the Dão River, a beautiful northern tributary of the Mondego.
With 20,000 hectares of vineyards, the region is one of Portugal's largest wine regions. It is part of the larger Beiras region, which stretches across Portugal and is bordered to the west only by the Atlantic Ocean and to the east by Spain. Since 1990, the Dão wine region has been classified as a DOC region.
Excellent climatic and geographical conditions
Dão has a continental and partially Mediterranean climate, characterized by long, dry summers and relatively cool winters with little rainfall. Dão is almost exclusively characterized by granite soils, which allow the grapevines' roots to penetrate deep into the ground.
Granite soils are ideally suited for viticulture, which is reflected in the quality of the wines grown here. In addition, it is a fairly crystalline rock that is coarse-grained and contains a high proportion of minerals such as quartz or feldspar.
The vineyards are occasionally interspersed with forests. Several mountain ranges to the west protect the region from Atlantic winds and excessive rainfall, which greatly benefits the quality of the wines.
Dão is also a plateau located at an altitude of approximately 500 meters. This results in a significant difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures.
What makes Dão particularly special is the highly fragmented structure of its vineyards. The Dão is cultivated by a high number of winegrowers relative to its size: over 100,000 winegrowers are active in the area, growing wine on their small plots.
The climatic conditions described above, combined with mostly indigenous grape varieties, result in wines with an approachable structure and a high degree of fruitfulness. They also offer plenty of character, and the acidity and sugar content are generally well-balanced.
Red wines predominate
Red wines are traditionally grown mainly in Dão. This major Portuguese wine-growing stronghold is particularly known for excellent wines made from the grape varieties Alfrocheiro Preto, Aragonez, Touriga Nacional, Jaen, and Rufete.
But a whole range of other varieties are also authorized for cultivation there. In the area, wines are generally aged for four years before being sold, as their quality only truly comes into its own after this period.
However, most wines from Dão can still be aged very well for several more years. This allows them to mature to their full richness.
White wine is grown far less frequently in Dão. Arinto do Dao, Cerceal, Verdelho, Bical, and Encruzado are often used to make white wines.
History of wine in Dão
Viticulture in Dão has a long tradition. The ancient Romans brought the first grapevines to Dão, and because there was a high demand for wine in the city of Viseu, a large quantity of wine was also produced.
When phylloxera ravaged the French vineyards in the 19th century, the region played a significant role in solving this epidemic: a large number of grapevines were imported to Dão to relieve the winegrowers from this catastrophic situation – with success.
In 1908, the region was recognized for the first time when Dão was acknowledged as the country's second independent region. In the second half of the 20th century, viticulture in Dão was organized through cooperatives, which led to the overly generous vinification of the grapes grown.
However, in recent decades, more winegrowers have been able to establish themselves who place a particularly high value on quality – and it is paying off: some of Portugal's finest wines now come from this region.
The most important grape varieties of Dão
Red wines dominate the landscape of the Portuguese wine region of Dão. Touriga Nacional is the most widely planted grape variety, followed by Tinta Roriz.
Touriga Nacional
This is an indigenous Portuguese grape variety that is also frequently grown in the Douro Valley. The vines have vigorous growth and produce relatively low yields. In return, they are very hardy. Genetic analyses have shown a close relationship to the Tinta Barroca variety.
Touriga Nacional was used for a long time mainly to make Port wine. Only in recent decades has the variety also increasingly been used for conventional red wine.
Wines made from Touriga Nacional are rich in tannins and have a very distinctive, spicy, and slightly cool flavor with a relatively high alcohol content and a balanced acidity. They contain complex spice notes and resinous aromas, combined in a dark color.
Tinta Roriz
Tinta Roriz, also known by its Spanish name Tempranillo, is Spain's most important red wine variety. Since the climatic and geographical conditions in Portugal are similar, Tinta Roriz is also widely grown here, especially in Dão.
This variety, descended from Pinot Noir, produces a full-bodied, aromatic, and fruit-forward flavor. Its relatively low alcohol content of 11–13 percent gives it great aging potential in oak. Tinta Roriz is particularly distinguished by its mild, soft tannins, which also make young wines easy to drink.
Jaen
Jaen is a very high-yielding grape variety that is also relatively widespread in western and central Spain. It is an indigenous variety of the Dão region.
Rufete
Rufete is a grape variety grown in both the Douro region and Dão. Wines made from Rufete are quite light and pale in color and tend to oxidize quickly.
Arinto do Dão
This is an indigenous white wine variety. It produces delicate, acidity-driven wines with citrus aromas. Arinto do Dão is also known as Pedernã and is widely grown in the Bucelas region.
Conclusion
The Portuguese wine region of Dão has some excellent wines to offer, distinguished by their great diversity. Some Dão red wines, in particular, have made a major impression on sommeliers.
The landscape around the Dão River is also extremely impressive, making the region, combined with its long winemaking tradition, a truly compelling choice for your next wine trip.
Learn more about wines from Portugal in our blog.
About the Author
Inara Muradowa is an SEO expert and corporate blogger. In addition to technical search engine optimization and SEO consulting, she actively helps companies develop and write professional blog posts.
