Portuguese wine, where have you been hiding?

Liking portuguese wines seems to be a trend right now, amongst the wine lovers, critics and general press overseas. Portugal was the dorky kid with glasses and who was always trying to hang with the cool kids but never really did, but not anymore. Now, people are favoring dry, unique wines that could be Portugal road to success.

Over the last two years, portuguese wines have collected various awards and high scores in international magazines and have been complimented by the critics and wine enthusiasts everywhere; as a consequence the exports numbers grew. 

In March, last year, Matt Kramer from the magazine Wine Spectator let his readers know that he and he’s family had moved to Portugal because it is here that one could find “the most exciting wine on the planet”. Dave McIntyre, from the Washigton Post affirms that he likes to shock people, whenever he’s asked to name a list of the wine he likes the most: “I like to surprise them and put Portugal right on the top of that list”.

Douro's wine landscape
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Portugal is cool, Portuguese wines are cooler.

Portuguese wines have been around for years, why just now?

Because the wine market is tired, oversaturated and in desperate need of different experiences, for which the standardized wines of the new world countries don’t seem to be the answer.  From 2012 to 2013, the records show that the wine exports in the European countries have risen a 2.4%, while in the New World markets the exports have fallen, with countries like Australia and Argentina suffering major losses in their sales.

So, portuguese wine has now the right opportunity to stand out. Due to its unique characteristics: the know-how of its people, the great diversity of terroir, Mediterranean regions, mountains in the north and the plains down south and it overall genetics, portuguese wine becomes the richest viticulture on this planet.

A breath of freash air

Alentejo wine's country
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But Portugal is not a country of varietal wines, according to Portuguese Master of Wine, João Pires, what truly counts here is the blend.  Portugal needs to bet on producing unique wines, wines that have a personality and that may not fall in a Robert Parker’s category constrains, but are still great.

The wine market trend is to look beyond these kinds of standardized wines, “wine connoisseurs and lovers want to taste more of the dry and less extracted wines” says the Portuguese Master of Wine.

Portugal has to seizes this trend and take full advantage of its unique DNA and the capacity its wines have of surprising the entire world.