2019 Quinta da Falorca Garrafeira Old Vines

The Dão region is located in Central Portugal, south of the Douro area. It is one of the oldest wine regions in the country, producing some of the best red wines. Since 1990, the region has had the status of DOC (Denominação de Origem Controlada). The Dao, together with the Vinho Verde and the DOC Douro, is one of the oldest appellations and has the oldest classified red wine. It was the second Portuguese wine region to be demarcated in 1908.

Vineyards Dão

The vineyards of the Dão are mainly planted on a rolling plateau, surrounded on 3 sides by mountains. The mountains block the influences of the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, the summers in the Dão are long and dry and there is a lot of rain in the winter. These conditions are ideal for the (predominantly blue) grape varieties grown in the region. Beautiful wines from Dão have been appearing regularly for years. They are often quite sturdy red wines that are favorably priced for their quality. The better wines from Dão can be stored for a remarkably long time, often decades. Compared to other regions, the most (relatively) most expensive wines often come from here, especially from a number of wineries such as Quinta da Falorca.

Wines Dão

The Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Jaen are some commonly used blue grapes. The robust red Dão wines must consist of at least 20% touriga nacional and contain at least 12.5% alcohol. Garrafeiras are wines that have matured in oak for at least 2 years and have an alcohol content of approximately 13%. The best white wines from the Dão are made from the encruzado grape. These wines are wonderfully fresh and aromatic.

According to some, a good Dao should have strong tannins and a robust character. Others say that a good Dao should, in addition to strength, also have the velvet of a Burgundy. It is a DOC with an important tradition and wines that have a very high storage potential.

The Dão region is located in Central Portugal, south of the Douro area. It is one of the oldest wine regions in the country, producing some of the best red wines. Since 1990, the region has had the status of DOC (Denominação de Origem Controlada). The Dao, together with the Vinho Verde and the DOC Douro, is one of the oldest appellations and has the oldest classified red wine. It was the second Portuguese wine region to be demarcated in 1908.

Vineyards Dão

The vineyards of the Dão are mainly planted on a rolling plateau, surrounded on 3 sides by mountains. The mountains block the influences of the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, the summers in the Dão are long and dry and there is a lot of rain in the winter. These conditions are ideal for the (predominantly blue) grape varieties grown in the region. Beautiful wines from Dão have been appearing regularly for years. They are often quite sturdy red wines that are favorably priced for their quality. The better wines from Dão can be stored for a remarkably long time, often decades. Compared to other regions, the most (relatively) most expensive wines often come from here, especially from a number of wineries such as Quinta da Falorca.

Wines Dão

The Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Jaen are some commonly used blue grapes. The robust red Dão wines must consist of at least 20% touriga nacional and contain at least 12.5% alcohol. Garrafeiras are wines that have matured in oak for at least 2 years and have an alcohol content of approximately 13%. The best white wines from the Dão are made from the encruzado grape. These wines are wonderfully fresh and aromatic.

According to some, a good Dao should have strong tannins and a robust character. Others say that a good Dao should, in addition to strength, also have the velvet of a Burgundy. It is a DOC with an important tradition and wines that have a very high storage potential.

Portugal as a wine country distinguishes itself by mainly producing wines from its own grape varieties. The Portuguese wines are also developing well and quickly, so it is certainly interesting for wine lovers to try some different wines from this beautiful country. When Portugal joined the EU in 1986, the quality of Portuguese wines immediately increased enormously.

It was then stimulated to start vineyards and produce wine. As a result, the large umbrella wine producers were sidelined and many smaller wine producers started to work for themselves.

Today, therefore, more than a thousand winemakers can be found in Portugal. The Douro wine region is one of the examples of such a wine region that has undergone tremendous development since accession to the EU. In the past, mainly a sweet Port was produced here, but gradually the wineries in this region have kept up with the times and are increasingly experimenting with different grapes. The result of this is that they now also produce a lot of dry quality wines in this region. A not so well known wine region in Portugal is the wine region Beiras. In this region, a lot of red Portuguese wines are produced on a steep slope. These wines can often be stored for decades and even then they do not lose their taste. A grape variety that is widely used in this region is the Baga grape. This grape is powerful and has strong acids that can be softened by mixing the grapes with other types of grapes. All in all, Portuguese wine producers often use the native grape varieties . This is not difficult since there are about 500 different grape varieties in Portugal. Partly because of this, the winemakers can make their own unique wine and do not have to compete with other wine countries, such as Chile.

Red wine is made from blue grapes. The wines get their dark colour from the skin of the grape, which ferments with the grape juice. The intensity of the colour is determined by how long the juice has matured; a young red wine will have a somewhat purple colour, while older wines tend to be more orange or brown-red.

With around 10,000 varieties of grapes worldwide, you can go in all directions.

The most well-known blue grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Syrah / Shiraz.

Types of red wine

There are many different types of grapes with different characteristics and aromas. The differences within grape varieties are due to the difference in climate, the soil where the vines are planted, and the amount of sun.

The end result is in the hands of the winemaker. During the process from juice to wine, the winemaker still has a lot of options to change the final product into what he wants to put on the market.

The upbringing of the wine plays a major role in this. After fermentation, the process of raising and maturing the wine begins. There are many options for influencing the wine, but the most well-known concerns the ageing in wood.

If the winemaker chooses to raise the wine on wood, many things come into play. The first choice is whether new or older barrels will be used. Older, used barrels release less or no more aromas and tannins, but they still have an oxidative function. New wood barrels let in dosed oxygen and ensure that the wine has aromas and tannins. This is more intense with smaller barrels than with large wooden barrels.

Dry red wine

The most famous red wine is a dry red wine. The number of grape varieties and different taste profiles are enormous. There is a nice glass of red for every moment.

Sweet red wine

Just like sweet white wine, there is sweet red wine too! They are a lot rarer than dry red wines. If you want to try something different, it's definitely worth a try.

Alcohol-free red wine

Non-alcoholic wine is becoming more and more popular. Whether it is red non-alcoholic wine, white non-alcoholic wine, or sparkling non-alcoholic wine, more and more attention is being paid to it. Perfect for a cosy drink during pregnancy, or during a non-alcoholic month!

Red wine Gift

Red wine is fun to give, and even more fun to receive! Grandcruwijnen has ready-made wine gifts to make your gift recipient happy ;)

If you have your eye on a bottle of wine, at Grandcruwijnen we also have gift packaging to complete your gift! If you've found something you like, you can easily add a gift card during checkout.

Buy red wine online

At Grandcruwijnen you can easily buy red wine online. In our range, you will find products from the well-known grape varieties. If you want to buy a nice red wine, you have come to the right place at Grandcruwijnen. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact us!