Portugal

Portugal is a rising star. Madeira and Port are famous but the rest of Portugal’s traditions are emerging from a much deeper obscurity than neighbouring provincial Spain, with prices currently even less reflective of quality. The steep, dry Douro valley is one of the world’s oldest wine regions, now modernised winemaking harnesses an array of endemic grapes (like Touriga Nacional) and old imports like Tempranillo (here called Tinta Rorizto) to make clean, rich, highly sophisticated reds for very little coin. Atlantic coastal traditions have acclimatised to higher rainfall, with Vinho Verde producing fresh, clean aperitif whites (sometimes spritzy) while other pocketed traditions have even more unique offerings to explore.