Douro Region - not just for Port

Dalva Douro

Portugal

Composition: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz

Alcohol: 13%

$12.95

Full bodied, red fruit aromas, spicy finish.

C. da Silva Vinhos

A traditional port wine house (a post on port wine to come...). Known for their colheitas (Portuguese for harvest), a single vintage tawny port matured in a wooden cask, they also make a few red and white wines following the rules of the Douro region.

Douro region

This region mainly focuses on 5 red varietals (Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Roriz) however there are over 100 varietals recognized by the Port Wine Institute.

Touriga Nacional - complex and elegant, fragile, plums, cassis, violets

Tourica Franca - most planted as resistant to many weather conditions, black fruit and floral

Tinta Barroca - first to be harvested, sweet and fruity, cherries and plums

Tinto Cão - resistant to oxidation, red fruits, spices, floral

Tinta Roriz - also known as Tempranillo in Spain, black fruits jelly, spices