Dão

Where the Douro gives power, the Dão gives finesse. The region lies higher and cooler, hemmed in by mountains that hold back the Atlantic rain, with vineyards on granite among the pine forests. That yields reds with fine tannins and a fresh core, wines closer to Burgundy than to southern Portugal. The white Encruzado is one of the few Portuguese grapes that keeps gaining in bottle for years. The Dão is the region for anyone who thinks Portuguese wine is by definition heavy. From us, among others Alvaro Castro, Casa da Passarella and Antonio Madeira.