Decoding the Label (Part 3): Grape Varieties, the DNA of Your Wine

Hello, wine adventurers! Welcome back to "Decoding the Label", our series for putting an end to staring at a label as if it were a riddle. In the previous chapter, we travelled through the regions of Portugal and discovered how the land shapes the wine. Today we're zooming in a little closer to reach the very seed of the story: the grape variety.

If the region is the wine's address, the grape is its DNA. It is what decides whether a red will be powerful or delicate, whether a white will smell of flowers or tropical fruit. When a word like "Touriga Nacional" or "Encruzado" appears on the label, there's a huge clue right there about what awaits you in the glass — you just have to learn to read it. We've already taken the first steps through some grape varieties here on the blog; now let's add a few more leading roles. Let's get to it!

First: what exactly is a grape variety?

A grape variety (in Portuguese, casta) is simply the type of vine — the kind of grape. Just as there are dozens of apple varieties, each with its own colour, sweetness and texture, there are hundreds of grape varieties, each with its own profile of aromas, acidity and structure. Portugal is, in this respect, a true treasure: we have more than 250 native varieties, many of them impossible to find anywhere else in the world. A wine can be made from a single grape (this is called a monovarietal) or from a mixture of several (a blend). Knowing the main ones is like gaining a dictionary to decode any label.

Red varieties: structure, fruit and character

Touriga Nacional — the queen

If there's one grape that deserves a throne, it's Touriga Nacional. Native to the Dão, it now shines all over the country and is one of the souls of Port wine. It is recognised by its intense aromas of violet and ripe black fruits, by firm tannins and by remarkable ageing potential. It is power with perfume.

In the Piano Reserva Touriga Nacional 2022, from the Douro, we find exactly that portrait: intense colour, floral and ripe-fruit notes, well-ripened tannins with a touch of vanilla from the oak ageing, and a refreshing acidity that keeps everything elegant and lingering. It's Touriga showing why it's queen.

Baga — the rebel of the Bairrada

There are grapes that demand patience, and Baga is the most stubborn (and fascinating) of them all. Queen of the Bairrada, it gives wines with powerful tannins and sharp acidity when young, but which, with time, transform into reds of enormous complexity and finesse. It's a grape for those who love to discover.

The Giz Vinhas Velhas Tinto 2022, made from century-old Baga vines, shows that noble side: delicate aromas of ripe red fruit and light floral notes, with cedar, vanilla and spice adding complexity. On the palate it is elegant, full of minerality and freshness — a faithful reflection of the Bairrada's limestone soils — and at the same time deep and structured, with a long finish. Proof that Baga's patience pays off.

Sousão — the Douro's acidic secret

Long discreet, Sousão is today one of the most sought-after grapes in the Douro, precisely for its freshness. In a region of hot climate, it brings deep colour and a vibrant natural acidity that gives life and balance to the wines.

The 100 Hectares Sousão 2021 is a fine calling card for the grape: a red full of aroma and power, with the fleshy quality typical of black fruits, scents of tobacco and the elegant toast of French oak. Douro structure with nerve — exactly what Sousão does best.

Ready to feel the strength and elegance of our reds? Explore our selection of red wines here!

White varieties: freshness, light and gastronomy

Encruzado — the nobility of the Dão

If Touriga is the queen of reds, Encruzado is the king of whites in the Dão. It is a grape of rare elegance, capable of giving delicate wines when young and deep, complex ones when barrel-aged, always with a well-balanced acidity that guarantees longevity.

The Terra Chama Grande Reserva Encruzado 2022 captures that nobility: pale straw colour, a delicate and balanced aroma in which citrus notes and slight nuances of toast stand out. On the palate, freshness arrives first and then gives way to great structure and complexity, with a lingering finish. A white to be taken seriously.

Alvarinho — the aroma of the Atlantic

Alvarinho is the star of the Vinhos Verdes, especially of Monção and Melgaço, and it's very easy to recognise: intense aromas of citrus, flowers and stone fruit, with a lively, mineral acidity. But the grape travels well — and sometimes surprises us far from home.

Take the Quinta Vale d'Aldeia Alvarinho 2024, made in the Douro Superior, with grapes from the highest areas (between 500 and 550 metres). That thermal amplitude — warm by day, cold by night — preserves the grape's aroma: citrus-yellow colour, tropical notes, a very food-friendly, citrusy palate and a fresh, mineral finish. The same grape, a new accent.

Antão Vaz — the body of the south

To close, we head down to the Alentejo, home of Antão Vaz. It is the white grape that best handles the Alentejo heat: it gives wines with good body, ripe and enveloping, without losing balance. When it gains some ageing, it becomes even creamier and more complex.

The Conde d'Ervideira Reserva Branco 2024 is a good example: aromas of tropical fruit, spices and vanilla, a velvety, unctuous texture and a balanced acidity that holds the whole together. It's the sun of the south inside the glass.

Fancy a wave of freshness and light? Discover our selection of white wines here!

The journey continues...

And that's how a single word on a label stops being a mystery and becomes a delicious clue. From the strength of Touriga Nacional to the charming stubbornness of Baga, from the nobility of Encruzado to the sun-drenched body of Antão Vaz, every grape is a personality waiting to be known. Next time you look at a label, look for the grape — it's already telling you half the story.

In the next chapter of "Decoding the Label", we'll decode another essential clue: the vintage year and the alcohol content, and what they really tell us about the wine. Until then, happy tasting — and, as always, please drink responsibly.