Beiras is a
Portuguese wine
Portuguese wine was mostly introduced by the Romans and other ancient Mediterranean peoples who traded with local coastal populations, mainly in the South. In pre-Roman Gallaecia-Lusitania times, the native peoples only drank beer and were unfami ...
region producing wines with the classification ''
Denominação de Origem Controlada''. Located in the northern regions of
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
, the Beiras region produces a wide range of wines, including
sparkling and
fortified wine. Quality varies dramatically depending on producer and region.
[ T. Stevenson ''"The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia"'' pg 329-333 Dorling Kindersley 2005 ]
Wine regions
Within the Beiras, the following regions exist at the IPR or DOC level:
*
Dão DOC
Dão is a Portuguese wine region situated in the Região Demarcada do Dão with the Dão-Lafões sub region of the Centro, Portugal. It is one of the oldest established wine regions in Portugal. Dão wine is produced in a mountainous region with a ...
*
Bairrada DOC
Bairrada is a Portuguese wine region located in the Beira Litoral Province. The region has Portugal's highest wine classification as a '' Denominação de Origem Controlada'' (DOC), and its popularity has surged over the last years. It is small ...
*
Beira Interior DOC Beira Interior is a Portuguese wine '' Denominação de Origem Controlada'' (DOC) located in central Portugal in the Beiras VR wine region. It was created in 2005 when three '' Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada'' (IPR) regions were put tog ...
, with the following three subregions:
Official Journal of the European Union C 187/1, 8.8.2009: List of quality wines produced in specified regions
(reflects situation as of July 31, 2009)
** Castelo Rodrigo, formerly a separate IPR
** Cova de Beira, formerly a separate IPR
**Pinhel
Pinhel () is a concelho, municipality, former Catholic bishopric and present Latin titular see in the Centro, Portugal, central subregion of Beira Interior Norte, in Portugal. The municipality population in 2011 was 9,627, in an area of 484.52&nbs ...
, formerly a separate IPR
* Lafoes IPR
*Távora-Varosa DOC
Távora-Varosa is a Portuguese wine region located in the northwestern section of the Beiras region. The region is designated as '' Denominação de Origem Controlada'' (DOC) after it was promoted from its former '' Indicação de Proveniencia Reg ...
* Encostas da Nave IPR
*Encostas d'Aire DOC
Encostas d'Aire is a Portuguese wine region located on the limestone hills extending across the northern end of the wider Lisboa wine region into the southwestern corner of the Beiras region. The region was initially an '' Indicação de Provenie ...
-overlaps with the Lisboa VR
Lisboa, until 2009 named Estremadura, is a Portuguese wine region covering the same areas as the Estremadura region, and taking its name from the country's capital. The region is classified as a '' Vinho Regional'' (VR), a designation similar to ...
Grapes
The main grapes of the Beiras region include Arinto
Arinto or Arinto de Bucelas is a white Portuguese wine grape planted primarily in the Bucelas, Tejo and Vinho Verde regions. It can produce high acid wines with lemon notes.
Synonyms
Arinto is also known by the synonyms Arintho, Arintho du Dao, ...
, Baga, Bastardo, Borrado das Moscas, Camarate
Camarate () is a former civil parish in the municipality of Loures, Lisbon District, Portugal. In 2013, the parish merged into the new parish Camarate, Unhos e Apelação. With a population of 23,000 inhabitants in 2001, the parish of Camarate e ...
, Sercial, Fernão Pires
Fernão Pires is a white Portuguese wine grape grown throughout Portugal, especially in the Tejo and Bairrada
Bairrada is a Portuguese wine region located in the Beira Litoral Province. The region has Portugal's highest wine classification as a ...
, Jaen, Malvasia
Malvasia (, also known as Malvazia) is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. ...
, Marufo, Monvedro, Periquita, Rabo de Ovelha
Rabo de Ovelha (Portuguese for "Sheep's tail") is white Portuguese wine grape variety that is grown all over Portugal. It should not be confused with the red Rabo de Anho grape variety that is found in the Vinho Verde region. Rabo de Ovelha is an ...
, Rufete, Tinta Amarela, Touriga Nacional
Touriga Nacional is a variety of red wine grape, considered by many to be Portugal's finest. Despite the low yields from its small grapes, it plays a big part in the blends used for ports, and is increasingly being used for table wine in the D ...
and Vital.
See also
*List of Portuguese wine regions
Portuguese wine regions are grouped into three levels of classification. At the top are the '' Denominação de Origem Controlada'' (or DOCs) which are Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions (QWpsr) under the European Union wine regulations ...
References
{{coord missing, Portugal
Wine regions of Portugal