The Portuguese Grape Varieties

• Alfrocheiro Preto: main grape used in the Alentejo, Bairrada, Ribatejo and Dão rich in color
• Aragonêz: see Tinta Roriz

• Baga: - Main grape used for wines in Bairrada appellation, also used in Alentejo and Ribatejo. High quality grape. Known for its high acidity and tannins, it can produce wines capable of aging well.
• Bastardo: - funny named grape grown in the Douro, early ripening. Used in Dão extensively
• Castelão Frances: - see "Tricadeira Preta". Called "Periquita" in Ribatejo, and "João do Santarem"
• Encruzado: - high alcoholic white grape seen frequently in the Dão
• Moreto: widely grown blender grape all over Portugal, not used in single varietal wines
• Mourisco Tinto: One of the lesser port wine grape varieties, known for making palish tart table wines when left alone, plantings in the Douro
• Ramisco: - Main grape in Colares region, where due to sandy soils it does not need to be grafted to prevent Phylloxera damage, very tannic
• Syrah: is a dark-skinned variety of grape used in wine. Syrah is grown in many countries and is primarily used to produce powerful red wines, which enjoy great popularity in the marketplace, relatively often under the synonym Shiraz.
• Tinto Cão: Douro grape also being used to make high quality still red wines. One of the top 5 port grapes producing spicy light colored juice.
• Tinta Amarela: grown in the Douro, Ribatejo, Estremadura and also Alentejo (where it is called Trincadeira Preta)
• Tinta Barroca: ancient grape varietal, grown in the Douro for hundreds of years, one of the blender grapes for most ports. Interestingly this grape is being grown widely in South Africa.
• Tinta Roriz: called Tempranillo in Spain, in Portugal it is used widely in Port making and also in the production of still reds in the Alentejo where it is called "Aragonêz", in Dão and in the Douro for table wines
• Touriga Francesa: one of the main grapes grown in the Douro (over 20% of all plantings), characterized by its powerful bouquet
• Touriga Nacional: considered to be one of the best grapes in Portugal, a noble variety. One of the principal grapes grown in the Douro Valley for port wines and also the Dão. The juice from this wine is rich, dense and concentrated.
• Trincadeira Preta: also called Tinta Amarela and Castelão Frances

• Antao Vaz: citrussy, acidic grape used in Alentejo
• Alvarinho: grown in Northern Portugal and used for Vinho Verde, high quality. Some say related to the "Albariño" of Galicia, Spain
• Arinto: used in the Bucelas appellation for still and sparkling wines, also widely in the Alentejo (for delicious dry, lemony fruity whites), Bairrada, Setúbal, Ribatejo and other regions. This grape produces high acid white wine, also found in Vinho Verde under the name - Padernã

• Avesso: used in the Vinho Verde appellation, aromatic and acidic. Also known as Jaén
• Barcelo: - This grape produces white wines that are fairly robust, fruity with a hint of lemon. The rosé ranges in color and are fresh and fruity. Sparkling wines are produced in white and rosé and range from “Brut” to “Medium Dry”.
• Borrado das Moscas: - In the Dão region, this white grape is known as Bical. It has good acidity and is used in both table and sparkling wines. Less appealing is the wine’s literal meaning, “Fly droppings”.
• Boal: there are five strains of this grape, the most famous being the Boal used in Madeira
• Códega: historic Portuguese varietal which produces good alcohol, low acidity and high yields. Also called "Roupeiro"
• Esgana Cão: colorfully translates as "Dog Strangler"! Also called "Sercial" in Madeira. Highly acidic white used as a blender grape all over Portugal
• Fernão Pires: reminiscent of Muscat this is an aromatic grape used in the Douro, Setúbal, Alentejo and other regions. Called "Maria Gomez" in Bairrada
• Gouveio: see "Verdelho"
• Malvasia Fina: aromatic white used all over Portugal including white port
• Malvasia Real: high yielding white, not as well regarded as Malvasia Fina
• Perrum: one of the main white grapes of the Alentejo and also Algarve
• Rabigato: "Ewe´s Tail", this is a high yielding grape grown all over the country. Also called "Rabo de Ovelha"
• Roupeiro: Quality grape, honey flavored grape when grown in the Alentejo (also called Codéga")
• Sercial: main grape used in Madeira fortified wines
• Verdelho: One of the noble white varietals of Madeira. Australia is growing this Portuguese varietal extensively.
• Vioshinho: lesser white of the Douro, used in white ports.