Do You Know?

...that Portugal has two wine producing regions protected by UNESCO as World Heritage: the Douro Valley Wine Region (Douro Vinhateiro) and Pico Island Wine Region (Ilha do Pico Vinhateira).
...Portugal has the oldest appellation system in the world, the Douro Valley. This region and Vinho Verde region, in the Northwest produces some of the world's finest, unique and highest value-added wines.

...that Portugal has a large variety of native breeds (about 500), producing a very wide variety of different wines with distinctive personality. The Oxford Companion to Wine describes the country as having "a treasure trove of indigenous grape varieties". With the quality and uniqueness of its wines, the country is a sizable and growing player in wine production, being in the top 10, with 4% of the world market (2003). The country is considered a traditional wine grower with 8% of its continental land dedicated to vineyards. Only the highest mountain peaks are unable to support viticulture. Portugal produces some of the world's best wines, as reflected in its success in international competitions.

...that the appellation system of the Douro region was created nearly two hundred years before that of France, in order to protect its superior wines from inferior ones. The quality and great variety of wines in Portugal are due to noble castas, microclimates, soils and proper technology. In the list of the wine production by country 2005 Portugal was on the place 11.

The ideal temperature of wine:

White wine

• Light white wines: 6-8º C
• Aromatic and sweet white wines: 8-10º C
• Moderate white wines: 8-10º C
• Severe white wines: 10-12º C

Red wine

• Rosé: 10-12º C
• Light reds: 12-14º C
• Medium reds: 14-16º C
• Severe reds: 16-18º C
• Mature heavy reds: 16-18º C

Sparkling wines

• Simple, aromatic and sweet sparkling wines: 6-8º C
• Complex sparkling wines (champagne): 8-10º C

Appetizer and dessert wines

• dry aperitif wines (fino sherry): 6-8º C
• Noble rot wines: 10-12º C
• Enhanced Dessert (Port): 14-16º C

What does the color of the wine about his age

White wine
With increasing maturity the color is getting darker

• Pale: Young white wine.
• Straw yellow: mature wine
• Golden yellow to brownish: Very ripe wine.

Red wine

• Violet red: young red wine.
• Ruby: Ripened red wine.
• Brownish to orange: Very ripe red wine.

Officional designations:

• Quality Wine Produced in a Specific Region (QWPSR) or VQPRD -
  Vinho de Qualidade Produzido em Região Demarcada.
  These are the most protected wines and indicates a specific vineyard, such as Port Wine, Vinhos Verdes, and Alentejo Wines.
  The wines are labeled D.O.C. (Denominação de Origem Controlada) which secures a superior quality.
  
• Wines that have more regulations placed upon them but are not in a DOC region fall under the category of Indicação de Proveniência Regulamentada (IPR, Indication of Regulated Provenance)
• Regional Wine - Vinho Regional carries with it a specific region within Portugal.
• Table Wines - Vinho de Mesa carries with it only the producer and the designation that it's from Portugal.