Tejo, until 2009 named Ribatejo, is a Portuguese wine region covering the same areas as the

Ribatejo Province The Ribatejo () is the most central of the traditional provinces of Portugal, with no coastline or border with Spain. The region is crossed by the Tagus river (''Ribatejo'' translates to "upper Tagus", or more precisely, "up the Tagus" relative ...

. It takes its name from the river Tejo (Tagus). The entire region is entitled to use the '' Vinho Regional'' designation Tejo VR, while some areas are also classified at the higher '' Denominação de Origem Controlada'' (DOC) level under the designation DoTejo DOC. VR is similar to the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

'' vin de pays'' and DOC to the French AOC. Located between the Lisboa and

Alentejo VR Alentejo ( , ) is a geographical, historical, and cultural region of south–central and southern Portugal. In Portuguese, its name means "beyond () the Tagus river" (''Tejo''). Alentejo includes the regions of Alto Alentejo and Baixo Alent ...

s, the region is dominated by the influence of the

Tagus The Tagus ( ; es, Tajo ; pt, Tejo ; see #Name, below) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales near Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally west with two main south-westward sections ...

river. The river moderates the region's climate, making it more

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

than other areas of Portugal. Vineyards are planted on the fertile

alluvial Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluv ...

plains along the river and can be prone to producing excessive yields.T. Stevenson ''"The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia"'' pg 329-333 Dorling Kindersley 2005 In 2009, the region was renamed from Ribatejo to Tejo, the same name as the river flowing through the region, as part of a drive to increase the wine region's international reputation. However, the DOC has kept its name Ribatejo, which removed the previous problem of having the same name applied to wines at two different levels of classification.

Subregions

There are six subregions of the Tejo region that are entitled to the Ribatejo DOC designation. The names of the subregions may be indicated on the label together with the name Ribatejo, for example as Ribatejo-Cartoxa. These subregions were initially created as separate '' Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada'' (IPR) wine regions, but in 2003, these IPRs were put together as the Ribatejo DOC.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) The six subregions are the following: * Almeirim * Cartaxo - Overlaps into the Lisboa VR *

Chamusca Chamusca () is a municipality in Santarém District in Portugal. The population in 2021 was 8,530, in an area of 746.01 km². The present Mayor is Paulo Queimado, elected by the Socialist Party (Portugal), Socialist Party. The municipal holi ...

* Coruche * Santarém * Tomar

Grapes

The principal grapes of the Tejo region includes Arinto,

Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon' ...

, Camarate,

Carignan Carignan (also known as Mazuelo, Bovale Grande, Cariñena, Carinyena, Samsó, Carignane, and Carignano) is a red grape variety of Spanish origin that is more commonly found in French wine but is widely planted throughout the western Mediterra ...

Chardonnay Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...

Esgana Cão Sercial is the name of a white grape grown in Portugal, especially on the island of Madeira. It has given name to the dryest of the four classic varieties of Madeira fortified wine.winepros.com.au. The grape is grown in diminishing quantities ...

Fernão Pires Fernão Pires is a white Portuguese wine grape grown throughout Portugal, especially in the Tejo and Bairrada, where it is also known as "Maria Gomes". This variety is known to produce wines with a spicy aromatic character,Jampal The Yambina were an Aboriginal Australian people of the state of Queensland, whose traditional lands lie inland (westwards) some distance from Mackay. Country Yambina lands included Logan Creek south of Avon Downs. They ran east to the Denham ...

, Malvasia Fina,

Malvasia Rei 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. I ...

Merlot Merlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of ''merle'', the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the ...

, Periquita,

Pinot noir Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words for ''pine'' and ''black.' ...

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 a ...

Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...

Syrah Syrah (), also known as Shiraz, is a dark-skinned grape variety grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce red wine. In 1999, Syrah was found to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse B ...

Tamarez Tamarez is a grape variety that is the basis for a white Portuguese wine. It is associated with the Alentejo region, and is used to produce Borba, Redondo, and Moscatel de Setúbal Muscatel ( ) is a type of wine made from muscat grapes. The t ...

Tinta Amarela Tinta Amarela or Trincadeira is a red wine grape that is commonly used in Port wine production. The grape is noted for its dark coloring. Its use in the Douro region has been increasing in recent years. The vine is susceptible to rot and perform ...

, Tinta Muida, Touriga Nacional,

Trincadeira das Pratas Tinta Amarela or Trincadeira is a red wine grape that is commonly used in Port wine production. The grape is noted for its dark coloring. Its use in the Douro region has been increasing in recent years. The vine is susceptible to rot and perform ...

Ugni blanc Trebbiano is an Italian wine grape, one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world. It gives good yields, but tends to yield undistinguished wine. It can be fresh and fruity, but does not keep long. Also known as ugni blanc, it h ...

and Vital.

References

{{coord missing, Portugal Wine regions of Portugal

Subregions

Grapes

See also

References