Dão is a

Portuguese wine Portuguese wine was mostly introduced by the Romans (wine), 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 ...

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 Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

. Dão wine is produced in a mountainous region with a

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

, in the area of the Rio Mondego and Dão rivers in the north central region of Portugal.H. Johnson & J. Robinson ''The World Atlas of Wine'' pp. 204–205 Mitchell Beazley Publishing 2005 The region became a ''

Denominação de Origem Controlada The denominação de origem controlada (or DOC) is the system of protected designation of origin for fruit, wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products from Portugal. Wines Portuguese wine regions, as well as producers of several o ...

'' (DOC)

appellation An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the ingredients of a food or beverage originated, most often used for the origin of wine grapes. Restrictions other than geographical boundaries, s ...

in 1908. The Dão region is the origin of the Touriga Nacional vine that is the principal component of

port wine Port wine (, ; ), or simply port, is a Portuguese wine, Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Douro, Douro Valley of Norte, Portugal, northern Portugal. It is typically a sweetness of wine, sweet red wine, often served with dessert wine, ...

.J. Robinson (ed) ''The Oxford Companion to Wine'' Third Edition p. 223 Oxford University Press 2006

Climate and geography

The wine region is located primarily on a

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...

that is sheltered on three sides by the

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

mountain ranges of

Serra da Estrela Serra da Estrela (, ) is the highest mountain range in Continental Portugal. Together with the Serra da Lousã it is the westernmost constituent range of the Sistema Central and also one of the highest in the system. It includes mainland Portuga ...

, Serra do Caramulo and Serra da Nave. This helps the area maintain its temperate climate away from the effects of the nearby

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

. The region experiences abundant rainfall in the winter months and long, warm dry summers leading up to

harvest Harvesting is the process of collecting plants, animals, or fish (as well as fungi) as food, especially the process of gathering mature crops, and "the harvest" also refers to the collected crops. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulses fo ...

. The region's vineyards are planted on

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural ...

y well-drained

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...

on top of granite rock.

History

The first efforts to have the Dão region recognized as a separate and unique wine region came mainly from the aristocrat and winemaker João de Sacadura Botte Côrte-Real. Considered to be "the most enlightened viticulturist of his generation", he modernized the processes of winemaking and raised the standards of the wine produced in the region. He had many wine estates, in both Portugal and Spain, but the most celebrated were his Quinta da Aguieira and his wife's Quinta da Bica. The Dão was first officially recognized as a ''Região Demarcada'' in 1908. In the 1940s, to improve the quality of the

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

from the region and promote some sort of national identity, the government of Prime Minister

António de Oliveira Salazar António de Oliveira Salazar (28 April 1889 – 27 July 1970) was a Portuguese statesman, academic, and economist who served as Portugal's President of the Council of Ministers of Portugal, President of the Council of Ministers from 1932 to 1 ...

instituted new regulations establishing the mandatory use of

co-operatives A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomy, autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned a ...

in the region. These co-operatives would have exclusive privilege to the grapes grown in the region and were charged with making the wine that would be sold to private merchants. Despite its intent, the regulations had an adverse effect on the Dão wine region by promoting stagnation due to lack of competition, with some co-operative firms releasing inferior quality wine and even practicing un-

hygienic Hygiene is a set of practices performed to preserve health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases." Personal hygiene refer ...

winemaking Winemaking, wine-making, or vinification is the production of wine, starting with the selection of the fruit, its Ethanol fermentation, fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquid. The history of wine-making stretches over ...

. In 1979, Portugal's application to the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

prompted authorities to overturn these rules, as the EU discouraged monopolistic practices in the wine industry.

Viticulture and wines

The area is home to several dozen varieties of indigenous grapes, with the majority of wine production being made from the Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Jaen, Alfrocheiro Preto and Encruzado. 80% of the region's production is in red wines, with DOC regulations stipulating that at least 20% of the production must be from Touriga Nacional. Some of the top

reserve wine Reserve wine is wine of a higher quality than usual, a wine that has been aged before sale, or both. Traditionally, winemakers would reserve some of their best wine rather than sell it immediately, coining the term. In some countries the use of t ...

may carry the designation ''Dão nobre'' (meaning noble Dão).K. MacNeil ''The Wine Bible'' pg 508 Workman Publishing 2001 Another reserve designation, ''Garrafeira,'' requires wines to be 0.5% higher in

alcohol content Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as alc/vol or ABV) is a common measure of the amount of Alcohol (drug), alcohol contained in a given alcoholic beverage. It is defined as the volume the ethanol in the liquid would take if separated from the rest ...

than the 12.5% minimum and to spend at least two years in aging in oak. The maximum yield for red wine grapes is 70 hl/ ha.P. Saunders ''Wine Label Language'' p. 250 Firefly Books 2004 The red wines tend to be very tannic due to prolonged periods of maceration during winemaking. Many producers make liberal use of French and Portuguese

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

. The style has been improving, with some producers concentrating on making more fruit-forward styles with smoother tannins. Historically, the white wines were known for being over-

oxidized Redox ( , , reduction–oxidation or oxidation–reduction) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of the reactants change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is ...

and full- bodied, but more modern winemaking has been producing white wines that are fresh, fruity and fragrant. The Encruzado is the principal grape of the area's whites, with some blends of Malvasia Fina and Bical. ''Garrafeira'' white wines require at least 0.5% more

alcohol by volume Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as alc/vol or ABV) is a common measure of the amount of Alcohol (drug), alcohol contained in a given alcoholic beverage. It is defined as the volume the ethanol in the liquid would take if separated from the rest ...

than the 11.5% DOC minimum and at least 6 months aging in oak. The maximum allowable yields for white wine grapes is 80 hl/ha.

Subregions

There are seven subregions within Dão which may be indicated on labels together with Dão: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) * Alva * Besteiros * Castendo * Serra da Estrela * Silgueiros * Terras de Azurara * Terras de Senhorim

References

External links