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Douro is an appellation in northern Portugal that is famous for being the home of port wine. The region takes its name from the Duoro river that flows east to west from the Spanish border to Oporto, where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Though Douro is best known for its fortified wines, total production is fairly evenly split between port and table (non-fortified) wines.
The area divides into three sub-regions, each expressing different aspects of Douro’s hot continental climate. Starting at the Spanish border is the arid Douro Superior. This emerging sub-region is covered in terraced vineyards and takes up about 20% of available land in Douro.
Near the town of Pinhao is Cima Corgo (Upper Corgo), where most high-end vintage port originates. Cima Corgo is the largest of the three sub-regions and accounts for almost half of Douro's total wine production. The steep vineyards of Cima Corgo are predominantly composed of schist with sizable granite deposits. Vines nearer the river tend to ripen much earlier than those at higher elevations, meaning harvest is often completed in multiple sweeps of the same vineyard.
Baixo Corgo (Lower Corgo) is the westernmost of the sub-regions and is best suited to table wines. The area is cooler and wetter compared to its neighbors, but also more accessible, meaning more bulk-wine operations are possible.
Port wine is made from more than 80 different types of grapes, though in reality vineyard plantings are dominated by five varieties. Of the 'big five', the aromatic Touriga Nacional is the most highly regarded and Touriga Francesca the most widely planted. Vineyards tend to be an eclectic cross-section of port-grape varieties, often with more than 20 planted to a single vineyard.
Douro tables wines are typically made from the same grape varieties as their esteemed port cousins, but a number of international varieties have also found a home in the valley. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurztraminer are among the more common non-native grapes.
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