- Regions
- Dão
The Dão region is located in province of Beira Alta, in the North of Central Portugal, protected by the mountains of Caramulo, Montemuro, Buçaco and Estrela. Within its mountain walls, the region is totally protected from cold winds, summer rain clouds from the Atlantic, and even continental storms, offering the perfect conditions for winemaking.
The vineyards were initially used by the clergy, especially monks from Cister. In 1908 it became the second Wine region in Portugal after Douro. Most vineyards have been in the same family for generations. With the admission Portugal to the EEC in 1986, the vines went through restructuring, with new viticulture techniques and appropriate grape variety choice.
The majority of the vineyards are planted between 400 and 700 meters high, predominantly in granite origin soils. Vineyards need to be carefully sited for best exposure to the sun ensure perfect ripeness. This gives Dão wines an innate balance of lovely, mineral acidity, wonderful fragrance, character and intensity, and allows the wines to age well in the bottle.
The region has a continental climate, characterized by cold and rainy Winters and Summers that are generally sunny, warm and dry. Yet in late summers, the days become rapidly cooler, allowing long, slow ripening and the development of complex flavors.
Dão has many grape varieties, but the most important are Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro, Jaen and Tinta Roriz for the reds and Encruzado, Bical, Cerceal, Malvasia Fina and Verdelho for the white grape varieties.
The really special thing about the wines from Dão, whether red or white, is the balance of all their constituent parts - acidity, alcohol, concentration of flavor - it all ends up to elegance.
Get to know our estates in the Dão region
