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With famous wine making countries such as Spain, France and Italy on the same continent, it is often easy for people thinking of European wines to forget that Portuguese red wine exists. Connoisseurs are aware of the fact and have enjoyed Portuguese classics for centuries but for those relatively new to the history of wines from this part of the world, more knowledge is often desired in order to know what is being missed.  The history of wine in Portugal is as ancient as those of its other wine making counterparts in Europe. The art was introduced to the country by several ancient civilizations such as the Greek and the Romans among others.

Portugal's fame in the wine industry does not come from table wines but rather fortified wines. To the wine lover not used to Portugal's wine and much more acquainted with labelling practices adopted from the French and variations of French wine grapes, Portuguese red wine or any Portuguese wine for that matter can seem all too confusing. The Portuguese prefer to make wine from their own grapes and give wines names that match their own rules, although in recent times the adoption of certain European rules concerning the marketing of wine has a things a little bit easier.

Portugal's most famous wine making region is the Douro Valley region which also produces Port wine, a sweet red wine popular on the export market and locally. There are different kinds of port wine defined mostly by grapes used in their production and wine making methods used to create the wine.  Portugal is also the world's fifth largest producer of wine after Australia and with South Africa behind it.

It is said that while other countries make wine for the world market, the Portuguese make wines for the Portuguese themselves. Anyone interested in appreciating their wine should note this first before attempting to buy a bottle as this will help with better appreciation of Portuguese red wine.

Those who want to enjoy Portuguese red wine should do so by purchasing wines that come from  these regions: Douro, Alentejo and Dao. Other regions exist but for a novice wishing to enjoy and example of wine from this country these regions are the surest to go with. There are a wide range of grapes and blends which the Portuguese make their wines from and their characteristics differ according to the region they are produced in and the wine maker responsible. You can expect to hear of varietals defined by names such as Touriga Nacional, Alicante Bouschet, Tinta Amerla (used for Port wine) and Moreto among others.