The Touriga Franca is at home in the rugged beauty of the Portuguese Douro Valley. On the slate terraces over the river, the grapes were traditionally grown in mixed settings. Up to 80 different vine varieties shared a single parcel. Not even the vintners knew which variety they were dealing with. In the 1980s, Ramos Pinto undertook to identify the five best grape varieties for port wine production. One member of this selection was Touriga Franca. It shines with its deep red colour, intense aromas of blackberry, rose and wildflowers, its full-bodied structure and velvety tannins. Port wine was once dominant on the Douro. But for 15 years the dry red wines here have experienced an unprecedented boom. The Touriga Franca almost always plays a part. It is mostly blended with Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz.

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leather and spices, it gives the Rioja its face. In the Ribera del Duero, it is known as Tinta del país. Here it turns out focused and muscular. As it has inhabited the Iberian Peninsula for centuries, it is known under countless synonyms. Across the border in Portugal, it is called Tinta Roriz, and lends colour and body to port wine. It also plays an important role in the booming wine scene of the Douro Valley. The Tempranillo owes its name to its early maturity – "temprano" in Spanish means "early". Tip: do it like they do in Spain and enjoy it with lamb.

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The Touriga Nacional originally comes from the Dão, in the heart of Portugal. There is a village there named Tourigo. But it became famous in the Douro Valley, where port wine is produced. When the five best varieties were selected from the motley assortment of grapes growing in the vine terraces in the 1980s, the Touriga Nacional was the first choice. It smells of cassis, raspberry, plum, violet and liquorice, and is concentrated on the palate with supple tannins. It does well not only in port wine, but also in dry reds. Solo, the Touriga Nacional tastes almost too intense; therefore, it is usually blended with other varieties such as Touriga Franca and Tinta Barroca. Developed in barriques, the wines show their full potential. In the past ten years, the cultivation area of this grape has more than doubled, and spread to the whole of Portugal.

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It is aptly named: Tinta Barroca means “the dark baroque”. In fact, this variety yields very dark wines with good body and opulent aromas. They smell of plum, cherry and blackberry, have a lot of alcohol and low acidity. The Tinta Barroca has its home in the northern Portuguese Douro Valley. Traditionally, it has gone into port wine, but it is now also an element of the booming red wines from this area. Alone, it turns out somewhat rustically. Therefore, it is wedded with other quality varieties from the Duoro, like Touriga Nacional or Tinta Roriz.

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