Douro

Definition - What does Douro mean?

Duoro is a wine region in Portugal located around the Douro River and its tributaries. This is the home to Port wine.

The region holds the highest wine classification of Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC). While it is mainly known for its fortified wine, table wines are also made here.

WineFrog explains Douro

The Douro wine region located in the Douro River valley with the Montemuro and Marão mountains maintains a Mediterranean climate with dry, hot summers and cold winters.

It is broken down into three subregions from east to west:

Baixo Corgo

Baixo Corgo has a moderate climate with the most precipitation. It was the first region to be planted and is considered the region with the least quality wines.

Cima Corgo

Cima Corgo is the largest of the three subregions, with 47,000 acres. It is where the majority of the wine estates, called Quintas, are located.

Douro Superior or Upper Douro

Douro Superior is the driest and hottest part of the Douro that extends as far as the Spanish border. It is known for producing the highest of quality wines of all the subregions and is the most recently planted, covering 21,000 acres and growing.

The wine styles which are made in the Douro Valley range from light-bodied, Bordeaux-style wines to rich, robust and sometimes rustic styles of Burgundian wine aged in new barrels.