WINES OF TEJO

With a focus on quality and balance, Tejo is experiencing a wine renaissance from vine to bottle. Combining experimentation, investment in modern equipment, and a commitment to lowering yields and the cultivation of terroir-specific grapes, the wines appeal to the modern-day wine lover by offering a balance between rustic, Old World heritage and a fresh, forward-thinking approach.

The wines of the region are some of the most vibrant and affordable coming out of Portugal today and offer a diverse array of styles that appeal to a variety of tastes and budgets. Tejo’s native red grapes include the bold Touriga Nacional, Portugal’s most famous variety, as well as Trincadeira and Castelão. The aromatic Fernão Pires and the lively Arinto produce some of the region’s most refreshing white wines. These indigenous grapes thrive in Tejo’s warm climate and complex soils, while retaining their high natural acidity, producing balanced wines with fruity characteristics.

Native White Varieties

Tejo's native white grapes are luscious and have balanced acidity.

Arinto

Grown throughout Portugal, this grape produces vibrant wines with flavors of orchard fruits and citrus, and are best enjoyed young. In warmer regions like Tejo, the grape retains its high natural acidity and can work well as a single-varietal wine or in a blend.

Fernão Pires

A versatile cultivar that is found more widely in southern Portugal. Extremely versatile, fernão pires (also known as Maria Gomes in Northern Portugal) can be picked at various ripeness levels to achieve different flavor profiles – from bright citrus to luscious peach to fragrant tropical fruits. The grape loves the warmer climate in Tejo and has moderate acidity and body.

Alvarinho

This grape is grown throughout Portugal and is easily the country’s most well known white varietal. The grape produces a wine that is characterful, fuller in body and with zesty acidity. The best show examples are highly aromatic with notes of peach, passion fruit, orange blossom and lychee.

Verdelho

Originating in Madeira, this native Portuguese grape variety is highly regarded for its ability to retain a high natural acidity when grown in warm climates. Extremely fragrant, this grape showcases notes of mango, papaya and citrus, as well as fresh herbs and minerality.

Other white grapes found in Tejo include Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

Native Red Varieties

Tejo's native red grapes produce wines that are rich and flavorful yet accessible.

Touriga Nacional

As Portugal’s most well known grape variety, it has made a nice home for itself in the Tejo region. Producing wines with high tannins, full body and flavors like dark berries, plums and purple flowers, the grape thrives in southern Portugal’s warm climate.

Trincadeira

This hot-weather loving cultivar thrives in the Tejo region where the growing season is longer allowing the grape to fully ripen. Although difficult to grow, trincadeira produces wines with bright raspberry flavors, herbal and spicy tones while retaining its acidity.

Castelão

This grape is found predominately in southern Portugal, but also prospers in the poor, sandy-clay soils found throughout the Tejo region. The grape has the ability to produce well-structured wines with vibrant acidity and an endearing rustic quality with notes of plum, red currants and meaty aromas.

Aragonês

Known to the Spaniards as tempranillo (and as tinto roriz in Northern Portugal), this variety makes rich and robust wines throughout Portugal, and is often found in blends rather than as a single-varietal wine. Thriving in both sandy and clay soils, aragonês produces smooth, fruit-forward wines with undertones of spice.

To complement the red native varietals, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are also planted in the region.