Ep 323: Dao Region of Portugal -- The Burgundy of the Iberian Peninsula

<p>Located in north-central Portugal, just a three-hour drive from Lisbon, Dão is a small quiet region with outstanding, elegant, and distinctive wines. Named for the Dão river which carves a path through the rugged, old granite hills here, the region is the original home of Portugal’s top red grape, Touriga Nacional.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style= "display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src= "https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/show/45638/WFNP_Maps_Portugal-01.jpg" alt="" width="301" height="388" /><em><a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Wine-Normal-People-Guide-Snobbery/dp/1452171343/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2VUAWPRH77KNC&dchild=1&keywords=wine+for+normal+people&qid=1588021453&sprefix=wine+for+n%2Caps%2C180&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyNzdCUjVIVVdNQlhJJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDYzMDcxOUxVODhLTVVHMlgwJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAyMjgwMTYyTU1JOUI5VlJONERFJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==">Map from the Wine For Normal People Book</a></em></p> <p>Made up of tens of thousands of growers and small plots, just 5% of the land area of this region is planted to vines, 80% of which are red grapes. The hot, dry climate of this distinctive region is made possible by its unique position on a plateau sheltered on 3 sides by granite mountain ranges – the Serra da Estrela, the Serra do Caramulo, and the Serra da Nave.</p> <p> </p> <p>Mountains protect the area from the capricious Atlantic and continental storms, and the provide altitude which means the grapes can cool down at night, hoarding precious acidity.  The granite subsoil also helps boost the acidity of the wines, making them fresh and bright, rather than dark and brooding as is often the case in the Douro wines.</p> <p> </p> <p>There are seven subregions can be on the bottle: Alva, Besteiros, Castendo, Serra da Estrela, Silgueiros, Terras de Azurara, and  Terras de Senhorim, but you will rarely see them (at the time of this show in 2020, at least).</p> <p><strong>What can you expect from