Dão

Among the pine forest:

Populated by narrow paths that run in the mountains, hills or along the banks of rivers the place is full of historic towns, villages and wilderness forts of ancient nobility. The surrounding set of tall mountains protects it from both the wetness of the Atlantic and the harsh continental winds. The weather is cold and rainy in the winter and very hot and dry in the summer. Dão River, a tributary of Mondego River, cuts through this granite massif, and gives the region its name. The mists hanging in the valleys give the region an air of mysticism.

The region was demarcated in 1908, but you can find estates here that were in winemaking since at least the XVII century. The typically small, almost anonymous vineyards are candidly hidden by pine trees, bushes and walls. The vines are placed between 200-900 meters of altitude, lifting the grapes to sunshine, but also allowing them to cool at night, preserving balanced acidity. The great wine wisdom of the local population produces wines full of subtlety and finesse. Native Encruzado is the king of whites here, while Touriga National, Jaen and Tinta Roriz reds.