We’re referring to the new white wines from the region, because the region is most famously known for being a producer of Port wine – a fortified red wine.

The first non-fortified Douro wine was produced back in 1952 and was named Barca, but the heavy leaning on making high quality red table wines didn’t really exist till the last decade or so.

Now there’s a different story being told in the region, with a few producers starting to make white wine from the local grapes. One has to keep in mind that only eight percent of all grape plantings in the region are white, and even so the bulk of them is used to produce whitep ort.

Those who have tried to develop an elegant white point to the soil, the terroir, as the reason behind the creation of a unique taste; the forty degree Centigrade summer temperatures aren’t a bad thing either.

The mineral blend of elements also points towards creating a crisp white blend from the local grapes, which contrasts with the traditionally rich and tannic red wines that are the trademark of the region.

One of the white wine producers is the Dutch-born Dirk Niepoort who owns the noted Tiara. Jorge Moreira is also in the white wine field who says that there is a definite increase in the interest toward producing whites and admits freely that he is trying to produce a sparkling white. He owns the Poeira label and has planted up the white grape alvarinho on a one hectare area of his highest and shadiest slopes.

The British couple who leads Romaneria agree with the two saying that white wines are capable of expressing the terroir more than the red, and that one can taste stones in the wine, and thanks to the very hot climate the wines have never had to be acidified.

The important competition has awarded its top prize, once again, to the prestigious white wines of Qunta dos Vales, namely the Marques dos Vales wines.

This year’s recognition fell upon the Grace Vineyard white and Grace Viognier, coming from the 2012 harvest – both being awarded two Gold medals. Not only this, but the Viognier also got the award for ‘The Best Wine of the Algarve’ thus winning the Grand Gold medal as well.

These 3 gold medals join the other eighty prices that have already been won this year by Quinta dos Vales, a dozen of them having been won in various international competitions.

This year’s first success was back in March in China, of all places, where the Gold medal was awarede to the ‘Marques dos Vales Selecta red 2010’ and it also took home the Trophy for ‘Portuguese Wine Producer Of The Year 2013’ at the China Wine & Spirits Awards (CWSA).

Then came the month of May where it won a Silver medeal for the ‘Marques dos Vales Grace Touriga Nacional 2009’ at the ‘Sommelier Wine Awards 2013’ in the united Kingdom, and another Silver for the ‘Marques dos Vales Selecta Rose 20120’ in the ‘Primeiro Concurso de Vinhos Nacionais’ held during the fifth ‘Grande Mostra de Vinhos de Portugal’ which was organized by COnfraria do Bacchus de Albufeira.

Other medals were won in the ‘International Wine Challenge’, the ‘Decanter World Wines Awards’ and the ‘International Wine & Spirit Competition’ where the ‘Grace Verdelho’ white 2012 won two Silver medals and the ‘Grace Vineyard’ red 2009 won two Bronze medals as well as a Commendation.

All in all, it’s been a great year for the wines of Quinta dos Vales.