wine
Touriga Nacional
By Ana Rodrigues
Portugal's most prestigious native grape variety, producing deeply coloured, aromatic red wines and the finest ports.
Touriga Nacional is Portugal's flagship red grape variety, widely regarded as the country's finest. Originally from the Dão region, it produces deeply coloured wines with intense aromas of violets, dark berries, and wild herbs. Small berries with thick skins yield powerful tannins.
Once nearly extinct due to low yields, Touriga Nacional was saved by dedicated viticulturists. It is the backbone of the finest vintage ports and increasingly celebrated as a single-variety table wine.