Portuguese wine order to protect its superior wines from inferior ones. The quality and great variety of wines in Portugal are due to noble castas, microclimates, soils and proper technology. Official designations: Vinho Verde: This region is mainly in the Minho province and is in the extreme north-west of Portugal. There are six areas : Vinho Verde derived its name from the fact that the grapes used are 'green' meaning slightly under-ripe. Vinho Verde wines are now largely exported, and are the most exported Portuguese wines after the Port Wine. The most popular variety in Portugal and abroad are the white wines,
Alentejo wine created as separate "Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada" (IPR) wine regions, after which some were elevated to DOC status. In 2003, these separate DOCs and IPRs were put together as the Alentejo DOC. Listed from north to south the eight subregions are the following. The principal grapes of the Alentejo region includes Abundante, Alfrocheiro Preto, Alicante Bouschet, Antão Vaz, Arinto, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Chardonnay, Diagalves, Fernão Pires, Grand noir, Manteudo, Moreto, Palomino, Periquita, Rabo de Ovelha, Tempranillo, and Trincadeira. 5. Gregory V. Jones, https://web.archive.org/web/20130908201932/http://www.sou.edu/envirostudies/jones.html Alentejo wine Alentejo ("Vinho do Alentejo", Alentejo wines) is a Portuguese wine region located in the Alentejo