Since it joined the EU in 1986, Portugal has benefited from the investment that has enabled everyone from small single quintas to large co-operatives to vastly improve quality. Vital new technology, like stainless steel tanks, combined with a change in winemaking philosophy, have resulted in wines that are cleaner, less tannic, and much more fruit-driven.

The creation of the Vinho Regional category, like the French Vin de Pays, has also given the industry a great fillip, allowing experimentation with grape varieties and otherwise banned practices like irrigation. The VR wines of producers such as Dom Rafael in Alentejo offer remarkable value for money.

Although Port production is still the mainstay of the Douro, the region is fast becoming renowned for its powerful and complex still wines produced from indigenous varieties like Touriga Nacional and Baga.