Dão DOC facts for kids
| Wine region | |
 |
|
| Official name | Dão-Lafões |
|---|---|
| Type | Denominação de Origem Controlada |
| Country | Portugal |
| Part of | Centro, Portugal |
| Climate region | Temperate |
| Soil conditions | Sandy on top of granite |
| Grapes produced | Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Jaen, Alfrocheiro Preto and Encruzado |
| Wine produced | Dão wine |
Dão is a special area in Portugal known for making wine. It's one of the oldest wine regions in the country! This region is found in the central part of Portugal, near the Mondego River and Dão River. It's a mountainous area with a mild, balanced climate.
In 1990, Dão officially became a "Denominação de Origem Controlada" (DOC). This means its wines have a special protected status, like a brand name. The Dão region is also where the important Touriga Nacional grape comes from. This grape is a key ingredient in making port wine.
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Climate and Geography of Dão
The Dão wine region sits mostly on a high, flat area called a plateau. This plateau is surrounded by three granite mountain ranges: Serra da Estrela, Serra do Caramulo, and Serra da Nave. These mountains act like a shield. They protect the region from the strong winds and weather coming from the nearby Atlantic Ocean.
Because of this protection, Dão has a mild climate. It gets plenty of rain during the winter months. Then, it has long, warm, and dry summers. These conditions are perfect for growing grapes before the harvest season. The vineyards in Dão are planted in sandy soil. This soil drains water well and sits on top of granite rock.
History of Dão Wines
The idea to make Dão an official wine region started with a winemaker named João de Sacadura Botte Côrte-Real. People thought he was very smart about growing grapes. He helped make winemaking better and improved the quality of wine in the region. He owned many wine farms, including famous ones like Quinta da Aguieira.
Dão was first officially recognized as a special wine region in 1908. Later, in the 1940s, the government tried to make Dão wines even better. They made new rules that said only special groups called "co-operatives" could make wine from the grapes grown there. These co-operatives would then sell the wine to private sellers.
However, these rules didn't work out as planned. Because there was no competition, some co-operatives didn't try as hard to make good wine. Some even had poor winemaking practices. This made the quality of Dão wine go down.
In 1979, Portugal wanted to join the European Union. The EU didn't like these rules because they stopped fair competition. So, Portugal had to change its laws. This allowed more wineries to open and compete, which helped Dão wines become better again.
Grapes and Wines of Dão
The Dão region grows many different types of grapes that are native to Portugal. Most of the wine is made from grapes like Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Jaen, Alfrocheiro Preto, and Encruzado.
About 80% of the wine made in Dão is red wine. Rules say that at least 20% of the red wine must come from the Touriga Nacional grape. Some of the best red wines can be called Dão nobre, which means "noble Dão." Another special name is Garrafeira. For red wines, this means they must have a little more alcohol and be aged in oak barrels for at least two years.
Red wines from Dão often have a strong, slightly bitter taste called "tannin." This comes from the way the grapes are soaked during winemaking. Many winemakers use French and Portuguese oak barrels to age their wines. Today, winemakers are focusing on making wines that taste more fruity and have smoother tannins.
Historically, white wines from Dão were known for being rich and sometimes a bit too "oxidized" (meaning they had too much air exposure). But modern winemaking has changed this. Now, Dão white wines are often fresh, fruity, and smell wonderful. The main white grape is Encruzado. It's sometimes mixed with Malvasia Fina and Bical grapes. White Garrafeira wines also need a bit more alcohol and must be aged in oak for at least six months.
Dão Subregions
There are seven smaller areas within Dão. Their names can sometimes be found on wine labels along with "Dão":
- Alva
- Besteiros
- Castendo
- Serra da Estrela
- Silgueiros
- Terras de Azurara
- Terras de Senhorim
See also
In Spanish: Dão para niños
