Portugal has one of the most interesting drinking cultures in Europe and most visitors completely miss it. They land in Lisbon, order a Vinho Verde because someone on the internet told them to, drink it again at dinner, and fly home thinking they’ve cracked the country. They haven’t.
Vinho Verde is genuinely good. It’s light, zesty, and often has a slight tongue-tingling fizz. Have one with a plate of grilled sardines and you’ll understand why it exists. Then move on. There’s a lot more to work through.
Alentejo reds: the ones locals actually order at dinner
From the sun-drenched plains of southern Portugal, Alentejo reds are easy-drinking, fruit-forward, and smooth. Key varieties include Aragonez, Alicante Bouschet, and Trincadeira. These are the bottles you’ll find open on a weeknight table in any Alentejo household. Expect to pay around £10 to £18 for something genuinely decent in a restaurant.
Dão: Portugal’s answer to Burgundy
Protected by mountains from Atlantic winds and with soil rich in schist and granite, the Dão region produces some of Portugal’s best wine. It is known as the ‘Portuguese Burgundy’. The wines are gastronomic, with exceptional acidity and complex, delicate scents. The reds are built on Touriga Nacional; the whites on Encruzado, which boasts a tropical creaminess with enough weight and power to pair with something like bacalhau with root vegetables. If you see a Dão on a restaurant list and you’re eating roasted meat or a heavy stew, order it. You won’t regret it.
Ginjinha: the one you drink standing up
Visitors to Lisbon are sure to notice ginja bars scattered throughout the city. Compact and no-frills, these bars are solely devoted to a cherry liqueur that originated in the city centuries ago. Ginja is made from aguardente infused with sour cherries, sugar, and cinnamon. It’s dark red, super sweet, and surprisingly strong, with an ABV of around 18 to 24 per cent. It’s typically sold in a shot glass for one or two euros per serving, and you order it with or without the booze-soaked cherry at the bottom. The correct answer is with. Standing at the counter on a side street in Alfama, paying €1.50 a shot, is one of the more honest pleasures Lisbon offers.
Moscatel de Setúbal: the fortified wine nobody mentions
Just south of Lisbon, Moscatel de Setúbal is a fortified Muscat with an amber glow, intense aroma, and a long history connecting Portugal to trade routes and royal tables. More recently, the Portuguese are drinking it as a digestif without pairing it with dessert. Get a glass after a long lunch and see what the fuss is about. It runs around £6 to £9 a glass at the kind of places that know what they’re doing.
Medronho: Algarve firewater
This one is not for the faint-hearted. Aguardente de Medronho is a traditional fruit brandy obtained from arbutus berries, the fruit of the strawberry tree. Many bottles contain around 48 per cent alcohol by volume. It is the firewater of choice for many people living in the Algarve. The best bottles come from small producers in the hills around Monchique rather than anything commercial. The preferred local method is to have a shot in your coffee. Quite the wake-up. Ask for a café com cheirinho. It costs almost nothing and it will absolutely sort you out.
Espumante: sparkling wine that isn’t Prosecco
Portugal makes serious sparkling wine, especially in Bairrada. Locals call it Espumante, and it pairs perfectly with salty snacks like tremoços. Most bottles come from the Bairrada, Dão, and Távora-Varosa wine regions in central Portugal. A decent bottle in a wine bar runs £5 to £9 a glass. It’s underrated abroad and drunk without ceremony at home, which is usually a reliable sign.
How to order without looking like a tourist
Ask what’s local. In the Algarve, that means medronho and Algarve table wines. In Lisbon, a glass of Moscatel de Setúbal after dinner signals you know something. In the Alentejo, point at an Alentejo red and let the waiter fill the glass. Portugal can draw on more than 250 native grape varieties, which means almost every region has something nobody else grows. The country rewards the curious drinker. The Vinho Verde crowd will never find out.
