Bairrada

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• Delimited by the Vouga river (N), the Mondego river (S), the Bussaco and Caramulo mountain ranges (E), and the Atlantic Ocean (W).
• Predominantly flat and gently rolling topography, with elevations generally below 250 m.
• Mediterranean climate with a strong Atlantic influence: cool, rainy winters and warm summers with cool nights and a significant diurnal temperature range.
• Predominantly clay and clay-limestone soils; the vineyards are concentrated in pockets of Jurassic limestone, Triassic sandstone, and Cretaceous conglomerates.
• Soils derive from sedimentary rocks, with permeability and water-retention characteristics that promote pronounced fixed acidity in the wines.

• Commercial sparkling wine production in Bairrada dates to 1890, the first in Portugal.
• Winemaking activity in the region has been documented since the Middle Ages, with a recognised reputation already established in the nineteenth century.

• Sensory profile marked by aromatic richness, pronounced freshness, good structure, and balanced yet notable acidity.
• The freshness of the wines stems from the natural acidity of the grapes, encouraged by the Atlantic influence and the region's high rainfall.

• Jurassic limestone, Triassic sandstone, and Cretaceous conglomerates are directly linked to the pronounced fixed acidity and freshness that define the wines of Bairrada.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the the caderno de especificações.

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-PT-A1537
• Official trade body site — Comissão Vitivinícola da Bairrada