The red wines in the Douro are relatively new when compared to other regions in Portugal, as we know that until some years ago most of the red grapes were used for the Port wine production.
However, in just a few decades, the Douro's reds are already the most appetizing for the final consumer and are even among the best in Portugal, and in the world, when the wine magazines release their best of the year.
This evolution has made it possible to define the most relevant grape varieties for blends, and a consensus has been reached on the typical Douro blend, which involves combining the three native grape varieties Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz.
The TTT blend is the formula for success for red wines, from entry-level to the super premium wines.
There are obviously many other native grape varieties or even international varieties that can be used to compose blends and also the old vines in field blends, where the blend is made in the vineyards, and dozens of grape varieties are vinified together. But this is not the norm, it’s the exception that makes each wine unique, and the so-called identity of the terroir.
If you're looking for the classic Douro red wine, then the combination of the 3 T varieties is undoubtedly what you should choose and to help you on that, we've selected the best reds, blends of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz in several price ranges.
