Great news for Douro wines!

Exports have risen 17% in the first semester of 2014 compared to 2013. The President ofInstituto da Vinha e do Vinho told the media that the Douro wines are growing due to theinternational and national recognition that they have been awarded is the past few years. Last year, for the first time, Douro Wine made more than 100 million euros in sales. Angola, Canada, United States of America, Germany and Switzerland are the country that have seek out more of this kind of wines.

The President of IVV concludes that there might be no wine lover that doesn’t have a positive impression of the DOP wine from Douro. “You just have to take a look at comments, articles, ratings and medals to see that these wines are winners everywhere.”Promoting wines from Douro has been the main focus of various enterprises that deal in wine exportation. They have really done their jobs well. Of course, Douro wines doesn’t owes all to marketing and promotion. Much of the success this wine are having are due to the hard work of its producers and to the quality of theirs grapes varieties. Portugal is in high demand and specially northern Portugal seems to have stricken a cord amongst tourists everywhere.

Everybody knows life is sweeter with Port’s wine but the other wines combined with a dessert dish might be fantastic as well. The Portuguese wine portfolio is a very rich one when it comes to dessert wines. We are better know as the home of Port’s Wine but we have other equally good varieties.

The Portuguese Wine decided to share Tips on how to choose a Portuguese dessert wine:

1.  Learn the different kind of dessert wine including the fortified wine such as Port and Cherry and latest harvested wine made from sweet ripe grapes. For instances, you must learn that a drier wine does not go well with dessert plates. You should go for a Muscatel from the region of Setúbal, a classic Port wine, traditional semi-sweet wines or even a Madeira wine.
2. Compliment, always! Cake, Cookies, fruit, chocolate and cheese are great pairs for any kind of dessert wine.
3. Muscat wine goes well with fruit.  Muscat grapes produce lighter and sweeter winesThe sweet Muscatel wine goes well with fruits, nuts, chocolate or coffee.
4. The malavasia variety from Madeira is perfect for honey cake, tropical fruits, dry nuts or something with milk chocolate.
5. Choose a fortified wine like Port’s when you are dealing rich desert: pick a lighter ruby port wine when you are eating a fruit pie, tawny Port’s with milk chocolate and vintage Port’s with dark chocolate.
6. Dessert wine should be sweeter than the dessert.
7. Serve very sweet dessert wines as a desert themselves.

Enjoy wine lovers!