The Winery Vinha Alto Castelo of Tejo

Discovering the wine region of Tejo

Tejo is a wine region in CentralPortugal which covers the same area as the Ribatejo province, just inland from the major city of Lisbon. The wine appellation's name was changed from Ribatejo in 2009. The entire region may use the Tejo VR (Vinho Regional) designation, similar to the French IGP/Vin de Pays, while some areas produce wines labeled with the higher-level Do Tejo DOC (Denominação de Origem Controlada). A Warm, Dry area, it is also Portugal's only landlocked region – although it is influenced considerably by the Tejo river.

As is the case in neighboring Alentejo, Tejo's top wines are mostly red. Like many parts of Portugal, Tejo's vignerons are looking to the future, planting international varieties like Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon aLongside traditional varieties like Touriga Nacional, Castelão and Trincadeira; wines are often blends of both types. The white wines are dominated by Aromatic, gently Spicy Fernão Pires. The area's wine regions straddle the Tejo river, the longest on the Iberian Peninsula.

Fertile alluvial soils have long supplied bumper yields of fruit and vegetables for the local population, and wine also benefits from the river's riches – not just in Portugal but in central Spain too. There are two official designations in the region – the Generic Tejo VR and the more specific Do Tejo DOC. These were named as such in 2009 – Prior to this, they were known as Ribatejano and Ribatejo respectively. As the river is the main waterway connecting Madrid and Lisbon, Ribatejo has long been one of Portugal's richest regions.